A pre-analysis plan and survey codebook help connect the survey instrument to the analysis. They are especially useful for academic survey experiments, panel studies, and projects with multiple collaborators.

1. Step 1: Draft the instrument map. Before building, list constructs, outcomes, condition arms, and planned exclusions; use Design an Academic Survey Instrument for the planning pass.

   Step 1: Draft the instrument map

   Personal Dashboard

   Live dashboard surface from the app shell (ephemeral help scene).

   Surveys

   New surveyImport

   Untitled surveyLast Modified

   Policy attitudes pilotLast Modified

2. Step 2: Name variables in Block Builder. Add short question names and recodes for analysis-critical fields before pilot testing.

   Step 2: Name variables in Block Builder

   Block Builder: 7-Point Ideology Scale

   A standard 7-point political ideology measure. The question name ideology_7pt becomes the column header in the export.

   Multiple Choice

   Required

   Page Break

   Question text

   Multi-select

   Options

   Add QuestionPull Questions

   Closing text

   Example only.

   Redirect (optional)

3. Step 3: Confirm assignment in Flow. Open Flow condition sets and record each condition set, arm label, assignment mode, and route.

   Step 3: Confirm assignment in Flow

   Block Builder

   Flow

   Preview

   Deploy

   Export

   Flow Canvas

   Interactive routing surface from the app, running in no-persist help mode.

   Consent and Study Intro

   1 question

   Political Knowledge Block

   2 questions

   Control Message

   1 question

   Treatment Message

   1 question

   Outcome Measures

   2 questions

   Survey Ends

   Anchors explicit end of survey

4. Step 4: Submit pilot responses. Use Preview to create test data for every major path.

   Step 4: Submit pilot responses

   Block Builder

   Flow

   Preview

   Deploy

   Export

   Preview: Ideology Scale

   The 7-point ideology_7pt scale rendered as respondents see it. Confirm numeric recodes 1–7 appear correctly when you download the test response from Export.

5. Step 5: Open Export. Download the pilot export and use its headers to finish the codebook.

   Step 5: Open Export

   Block Builder

   Flow

   Preview

   Deploy

   Export

   Export: Ideology Scale

   With recodes 1–7 set, the ideology_7pt column exports numeric values instead of label text — matching the codebook and analysis plan.

6. Step 6: Update after changes. When a live survey changes, document what changed, when it changed, and how analysis should treat the affected responses before you publish again.

   Step 6: Update after changes

   Block Builder

   Flow

   Preview

   Deploy

   Export

   Deploy

   Configure publishing, links, quotas, and theme from the Deploy tab.

• Research questions and hypotheses.
• Primary and secondary outcomes.
• Experimental condition arms and assignment percentages.
• Variable names, answer labels, and recodes.
• Attention checks, manipulation checks, and exclusion rules.
• Quota targets and sample allocation assumptions.
• Any randomization or display-order fields needed for analysis.

Submit pilot responses and export the data before launch. Use the export headers to confirm planned variable names, recodes, condition assignments, and randomized order fields. Adjust the codebook before collecting live responses.

If you revise a live survey, document what changed and when. Avoid changing labels, recodes, condition arms, or quota logic unless the change is necessary and accounted for in analysis.

• Export Research Survey Responses
• Survey Variable Names and Recodes
• Online Survey Experiments
• Attention and Manipulation Checks
• Sample Allocation Across Condition Arms