Absolute (the standard way we calculate data)

Absolute means that the score will take the average for the different data points isolated in that time period. This means if you have a time period which is 30 days, the average will be calculated based on data from only what has been gathered in those 30 days. This is the way that most companies calculate their data and the default setting on the dashboard page.

Accumulative

Accumulative will show you the average from the chosen time period (fx 30 days) but that is combined with the average of the data going all the way back before that time period. So if you have chosen a time period of 30 days and have been collecting data for 2 years prior to that then the average from the 30 days will be based on data from the 30 days + data from the years prior. Below you can see a curve of cumulative data.

Say you have these number of responses:

Week 22: 1, 5, 8

Week 23: 9, 10

Absolute - We consider the replies from each interval and calculate the average. This is the most intuitive way to calculate it. However, this results in large fluctuations in the graph, especially for organizations with not a lot of data. With the above scenario of numbers, your average on week 22 is (1+5+8) / 3 = 4.666 and for week 23 it is (9 + 10) / 2)= 9.5

Accumulative - To determine the score for a particular time period, we calculate the replies up until and including that time period. This results in a much more stable graph with no gaps. With the above scenario numbers, the average for week 22 is the same, however for week 23 it is (1+5+8+9+10)/5= 6.6