Create New Variables - Top 2 Category Variable(s) (Top 2 Boxes)

This tool creates new variables that show the proportion of respondents who selected the top 2 options in Pick One and Pick One - Multi questionsNominal, Nominal - Multi, Ordinal, or Ordinal - Multi variable sets (i.e., it computes what is commonly referred to as 'Top 2 Box' percentages). Categories which look like Don't Know options will not be included in the top boxes, and when such categories are identified the script will give you the option to remove them.

The top options are identified by looking at the numeric Value for each category that is not selected as Missing DataExclude from analyses in the ValuesDATA VALUES, and choosing the lowest.

Usage

Select this option from Automation > Online Library.
Choose whether you want Q to automaticaly identify scale questions for you (for example, 5-point agreement scales), or if you just want to choose from all available questions.
Select the questions you wish to generate top boxes for.
If any of the selected questions look to contain Don't Know style answers, choose whether to include or exclude these options from the top boxes. Excluding them is equivalent to setting the category as Missing Data.

Select one or more variable sets under Data Sets.
Select Anything > Data > Variables > New > Ready-Made New Variables > Top 2 Category Variable(s) (Top 2 Boxes).
If any of the selected variable sets look to contain Don't Know style answers, choose whether to include or exclude these options from the top boxes. Excluding them is equivalent to setting the category as Exclude from analyses in DATA VALUES.

Example

The table on the left shows a SUMMARY table of a Pick One - Multi questionNominal - Multi variable set. The table on the right shows a SUMMARY of the Pick Any questionBinary - Multi variable set created by this QScript. Note that the computation is performed prior to rounding, which is why the calculation does not appear to add up correctly.

How to apply this QScript

Start typing the name of the QScript into the Search features and data box in the top right of the Q window.
Click on the QScript when it appears in the QScripts and Rules section of the search results.

OR

Select Automate > Browse Online Library.
Select this QScript from the list.

Customizing the QScript

This QScript is written in JavaScript and can be customized by copying and modifying the JavaScript.

Customizing QScripts in Q4.11 and more recent versions

Start typing the name of the QScript into the Search features and data box in the top right of the Q window.
Hover your mouse over the QScript when it appears in the QScripts and Rules section of the search results.
Press Edit a Copy (bottom-left corner of the preview).
Modify the JavaScript (see QScripts for more detail on this).
Either:
- Run the QScript, by pressing the blue triangle button.
- Save the QScript and run it at a later time, using Automate > Run QScript (Macro) from File.

Customizing QScripts in older versions

Copy the JavaScript shown on this page.
Create a new text file, giving it a file extension of .QScript. See here for more information about how to do this.
Modify the JavaScript (see QScripts for more detail on this).
Run the file using Automate > Run QScript (Macro) from File.

JavaScript

includeWeb('QScript Functions for Combining Categories');
includeWeb("QScript Functions to Generate Outputs");

var k = 2;
var is_bottom = false;
createTopOrBottomBoxVariables(k, is_bottom);