Recoding a column using a named list as a dictionary in R

recode_from_named_list.R

# Load packages
library(dplyr)

# Create a named list mapping likert numbers to full responses
likert_mapping <- list(
  "1" = "Strongly disagree",
  "2" = "Disagree",
  "3" = "Neutral",
  "4" = "Agree",
  "5" = "Strongly agree"
)

# Create fake data
fake_survey <- 
  tibble(
    question = c("pr1", "pt3", "qr6", "cc2", "pr2", "qr8", "pt5"),
    score = c("1", "2", "1", "2", "5", "8", "4")
)

# Use recode() to replace numeric values based on likert response mapping
# Unmatched values will default to NA (character NA)
fake_survey_replaced <- 
  fake_survey |> 
  mutate(
    response = recode(score, !!!likert_mapping, .default = NA_character_)
  )

# `!!!` acts as if you've typed out likert_mapping's elements one by one
# so it's the same as typing all this:
mutate(
  response = recode(
    score,
    "1" = "Strongly disagree",
    "2" = "Disagree",
    "3" = "Neutral",
    "4" = "Agree",
    "5" = "Strongly agree",
    .default = NA_character_
  )
)

# Did that work?
fake_survey_replaced

# Yes!

# A tibble: 7 × 3
# question score response         
# <chr>    <chr> <chr>            
# 1 pr1      1     Strongly disagree
# 2 pt3      2     Disagree         
# 3 qr6      1     Strongly disagree
# 4 cc2      2     Disagree         
# 5 pr2      5     Strongly agree   
# 6 qr8      8     NA               
# 7 pt5      4     Agree