Using Substitution Tokens in Questions and Information Items

You can use substitution tokens to customize your questions, information items, edit messages, or custom reports in automated interviews (CAPI, ACASI, or Web).

For example, you may have the following questions: 

  1. Who is your best friend? (FRIEND)
  2. How long have you known your best friend? (KNOWN)

Using substitution tokens, you can insert the response from the "best friend" question into the followup question. In the Data Element question text, you would include a substitution token for the variable (e.g., FRIEND):

  1. How long have you known &[FRIEND]? (KNOWN)

Substitution Tokens in Text of Question

When the automated interview is run, the question will appear as, "How long have you known Sarah?":

CAPI screen view Substitution Tokens in Question

You may also use this same method to simply display previously collected data to the interviewer or respondent on an Information Element.