SMDS Help Desk

Click the Manage Tools link. Here, you will see a list of every tool in your SMDS account. To find the tool you are customizing, select the tool directly from your tool set, or search for the tool by name. Click the name of the tool to open it in Tool Builder.

In Tool Builder, click the insert tab in the place where you would like to insert a question.

Working With More Than One Document

Click New Question. The Insert a Question window will display. Click the radio button for the format you wish to add.

Type the question into the Question Area. 

In the format and style menu, you can make changes to your selected text.

To do so, select the Text  and from the format dropdown, choose your Style. 

TIP: Success Measures uses Paragraph as the style for questions. You may use this style or choose your own. 

When you've finished creating your question, scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save. You may also click Save and Add Another if you wish.

You will now see the new question in your draft tool. To see how the question will appear in SMDS, click the blue Preview button at the bottom of the page. 

Scroll to the question you want to view. 

TIP: In this preview you can test out the question. Type into the text box to test it.

To see how the question will appear in Word, click the blue Word Format button at the bottom of the screen. Select Open. 

TIP: Viewing the tool in Word will allow you to see how it will be printed. Additionally, this is a great place to do a spell check. 

When finished viewing the tool in Word, return to the Tool Builder.

Instructions for each type of question are listeb

Multiple Choice Questions

Use this format to create a question that has answer choices, and requires a single selection or multiple selection answer. For example, “What do you like best about this neighborhood?” Check all that apply.

Click the Multiple Choice radio button to select this Question Format. 

Type the question into the Question Area. 

Select the Question Layout. 

TIP: You can choose between Horizontal and Vertical answer choice layout. Success Measures uses Vertical so the answers are viewed easily in a list. 

Select the Display Mode. Multiple choice questions are divided into two categories: 

1. Check all that apply. Uses Multi Selection for check all that apply. These are displayed as checkboxes. 

2. Single selection. Use Single Selection when choosing only one answer. These are displayed as radio buttons. 

TIP: Single Selection Dropdown—Is useful to save space, usually when the tool is being filled out online. 

Enter the answer choices in the Answer section. 

If you want to add “other” as an answer option, check the Enable other answer option. 

TIP: You can also change the word other by deleting it and replacing it. Examples would be “Something else” or “Another activity.”

Yes/No Questions

Use this format to create a question that requires a yes or no answer. 

Click the Yes/No radio button to select this format.

Type the question into the Question Area. 

Matrix Questions

A matrix question has the option of using either radio buttons or checkboxes for answers. 

Click the Matrix radio button to select this Question Format.

Type the question into the Question Area. 

Next, select the Answer Type. 

TIP: Will each question in the matrix require one answer to be selected, or be a check all that apply? If each question requires only one answer to be selected, use radio buttons by clicking on Single Answer. If the question is a check all that apply, use checkboxes by clicking on Multiple Answers. 

Under Configuration, type in the number of rows and columns for the matrix. 

TIP: You can change the number of rows or columns later if you need more or don’t use them all. 

Scroll down to the Matrix to enter the questions and answer choices. 

To start Entering Questions, click the first white box in the first column. 

You also have the option of Entering a Heading for this column. 

To enter Answer Choices, click the grey row of boxes. 

Write in answers (i.e. “Often, Sometimes, Rarely Never, one for each grey box).

Check Add Explanatory Text Box if you would like respondents to explain why they chose a certain answer. 

If you want to add “other” as an answer option, check the Enable other answer option.

TIP: You can also change the word other by deleting it and replacing it. Examples would be “Something else” or “Another activity.”

Text Box Questions

Use this format to create a question that requires a short answer. For example, it could be “Address” or “Respondent Name”.

Click the Text radio button to select this format. Text Radio Button.

PLEASE NOTE: If the answer will be a number, percentage, decimal, or a currency, this is NOT the format option you want to use. Use Input box. 

Open Ended Questions

Use this format to create a question that requires or encourages a longer answer.

Click the Open Ended radio button to select this format.  Type the question into the Question Area.

Input Box Questions

Use this question format to create a question that requires currency, percentage, decimal, or a number for an answer. 

Click the Input Box radio button to select this format. Type the question into the Question Area. 

After entering the question text, under Options, select the Input Type. 

Date Picker Questions

Use this format to create a question that asks for a date. 

Click the Date Picker radio button to select this format. Type the question into the Question Area.

Adding Instructions

Use this format to create text that does not require an answer. This may include: instructions, titles, headings, footers, and other descriptive text within the tool. 

EXAMPLE: Instructions might be a title such a as “Walker Neighborhood Survey,” instructions such as “Please answer the following questions about your community,” or text such as “Thank you for completing this survey.” 

Click the Instructions radio button to select this format. Type the instruction into the Question Area. 

Custom Matrix Questions

Use this format to create a matrix that can have different types of answer formats in one table.  

Click the Custom Matrix radio button to select this Question Format. Type the question into the Question Area 

Now, you will create your matrix in the Preview section by entering questions and answer choices. 

In the first column, enter the Questions by clicking on first white box in the first column.

You also have the option of entering a Heading for this column. 

Next, to enter Answer Choices, click in the second grey cell where it says “Click to write.” 

Next, we need to change the Answer Formats for our matrix. 

To do so, place your cursor in the answer cell of the column you would like to change and click the gear symbol. A dialogue box will display. 

First, you can change the Width. 

Next, select the Type of answer format.

Since we are using a checkbox, there are no more options to select. Click Ok. 

Repeat the answer format configuration for the other columns. 

In this example, we will use the same configuration for the second column. In the third column, we are asking respondents to enter a number, so we must change the format to a text box that uses numbers.

Place your cursor in the cell, and click the gear box.

A dialogue box will display. 

First, you can change the Width. 

Next, in the Type, we can choose between 3 text options small, medium, or large. 

Now that we have selected small text, we have more options. 

Under Option, we can choose from text, or different types of numbers. 

For numerical responses, you can have the system generate either a sum or an average.  

Select Show Aggregate.

If you want to add “Other” as an answer option, check the Enable Other Answer Option checkbox, found above the Preview. 

Rating Scale Questions

Use this question format to create a single selection question with answers choices that relate to each other, along a scale or range. 

Click the Rating Scale radio button to select this format. Type the question into the Question Area.

After entering the question text, choose an Answer Type.

Next, decide on Configuration, or how many answer choices you would like your rating scale to have. 

TIP: The rating scale format will allow you to choose the text of the scale, but you must click on the text in the Preview section for the editing box to appear. 

Calculation Questions

Use this format to add a question that uses answers from previous questions to calculate a sum, average or other number. 

Before creating a calculation question, the questions used for that calculation must be entered to the tool prior to creating the calculation question. You must have questions in your tool that have numbers as answers in order to create a calculation. 

In Tool Builder, click the Insert tab in the place where you would like to insert the calculation question. 

Click Calculation. 

The Insert Calculation window will display. 

First enter the text that will display with your calculation. 

Type the text into the Label area. 

Once you have labeled your calculation, you are ready to enter the calculation. The calculation window shows two sections: (1) Question Expression and (2) Question Text.

Click on the + sign under Use in the list of available questions to place a question into the formula box. 

Place your cursor into the Formula box and type in the operator to use. 

After selecting the operation to use, add the next question to insert into the formula.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save. 

You will now see the new calculation in your draft tool.

Advanced Calculation Questions

Use this format to add a question that uses answers from previous questions to calculate a sum, average or other number. 

Before creating a calculation question, the questions used for that calculation must be entered to the tool prior to creating the calculation question. You must have questions in your tool that have numbers as answers in order to create a calculation. 

In Tool Builder, click the Insert tab in the place where you would like to insert the calculation question. 

Click Calculation. 

The Insert Calculation window will display. 

First enter the text that will display with your calculation. 

Type the text into the Label area.

Once you have labeled your calculation, you are ready to enter the calculation. The calculation window shows two sections: (1) Question Expression and (2) Question Text.

Click on the + sign under Use in the list of available questions to place a question into the formula box. 

Place your cursor into the Formula box and type in the operator to use.

Once selecting the operation to use, add the next question to insert into the formula. 

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save. 

If the system finds an error in your formula an error will display when you click save. 

Fix the error.

Try to Save again. 

You will now see the new calculation in your draft tool.

File Upload Questions

Use this format to create a question that asks for a file upload. You might want documentation to go along with another question. For example, you might ask for a photo of a house to show its condition. 

TIP: The file size limits are 2 MB for photos and 20 MB for videos. 

Click the File Upload radio button to select this format. Type the question into the Question Area.   

GPS Coordinate Questions

Use this to create a question with GPS coordinates as the answer.  

Click the GPS Coordinate radio button to select this format. Type the question into the Question Area.