How to Code Open-Ends in MX8 Labs
In MX8 Labs, coding open-ended responses is streamlined and automated, making it easy to classify and analyze text responses from your surveys. Here's a step-by-step guide to understanding how open-end coding works and how you can manage it effectively.
How Open-End Coding Works
1. Automated Coding At the End of Fielding
The system automatically codes all responses to each eligible open-ended question when your survey is complete. This ensures you get consistent categorization of open-ended answers without any manual intervention.
For a qualitative text interview, MX8 Labs first assembles the respondent's ordered question-and-answer turns into one transcript. The complete transcript is coded as one open-ended response, so a three-turn interview counts once in the analytical base rather than three times. The original turn rows, exact prompts, and turn order remain available in raw response outputs.
2.
Shared Code-Frames Across Surveys
- Each unique question in each Project has a code frame (a predefined set of categories used to classify responses).
- The same code-frame is shared across all surveys in the project, ensuring consistent classification.
3.
Editable Code-Frames
- You can edit the code frame anytime to refine categories or adapt to new response patterns.
- The AI uses the description of each label to decide which responses should be assigned to this code.
- Changes to the code frame trigger an automatic re-coding of all previously collected responses to ensure consistency. Whether existing project reports are rebuilt with the new codes is your choice when saving (see below).
Managing Your Code-Frame
Viewing the Code-Frame
- Navigate to the Project you want to manage.
- Select the open end coding tab to view the questions with code frames. Each question's code frame appears as a Coding Dictionary card.
Editing the Code-Frame
- Click the Edit coding dictionary button on the question's card.
- Add, modify, or delete categories as needed.
- If existing project reports should be rebuilt with the updated codes, tick Recode all reports in this project using this coding dictionary?
- Save your changes to update the code-frame.
Re-Coding Responses
- When you edit the code frame, the system re-codes the responses for that question — you don't need to re-upload data.
- Rebuilding existing reports with the updated codes is controlled by the Recode all reports checkbox in the edit dialog, so untouched reports keep their current coding until you opt in.
FAQs
Q: Can I use the same code frame for multiple questions?
No, each unique question has its own code frame. However, the system automatically shares the code-frame for the same question across all surveys in a project.
Q: What happens to previously coded responses if I update the code frame?
All previously collected responses are automatically re-coded to reflect your changes.
Q: Can I revert to a previous version of the code frame?
Currently, code-frame changes are final, so ensure you're confident in your edits before saving.