> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://dots.gitbook.io/dots-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://dots.gitbook.io/dots-docs/discovery/responses.md). # Responses The Responses tab analyzes your dataset one field at a time. Where the Documents tab shows whole records, Responses takes a single field and shows every record's answer to it, side by side with an automatic chart of that field. Each answer is a "response" — hence the name. It is one of up to three tabs for the same dataset — **Documents**, **Responses**, and **Overview** — all reading the same published records, just through a different lens. **Why use the Responses tab?** Responses is where you move from browsing to analyzing a single question across your whole dataset. From here you can: * **Focus on one field** and see every record's answer to it in a single list. * **See an automatic chart** of that field alongside the answers. * **Break a field down** by a second field to compare groups. * **Jump into any answer** to read it in its source document. #### Understanding the interface The tab has two parts: * A **left sidebar** with three sub-tabs — **Fields**, **Filters**, and **Breakdown**. * A **main area** split in two: a scrollable list of all responses on the left, and a chart of the selected field, pinned on the right.
**Choosing a field** The **Fields** sub-tab lists every field you can analyze. Pick one, and both the response list and the chart update to that field. The response list is headed **All Responses (N)**, and each row shows the record's actual answer to the field, read-only, along with the record's title and date. **The visualization** What the chart looks like depends on the type of field you selected. For **choice and number fields** (dropdowns, radio buttons, checkboxes, tags, and number fields): * You get a **bar chart** by default, and can switch it to a **pie chart**. * **Number** values are grouped into ranges. For **open-text fields** (rich text, summaries, and free text): * You get an **AI summary** of all the answers by default, or **thematic annotations and attributes**
**Breaking down by a second field** The **Breakdown** sub-tab lets you cross-tabulate the selected field by a second, categorical field — a dropdown, radio, checkbox, or tags field. The chart re-runs, grouped by that second field, so you can compare across groups. Use **Clear Breakdown** to return to the single-field view.
**Interacting with the results** The response list and the chart work together: * **Click a response row** to open that record in a new tab, jumped straight to that field. * **Click a bar, slice, or cell** in the chart to add it as a filter — click it again to remove it. Everything re-queries to match the slice you have selected.
The **Filters** sub-tab holds the same automatically generated filters as the other tabs, and your selections carry across Documents, Responses, and Overview within a session. **How Responses differs from Documents** Both tabs read the same records; they differ in what you are looking at. | Aspect | Documents | Responses | | --------------------- | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | **What you see** | Whole records, one per card | One field's answer, across every record | | **Best for** | Browsing and finding records | Analyzing a single field | | **Chart** | None | Always paired with one | | **Clicking a record** | Opens the record | Opens the record at that field | **Tips for working in Responses** * Start with the field you most want to understand — the whole view is built around one field at a time. * Use **Breakdown** to compare groups (for example, a rating field broken down by region). * Click chart segments to filter, rather than hunting through the response list by hand. * For open-text fields, sense-check the AI summary against the actual answers before relying on it — treat it as a starting point, not a final read.