Adding Values List Questions

A Value List question type enables you to create questions with predefined answers.

Note: To protect data integrity, the Questionnaire feature prohibits question type changes, for example, changing a Date question to a Text question, once a question has been created.

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Task 1: Create a new values list question in a questionnaire

  1. From your application, go to Designer tab > Layout tab > Objects panel > click Add new.
  2. Select a field type from the drop-down list and enter a name for the field.

    3. Field name guidelines:

    • If possible, keep names under 20 characters. For example, use Description instead of Description of the Asset.
    • Capitalize the first letter of each word in the field name. For example, use Predicted Impact instead of Predicted impact.
    • Avoid redundant wording in field names. For example, using the word Asset is unnecessary in the following series of fields: Asset Name, Asset Type and Asset Value.
    • Use noun-based field names whenever possible. Avoid verb-based field names, for example, Set Asset Name.
    • Do not use the names: Version, Level ID, or Content ID for fields that you add to an application or questionnaire. Field do not display properly with these names.
  3. In the Question Text field, enter the text for your question. The Question Text field in the Question section automatically populates with the text entered in this step after you create the field.
  4. In the Values List field, select a Questionnaire - specific Values list and c lick OK.

    5. You can create questionnaire values lists that you can reuse for any Values List question within the questionnaire. Custom values lists are useful in cases where the values do not make sense in the context of another application or field. For example, a field-specific values list with the values “Draft” and “Final” may be useful only for a Status field in a Document Repository application.

  5. In the General Information section, enter a description.

    6. Note: When you save the field, the system strips any HTML tags <?xm>l, <form>, <textarea>, <option>, <select>, <meta>, and <body> that you may have inserted in the description because they may constitute vulnerabilities in the system. The following example shows how you can correct the cascading style sheet (CSS) syntax for the <body> tag so that it will function correctly:

    <html>
    <head>
    <style type="text/css">.c0 { font-family: 'Arial' } .c1 { margin: 0px; background-color: #ffe4e1 } </style>
    </head>
    <body class="c0">
    <p class="c1">This is a text field.</p>
    </body>
    </html>

    Note: Do not use absolute positioning in HTML content.

Task 2: Determine how the field displays

In the Display Control section, select how you want the field to display in the record.

Option

Description

Dropdown

Displays a list of items from which users can select an item.

Radio button

Displays a list of items from which users can select an item.

Checkboxes

Displays a list of items from which a user can select one or more items.

Listbox

Displays a selection list from which users can select one or more items.

Values Popup

Displays a selection list from which users can select one more items.

For example, a list may contain hundreds or thousands of values. It is recommended that you select a values popup for large lists of values. For small lists of values, it is recommended that you select a dropdown, radio buttons, or checkboxes.

Task 3: Configure options

In the Options section, select all of the following options that apply to this field.

Option

Description

Make this a required field

 Designates the field as required and forces users to enter a value when adding or editing a record in the application. An icon indicates required fields to alert users that they must enter a value.

Display last modified data

 Displays the date and time of the field’s last update, and the name of the person who made the change.

Make this a searchable field

Makes this field available for display in all search results.

Display this field in global search results

Makes this field available for display in global search results. This option is only available if this field is set as searchable.

Require unique values

 Prevents users from entering an identical value in a field in separate records.

Make this the key field

Designates the field as the key field in the application.

Search results display the key field as a hyperlink, which users can click to view the details of a record. When you select this option, the required field and search results options are automatically selected.

The key field must be on the page layout of the application. After saving the field, you can only clear this checkbox by selecting another field as the key field in the application.

Validate this field when any value changes in the record

Designates that a field is validated whenever any value changes in a record.

If this option is not selected, this field validates only when the value in this field has changed.

Enable bulk update from search results

Makes this field available for bulk updates from advanced search results.

Enable editing in search results

Enables the field to be editable in search results and reports.

Enable trending options

You can enable or disable trending to track status changes for the value of a numeric or values list field. You must set a duration period when enabling trending on the field.

You can disable trending on a numeric or values list field that has trending enabled so that trending data is no longer retained for the field. An asynchronous cleanup job that runs once per day removes both expired trended data and any trended data for fields that the user has disabled trending. When trending is disabled on a trending-enabled field, the trending chart on the application layout is replaced with a Placeholder layout object with the same span properties.

  • Duration Type. Designates the duration for which you want to retain trending data. The available values calculate in days as follows:
    • Days = 1 day
    • Months = 30 days
    • Quarters = 90 days
    • Years = 365 days

    • By default, the value of this field is No Selection, but you must select a Duration Type when the Trending option is selected. If you click Apply without changing the value, a warning message displays. Click OK to return to the Options tab.

  • Duration Type. Specifies the number of days, months, quarters, or years for which Archer retains trending data.

For more information, see Trending.

Hyperlink selected value(s) in View mode

Displays the selected value for the field as a hyperlink when users view records in the application. Users can click the linked value to read a description of the value from a pop-up window.

Task 4: Add question text

  1. Go to the Question section.
  2. In the Question Text field, modify the question text as needed.

  3. In the Weighting field, enter a number between 1 and 100 to specify the weight given to the field.

  4. If applicable, in the Format Style field, select a display option.

Task 5: Set question filter properties

You can create and assign any number of filter properties to a question. You can apply the filter properties that you create for one question to any other question in the same questionnaire. However, you cannot share filter properties between questionnaires.

For example, the name of your filter property could be "Customer Data," and the available values could be "Yes" and "No." When you assign the filter property to a question, you will select the filter property and the specific filter property value that applies to the question. For example, you would apply the "Customer Data: Yes" filter property to the following question: "Do you have a documented program in place to dispose of customer data when you no longer need to handle it?"

  1. In the Question Filter Properties section, click Add child to add a new filter:

    Important: Do not click to remove a filter property from the current question. Doing so permanently deletes the filter property for all questions that use it. Instead, in the Values column dropdown of the filter property, clear the checkbox of all filter property values to remove. If the Value column for a filter property is blank, that filter property is not applied to the current question.

  2. Enter a name and description for the filter property.
  3. In the Filter Property Values section, click Add child.
  4. In the Value field, enter the value text.
  5. (Optional) Repeat steps 3 - 4 to add any additional filter values as needed. To remove a filter value, in the Actions column, click .
  6. Click Apply on the Edit Filter Property page to return to the Question section.
  7. In the Values column of the filter property, select the filter property values to apply to the question.

Task 6: Link to authoritative sources

You can link a Values List question to authoritative sources with which your company must comply, such as regulations, industry standards, common practices and state laws. If your organization licenses the Policy Management solution, you can link directly to records within the Authoritative Sources application. If you do not license Policy Management but have a custom application that includes authoritative sources, you can link to records in this application.

Important: If you do not manage authoritative source data in Archer, disregard the Authoritative Source References section on the Define Fields page. You cannot use this feature.

  1. In the Authoritative Sources section, to manage the references, click .

  2. Create a reference to authoritative source application.

    1. Select one or more applications.
    2. Click Apply.

  3. To associate authoritative references to the questionnaire values list field and select records, in the Values field of the desired Authoritative Source reference, click Ellipsis.

    1. In the Record Lookup dialogue, scroll through the list of available records, or click Show Filters and enter keywords to narrow the list.
    2. After you locate the record that you want to link to your question, select the checkbox for that record. You may select multiple checkboxes.
    3. Click OK.
  4. To remove a selected authoritative source reference:
    1. Click .
    2. Clear the checkbox of the application to remove from the list of authoritative source references from Step 2.
    3. Click Apply.

Task 7: Link to control standards

Linking a question to a control standard also enables you to search completed questions for instances of non-compliance with a particular standard. If you enable findings for the questionnaire that you are managing, the system automatically creates Findings records for questions that are answered incorrectly, and each finding includes the associated control standard, enabling you to search and sort findings by standard.

Important: This option is available only if your organization licenses the Policy Management solution, which includes a Control Standards application. If you do not license Policy Management, the Control Standards control is not displayed, and you cannot use this feature.

  1. Go to the Control Standards section.

  2. In the Values column, click the (ellipses) to open the Record Lookup dialogue

  3. Select the control standard that you want to link to your question:
    1. Scroll through the list of available control standards, or click Show Filters and enter keywords to narrow the list.
    2. After you locate the control standard that you want to link to your question, select the checkbox for that standard. You may select multiple checkboxes.
  4. Click OK.
  5. To remove any selected control standard references, do the following:
    1. Click Ellipsis.
    2. Clear the checkboxes or any record references that you want to remove.
    3. Click Apply.

Task 8: Add answer values

Important: The Values section tab enables you to create and edit custom answers that are unique to the question you are managing. If you have selected to use a questionnaire values list rather than a custom list for the question, you also can create and edit answers in that shared list. Any changes that you make to a questionnaire values list impacts every question that uses the list. If you need to add or edit answers for a question that uses a questionnaire values list but you do not want your changes to impact other questions, it is recommended to delete the question and recreate it to use a custom answer list. You can then create the appropriate answers for the question without affecting any others.

The answers must have an active status so that it is available for selection.

  1. Go to the Values section.

  2. Add new values or edit the existing values. Once you have added values, you may also want to arrange those values for your users.

Task 9: Configure help text

Field-level help provides additional guidelines and instructions to ensure users enter appropriate information in the field. This Help text displays for users when they add, edit, and view records in the application where the field resides.

Consider the following general guidelines when writing field-level Help:

  • Use short, concise instructions that direct the user to take a specific action. For example, "Enter your name" is preferable to "This field is used to enter your name."
  • Use complete sentences whenever possible.
  • Avoid jargon (unless terms are critical and are familiar to your users).
  • Consider the technical aptitude of your audience, and author your help text at a corresponding level.
  • Use “you” and “your” as if you are speaking directly to the user.
  • Consider posing Help text in the form of a question, for example, "What is your level of interest?"

In the Help text section, do the following:

  1. Select a display option for both edit and view modes.
    2. Option

    Description

    None

    Help text does not display.

    Tooltip Icon

    Help icon displays beside the field in edit and view modes. Click this icon to display the field Help. The application dynamically sizes of the Help box based on the number of characters in the text.

    Field information on help icon hover

    Below

    Help displays below the field in edit and view modes.

    Field information below field

  2. If you are using help text, enter the text.