In all likelihood, you have used a Likert scale (or something you’ve called a Likert scale) in a survey before. It might surprise you to learn that Likert scales are a very specific format and what you have been calling Likert may not be. Not to worry — researchers that have been doing surveys for… Read More »
Max Word Count Tutorial
What is it?
Inside of an essay question, we have a special Validation feature for you called "WORD COUNT". Which allows you to restrict the total number of words you'd like to see allowed within an essay question. This will display at the bottom of the question, and will increase in number as their word counts fill up. It will also display an error and not allow the respondent to proceed if they enter more than the allotted amount.
Where would I find it?
- Once you're logged in your survey, go to your Create & Edit tab.
- Click on the small pencil icon to the left of your essay question (or create one if you do not have it already.
- Click on the Validation tab.
- Type in your desired word count into "Max Word Count".
Can I see an example of this in action?
Of course! All word counts will be at the bottom of the essay question. When someone does not answer it, it will provide an error message.
What does the error message look like?
I'm glad you asked, you'll see it below. you can also fully customize/translate this error message if you'd like
When would I use this?
You can use this feature anytime you're looking to make sure that people don't write too much on your essay question. Sometimes you're just looking for a short answer, and don't want people to ramble. A great example of this would be within a job application, you could ask a respondent why they wanted that job, but limit them to 200 words or less.
Another great time to use the max word count is when distributing a test/quiz. If you want your students to write about what they read, but want them to be clear and concise (and not write too much fluff) you can use this feature to keep them limited to particular word count.
When would I avoid this?
While the max word count option can be very helpful in many situations, it can be detrimental in others. For example, it's best not to put a max word count limit on things like negative feedback. If a customer is already upset, limiting them on what they can say will most likely upset them further.
You want them to be able to vent their frustrations in as many words as possible so you can dig through, find the root of the problem, and make changes to make it better (and that can't always be well communicated in a 100 word grievance).
Related Articles
- Feature: Max Word Size
- Tutorial: Question Types
Updated: 05/24/2012
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