'Ranking', also known as 'Sorting', is a special question type that allows the respondent to rank the answers in order of importance.
Ranking is a cognitively demanding survey question. The respondent is usually not able to rank more than 5 to 10 categories. It also has no major advantages compared to the rating scale (table) alternative (no possibility to calculate averages, variances, multivariate analyses, comparisons, etc.). Ranking is mainly used in situations where we want an exact order (in the case of a rating scale, several categories may have the same rating). Such situations are encountered in shopping decisions and other decision problems.
When using the 'Ranking' question type, the survey author can choose between the following sorting types in the settings:
- Relocation, where respondents relocates a certain number of options from left to right;
- Numbering, where respondents select a number next to each option in a drop-down list;
- Moving, where respondents move the options vertically;
Image hotspot, where respondents rank predefined areas in an image.
It is also possible to set the number of responses that the respondent can rank.
Example of a survey: Please rank colors according to your fondness for the colours
The functionality is available for users of the 2KA and 3KA packages for individuals, and for users of the business packages for groups.