Modify Data - Merge 7 Point Scales Into 3 Categories

This QScript creates merges the bottom 2, middle 3 and top 2 categories of 7-point scales.

Example

Technical details

This QScript:

Searches through all the questions in the project that contain 7 non-missing categories where the lowest scale point has a Value of 1 and the highest has 7.
Asks you if you want to consider questions whose categories suggest that they may be scale questions .
Warns you if any of your selected questions contain categories that look like 'Don't Know' options (and hence would likely not be useful to combine with the top k categories).
Merges the categories.
Produces a new folder in your Report showing which questions have been changed, and, if relevant, any problem questions.

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 Utility Functions');
includeWeb('QScript Questionnaire Functions');
includeWeb('QScript Selection Functions');
includeWeb('QScript Value Attributes Functions');
includeWeb('QScript Functions to Generate Outputs');
includeWeb('QScript Data Reduction Functions');
includeWeb('QScript Functions for Combining Categories');
includeWeb('QScript Functions for Processing Arrays');
includeWeb('JavaScript Utilities');
 
var mergings = [
    {name: "Bottom 2", values: [1, 2] },
    {name: "Middle 3", values: [3, 4, 5] },
    {name: "Top 2", values: [6, 7]}
];
 
var merge_message = "(Bottom 2, Middle 3, Top 2)"
 
if (!mergeScales(mergings, merge_message))
    log("QScript Cancelled");
else
    conditionallyEmptyLog("QScript Finished");

Prior to the 15th of December, 2015, this page was known as Modifying Rows and Columns - Merge 7 Point Scale Into 3 Categories