diff --git a/app/models/answer.rb b/app/models/answer.rb
index bec8f3c..c8b2cc6 100644
--- a/app/models/answer.rb
+++ b/app/models/answer.rb
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
   def answer_hash
     default = {'standards' => {}, text => ''}
     begin
-      h = self.text.nil? ? default : JSON.parse(answer.text)
+      h = self.text.nil? ? default : JSON.parse(self.text)
     rescue JSON::ParserError => e
       h = default
     end
diff --git a/lib/assets/javascripts/views/answers/rda_metadata.js b/lib/assets/javascripts/views/answers/rda_metadata.js
index e5701d2..0dfedaf 100644
--- a/lib/assets/javascripts/views/answers/rda_metadata.js
+++ b/lib/assets/javascripts/views/answers/rda_metadata.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { isUndefined, isObject } from '../../utils/isType';
+
 $(() => {
   // url for the api we will be querying
   let url = '';
@@ -15,13 +17,13 @@
   function removeUnused(name) {
     const num = Object.keys(minTree).find(x => minTree[x].name === name);
     // if not top level standard
-    if (num === undefined) {
+    if (isUndefined(num)) {
       // for each top level standard
       Object.keys(minTree).forEach((knum) => {
         const child = Object.keys(minTree[knum].children).find(x =>
           minTree[knum].children[x].name === name);
-        if (num !== undefined) {
-          delete minTree[num].children[child];
+        if (isObject(child)) {
+          delete minTree[knum].children[child];
           $(`.rda_metadata .sub-subject select option[value="${name}"]`).remove();
         }
       });
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@
       data: `keyword=${name}`,
       dataType: 'json',
     }).done((result) => {
-      if (child === undefined) {
+      if (isUndefined(child)) {
         minTree[num].standards = result.ids;
       } else {
         minTree[num].children[child].standards = result.ids;
@@ -113,12 +115,13 @@
       data.push({ value: descriptions[id].title, id });
       simpdat.push(descriptions[id].title);
     });
-    $('.standards-typeahead').typeahead({ source: simpdat });
+    const typ = $('.standards-typeahead');
+    typ.typeahead({ source: simpdat });
   }
 
   function initStandards() {
     // for each metadata question, init selected standards according to html
-    $('.rda_metadata').each(() => {
+    $('.rda_metadata').each(function () {
       // list of selected standards
       const selectedStandards = $(this).find('.selected_standards .list');
       // form listing of standards
@@ -146,7 +149,7 @@
     } else {
       // update all the dropdowns/ standards explore box (calling on subject
       // will suffice since it will necisarily update sub-subject)
-      $('.rda_metadata .subject selec').change();
+      $('.rda_metadata .subject select').change();
       initStandards();
       initTypeahead();
     }
@@ -171,11 +174,11 @@
   }
 
   // change sub-subjects and standards based on selected subject
-  $(this).on('change', '.rda_metadata .subject select', () => {
-    console.log('changed subject');
-    const group = $(this).closest('.rda_metadata');
+  $('.rda_metadata').on('change', '.subject select', (e) => {
+    const target = $(e.currentTarget);
+    const group = target.closest('.rda_metadata');
     const subSubject = group.find('.sub-subject select');
-    const subjectText = $(this).find(':selected').text();
+    const subjectText = target.find(':selected').text();
     // find subject in min_tree
     const subject = getSubject(subjectText);
     // check to see if this object has no children(and thus it's own standards)
@@ -183,14 +186,14 @@
       // hide sub-subject since there's no data for it
       subSubject.closest('div').hide();
       // update the standards display selector
-      $('.rda_metadata .sub-subject selec').change();
+      $('.rda_metadata .sub-subject select').change();
     } else {
       // show the sub-subject incase it was previously hidden
       subSubject.closest('div').show();
       // update the sub-subject display selector
       subSubject.find('option').remove();
       subject.children.forEach((child) => {
-        $('<option />', { value: subject.children[child].name, text: subject.children[child].name }).appendTo(subSubject);
+        $('<option />', { value: child.name, text: child.name }).appendTo(subSubject);
       });
       // once we have updated the sub-standards, ensure the standards displayed
       // get updated as well
@@ -199,9 +202,9 @@
   });
 
   // change standards based on selected sub-subject
-  $(this).on('change', '.rda_metadata .sub-subject select', () => {
-    console.log('sub-subject changing');
-    const group = $(this).closest('.rda_metadata');
+  $('.rda_metadata').on('change', '.sub-subject select', (e) => {
+    const target = $(e.currentTarget);
+    const group = target.closest('.rda_metadata');
     const subject = group.find('.subject select');
     const subSubject = group.find('.sub-subject select');
     const subjectText = subject.find(':selected').text();
@@ -228,8 +231,9 @@
   // when 'Add Standard' button next to the search is clicked, we need to add
   // this to the user's selected list of standards.
   // update the data and val of hidden standards field in form
-  $(this).on('click', '.rda_metadata .select_standard_typeahead', () => {
-    const group = $(this).closest('.rda_metadata');
+  $('.rda_metadata').on('click', '.select_standard_typeahead', (e) => {
+    const target = $(e.currentTarget);
+    const group = target.closest('.rda_metadata');
     const selected = group.find('ul.typeahead li.active');
     const selectedStandards = group.find('.selected_standards .list');
     // the title of the standard
@@ -265,11 +269,12 @@
   // when a 'Add standard' button is clicked, we need to add this to the user's
   // selected list of standards
   // update the data and val of hidden standards field in form
-  $(this).on('click', '.rda_metadata .select_standard', () => {
-    const group = $(this).closest('.rda_metadata');
+  $('.rda_metadata').on('click', '.select_standard', (e) => {
+    const target = $(e.currentTarget);
+    const group = target.closest('.rda_metadata');
     const selectedStandards = group.find('.selected_standards .list');
     // the identifier for the standard which was selected
-    const standard = $(this).data('standard');
+    const standard = target.data('standard');
     // append the standard to the displayed list of selected standards
     selectedStandards.append(`<li class="${standard}">${descriptions[standard].title}<button class="remove-standard"><i class="fa fa-times-circle"></i></button></li>`);
     const formStandards = group.next('form').find('#standards');
@@ -277,7 +282,7 @@
     // of the hidden field #standards within the answer form
     let frmStdsDat = formStandards.data('standard');
     // need to init data object for first time
-    if (typeof frmStdsDat === 'undefined') {
+    if (isUndefined(frmStdsDat)) {
       frmStdsDat = {};
     }
     // init the key to standard id and value to standard.
@@ -292,9 +297,10 @@
   // when a 'Remove Standard' button is clicked, we need to remove this from the
   // user's selected list of standards.  Additionally, we need to remove the
   // standard from the data/val fields of standards in hidden form
-  $(this).on('click', '.rda_metadata .remove-standard', () => {
-    const group = $(this.closest('.rda_metadata'));
-    const listedStandard = $(this).closest('li');
+  $('.rda_metadata').on('click', '.remove-standard', (e) => {
+    const target = $(e.currentTarget);
+    const group = target.closest('.rda_metadata');
+    const listedStandard = target.closest('li');
     const standardId = listedStandard.attr('class');
     // remove the standard from the list
     listedStandard.remove();
@@ -310,18 +316,20 @@
   });
 
   // show the add custom standard div when standard not listed clicked
-  $(this).on('click', '.rda_metadata .custom-standard', (e) => {
+  $('.rda_metadata').on('click', '.custom-standard', (e) => {
     e.preventDefault();
-    const group = $(this.closest('.rda_metadata'));
+    const target = $(e.currentTarget);
+    const group = target.closest('.rda_metadata');
     const addStandardDiv = $(group.find('.add-custom-standard'));
     addStandardDiv.show();
   });
 
   // when this button is clicked, we add the typed standard to the list of
   // selected standards
-  $(this).on('click', '.rda_metadata .submit_custom_standard', (e) => {
+  $('.rda_metadata').on('click', '.submit_custom_standard', (e) => {
     e.preventDefault();
-    const group = $(this).closest('.rda_metadata');
+    const target = $(e.currentTarget);
+    const group = target.closest('.rda_metadata');
     const selectedStandards = group.find('.selected_standards .list');
     const standardName = group.find('.custom-standard-name').val();
     selectedStandards.append(`<li class="${standardName}">${standardName}<button class="remove-standard"><i class="fa fa-times-circle"></i></button></li>`);
@@ -383,13 +391,15 @@
   }
 
   // get the url we will be using for the api
-  $.getJSON('/question_formats/rda_api_address', urlCallback);
-
+  // only do this if page has an rda_metadata div
+  if ($('.rda_metadata').length) {
+    $.getJSON('/question_formats/rda_api_address', urlCallback);
+  }
   // when the autosave or save action occurs, this clears out both the list of
   // selected standards, and the selectors for new standards, as it re-renders
   // the partial.  This "autosave" event is triggered by that JS in order to
   // allow us to know when the save has happened and re-init the question
-  $(this).on('autosave', '.rda_metadata', (e) => {
+  $('.rda_metadata').on('autosave', (e) => {
     e.preventDefault();
     // re-initialize the metadata question
     initMetadataQuestions();