Raw Data extract types and guidelines

Guidelines on the two raw data extract types we have available and how to access

Jared Ellis avatar
Written by Jared Ellis
Updated over a week ago

What can I learn from this page?

Guidelines on the two raw data extract types we have available and how to access

Who is this guide for?

Account Admins, Survey Data Analysts

Quick Links:

Guidelines

There are two key types of data extracts that you might be considering:

De-identified data extract: This is the standard type of extract we can provide that still maintains confidentiality. Further information on how we do this is provided below.

Full Raw data extract: This is a more comprehensive data extract that may contain identifying information, either via the inclusion of a unique identifier in the data (e.g. email or employee ID) or via multiple demographics allowing cross-filtering that may easily compromise confidentiality.

Note: When producing de-identified data extracts, we aim to uphold the same confidentiality commitments that we offer within the online reporting. Therefore, this forms the basis for many of the guidelines when providing the extracts. For this reason, de-identified raw data extracts need to be approved by the Culture Amp Privacy Team and can take up to 72 hours to be processed.

De-identified raw data extract conditions

We are able to provide a de-identified data extract of your surveys under the following conditions:

  • Survey responses are de-identified with the exception of ONE demographic of your choice (normally department). This will mean that identifying information such as: name, employee ID, date of birth, start date, team, location etc. will not be attached

  • Comments will be removed for similar confidentiality reasons

  • If you want all demographics included, the raw data extract option must be enabled on your survey prior to survey launch which notifies employees of your intentions to gain access to their responses via a raw data source including the demographics and comments that you will be receiving. See examples.

  • File will be provided in an Excel format in a password protected .ZIP file

  • File to be delivered within a week of survey closing unless otherwise specified

What is in the de-identified data extract?

  • The results will be reported based on the value assigned to the response. For example if a respondent rated a question 4 out 5 on a particular question, then the the “4” will be recorded in the cell for that respondent, for that question.

  • A ‘-1′ for a rating means that the respondent didn’t answer that question, they skipped it.

  • If you have your custom single select or multi-select questions where you have created your own options, then the values selected by the respondent will be recorded into one cell.

  • Unless otherwise specified upfront with your employees, only one demographic of your choice will be included.

  • The demographic data will still be subject to whatever minimum response size rule was communicated to respondents at the time of the survey. Any data for groups smaller than that size will be put together with other groups if possible or otherwise will not appear in the file.

  • All comments will be removed from the file

  • No submission time stamps are provided

De-identified Raw Data Extract example:

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How do I request a de-identified data extract?

Reach out to support@cultureamp.com with the name of the survey and the demographic filter you'd like to include. Please ensure that you are assigned the survey data analyst role to be eligible to receive the file. Only one de-identified raw data extract can be provided per survey.

Full raw data extract conditions

  • The results will be reported based on the value assigned to the response. For example if a respondent rated a question 4 out 5 on a particular question, then the the “4” will be recorded in the cell for that respondent, for that question.

  • A ‘-1′ for a rating means that the respondent didn’t answer that question, they skipped it.

  • If you have your custom single select or multi-select questions where you have created your own options, then the values selected by the respondent will be recorded into one cell.

  • All demographics enabled on the survey will be supplied alongside the response data

  • Details about each respondent (including their identifying email or employee ID and their answers for all questions will be included (including all comments).

What is in the full raw data extract?

A full raw data extract is a file of survey results in its simplest form, containing details about each respondent (including their identifying email or employee ID and their answers for all questions (including comments). Sometimes people are after a little less information but the combination of demographics associated with a response can still make individuals easily identifiable (we might call that medium rare data but confidentiality is still a concern). For that reason we need to carefully consider whether we need this level of data before we launch a survey. If the Raw Data Extract option is enabled on your survey prior to launch, we will automatically insert the required warnings for participants. Some example communications are discussed here.

Full Raw Data Extract example:

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Why would I want a full raw data extract for my survey?

Raw data extracts can be a powerful data source if utilized by the right people, such as a data scientist or an analytical people geek. Some teams find this useful if they wish to store their survey data in a data warehouse. We won’t stop you from building your survey in this manner, especially if you have a plan for linking this data to other data sets for research purposes.

Will a full raw data extract for a survey work in my organization?

Maybe. One of Culture Amp’s strengths is that we store survey data in a secure environment. Survey takers can submit answers without fear of anybody internally accessing their results. By building a survey for raw data extracts, you are asking your workforce to relinquish this feeling of complete security. If you are going to ask for a raw data extract:

  • Required: Enable the Raw Data Extract checkbox in the Survey Configuration before launch. We will not provide raw data extracts unless you warn people with the appropriate messaging.

  • Strongly encouraged: In pre-launch communication, we strongly encourage you to describe your methodology and explain why you will be analyzing their results in a manner where select individuals can view raw results. Since there’s no way to hide your intent, it’s best to proactively address their concerns.

Consider the survey taker: Will they still give completely honest feedback? Do they trust me to use their feedback for good, not evil?

Ideally your survey respondents will answer the survey exactly the same as they would if their results were completely anonymous. Think about it: if survey respondents would change their answer, are they being honest? Or are they sugarcoating their answer in fear of possible retribution?

Implementing a fully transparent survey requires a great deal of trust from your workforce. If you don’t have this trust, you risk getting a low participation rate (survey takers not responding), or worse, you risk undermining the integrity of the whole process (survey takers giving fake answers). We believe data quality is paramount, after all you’re going to make decisions based on this data, right?

Reach out to support@cultureamp.com if you have any questions.


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