Copy question

There are two types of question copy – a straight Copy question function that does not create links between the questions, and a Create linked question function that creates links between the new and copied question.   Both create new questions with service statistics associated with them.  This page is about the first copy option – Copy question. Click here for information about the Create linked question option.

Copy question – creates a new question with the same question field data and client contact details as the copied question, but without any links back to the original question.  This sort of a copy is used for creating duplicates of a question, such as where a client is asking a number of similar separate questions. The Question text and other form fields should be amended to reflect the attributes of the new question, after selecting an appropriate Request form.  The service type of the new question will be determined by the service type of the question being copied (Requester service, Internal task or Direct to KB).

The “Copy request” function can usually be used by Probation users and above.

You would choose to create a new (unlinked) question using this Copy question function if the copy you are making does not relate to the question you are copying – for example:
. A client may already have a request for a similar article or ILL.  You can use this option to easily create duplicate article and ILL requests for the same client, but for different items.
. A client may already have a standing request.  You can use this option to create a new standing request for that client, adjusted for their new information needs. 

If the question being copied is a Service request, all enabled Request forms that create service statistics (not KBnew forms or forms used for Internal tasks), show as menu options under Copy question, so you can select the right type of service as you make the copy, and the Request type and Target date will be automatically set correctly for that type of request, by the copy, as if it was a new question arriving any other way.
Similarly, if the question being copied is an Internal task, only Request forms for internal tasks will display under Copy.

The system then shows the details that it has copied into that form so the user can make any corrections, including providing their instructions for the separate work that is required for this duplicate question.  The new question is not recorded until you have made all the desired changes and clicked Submit.

If Dynamic Lookups or Contacts Lookups have been defined for the form they will be able to be used in the Copy request screen to easily change requester contact details.

If there is data in the form being copied, that cannot be copied into the specified field of the newly created question because data already exists in that field, the new data that cannot be shown elsewhere will appear in the “Other imported data” field.  It is important that the staff member creating the new question manually reviews that data and ensures that it is correctly reflected in the right field of the new question. A good guideline is to ensure that you have cut out all of the information in the “Other imported data” field and pasted it into other appropriate fields in the new question, leaving the “Other imported data” field empty by the time you Submit the question. The usual reason why data appears in the “other imported data” field is that the form being used to create the new question has a value defaulted into that field – rather than overwriting what might be valuable information provided by that default the value for that field that is being copied in, goes to the “Other imported data field”. If a text box or text area already has data in it the system will append the newly imported data to the data already in that field.

If you are copying to a different Request form using different fields, some data from the copied question may be copied into fields that are in the contracted “Other data” divisions,and so might not be immediately obvious that the data has been copied.

The question that is created by this Copy process is just like a question created using New in that its Target date is set as if it was a new question of that type, allocation is suggested as it would be for a new question of that type, and the new question can be answered in all of the usual ways.

You can Copy a question from an open or closed question, but not from a question in any review status.

Details of how to use Copy question
To copy a question so that it creates a new question, ensure that the number of the question you want to copy is showing in the Question action bar, and then, from the Actions menu, select “Copy question”, and then select the type of request that you want to create (the Request form to be used for the new question).  Selecting the right Request form is important as that will determine the characteristics of the new question to be created – its Request type, Target date, etc.  If you do not specifically select a Request form to be used (such as when you are using the Copy function from the menu list associated with the question number in the Open questions screen), the system will use the same Request form as the question being copied.

Received date will be set to the date and time of the copy, though, if the form you choose to use allows Post date, you will be able to select the appropriate Received date and have a Target date automatically proposed that is appropriate to that Received date.

This Copy function can also be used from the popup menu list on the question number in the Open questions screens.  When using this menu list you cannot choose the form to be used for the copy from the menu list – the system will use the same form as the Primary question initially, but you can change it after display.

A display of the new question that will be created then appears for you to check.  All of the data from the copied question has been applied to the same fields in this new question and an initial validation has been done on the form that will point out any additional information required for the form you selected.  Answer data is not copied.
A note at the top of the screen, and one to the left of the Question text field itself (and the Request form field), provides a reminder that the these fields need to be amended to reflect the work to be done for this duplicate question, when appropriate.

If the selected form already has data in a particular field that does not match the question being copied into it, that data will appear in an “Other imported data” field where it is important that you should check it and copy and paste any data that needs to be copied into other fields, if there is any.  Ideally “Other imported data” should be empty when you Submit this new question.

Also, in this top section of the form, you need to review any Question attachments from the copied question.  Untick any that you do not want included in this new question.

Finally, just as for a New question, you need to decide on Allocation for this question. To include a note to the staff member being allocated the question, tick the Staff note box to expose the staff note field.  Enter your note and it will be included in the History and in the allocation email to the staff member.

The question is not created until after you click Submit in this screen. 
You can even close this newly created question right in the Copy screen by changing to Close now and entering an Answer, as you can in the New screen.

The Target date for this new question will be set as if the question was a new question arriving at that moment (or at the Receipt date provided, if Postdate is in use).

How to make more than one copy
You can use “Copy question” with a question that has already been copied, to create another copy.  This provides an easy way of creating several follow on/related questions for the same primary question.  Just go ahead and create another copy using the link in the Actions menu list or from the popup menu on that question number in the Open questions screen.  As each additional copy is taken from your last copy, changes that you have made such as changed question details and target dates will carry forward to the next copy.

How to respond to copied questions
Questions created by the Copy question function are just like any other client service question in RefTracker and can be answered using all of the usual RefTracker question answering functions.  The response will go directly to the client whose contact details were copied into the client contact fields.
An unlinked copied question is indistinguishable from a question created any other way, but a linked question provides a link back to its Primary question in the Details tab, and in the question summary that shows in the Open questions screen, and at the top of most question answering screens.  If a Primary question link is showing, this can be quickly seen to be a linked question, but when “Copy question” is used there is no primary question and no relationship  is created or visible.

Exercise

Choose Copy question for an open question.

Make any changes you need to make taking special note of the need to change the Question text and probably the Target date.
The Copy screen ends with an Allocation section that allows you to determine the allocation of this question. When you have made all the appropriate changes so that this question can be worked on as a new separate question, click Submit to save any changes and implement the Allocation you have chosen.