NetCollect 4.0 User Guide

Transcription

SurveyPro4
NetCollect User Guide
© 2007 Apian Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Document updated:
January 15, 2007
Apian Software, SurveyHost®, SurveyPro4, SurveyPro, Survey Pro®,
NetCollect, NetCollect4, Net.Collect®, and QuestionWeb are trademarks
of Apian Software, Inc.
Companies, names, and data used in examples herein are fictitious unless
otherwise noted. Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
All other product and company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Disclaimer
This documentation is meant for use under an Apian NetCollect license
agreement. Use outside this agreement is not covered under any explicit
or implied warranties.
Apian Software, Inc.
115 N 85th Street
Suite 204
Seattle, WA 98103
www.apian.com
2
January 15, 2007
Chapter Summary
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Table of Contents
January 15, 2007
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Tutorial: Ten Minute Web Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Server Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
NetCollect Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Tutorial: Applying Layout Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Pages and Skips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Tutorial: Working with Pages and Skips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Dynamic Questions and Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Tutorial: Adding Dynamic Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Login Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Tutorial: Defining Logins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Embedded Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Tutorial: Loading Data into a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tutorial: Handing Data to Other Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Real-Time Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Tutorial: Creating Server Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Publish Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Tutorial: Publishing and Uploading to Your Server . . . . . . 295
Tutorial: Publishing and Uploading to QuestionWeb . . . . 308
Control Panel Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Managing Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Files and Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
REFERENCE
Getting Started
1
Using this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Additional Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Key Concept: Essential Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Server Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Understanding the NetCollect Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Survey Creation, Testing and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Respondent Data and Server Script Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Ten Tips for Effective Web Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1. Put Yourself in Your Respondents’ Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2. Keep it Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3. Use a Clean Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4. Minimize Required Fields and Formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5. Test the Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
6. Don’t Bog Respondents Down with Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7. Plan the Server Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8. Test the Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
9. Check your Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
10. Change Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Best Way to Mangle Survey Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Upgrading from Earlier Versions of NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Opening NetCollect 3.0 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Opening NetCollect 2.0 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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Apian NetCollect 4.0 User Guide
Chapter 2
TUTORIAL
Ten Minute Web Survey
18
Server Installation
26
Chapter 3
SETUP
Setting Up a NetCollect Survey Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Files Needed from the SurveyPro User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Server System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Script Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended Folder Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing the DLLs and ASP Library Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting Permissions for the Survey Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Key Concept: Permissions 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Server Paths for the SurveyPro User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Testing the Server Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing a Test Web Server on Your Local System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding the IIS Windows Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing the Scripts for a Test Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining Localhost Server Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Server Load for High Volume Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
27
28
28
29
32
33
37
38
41
42
43
44
48
49
Chapter 4
REFERENCE
NetCollect Documents
53
Layouts and the Nature of HTML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Measurements in HTML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Graphics on the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting Up a NetCollect Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding Margins and Backgrounds in NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . .
Document Properties Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General Tab for Document Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web Page Tab for Margins and Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Key Concept: Not Applicable and No Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Buttons Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Header and Footer Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Autonumber Tab for Question Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web Survey Themes Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web Survey Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Previewing your Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Hyperlinks to Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Notices, Errors and Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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57
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59
60
61
63
64
67
73
74
76
77
78
81
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Chapter 5
TUTORIAL
Applying Layout Options
82
Pages and Skips
99
Understanding Pages in NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Key Concept: Types of Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page List Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Individual Page Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic Pages for Pause, Errors and Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding Skips and Branches in NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Key Concept: Skips and Branches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jumping Ahead in a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Divergent Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Including Pages for an Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rules and Tips for Skips and Branches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Skips and Branches Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting GoTos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
100
101
102
103
104
105
105
106
107
108
109
111
113
Chapter 6
REFERENCE
Chapter 7
TUTORIAL
Working with Pages and Skips
114
Dynamic Questions and Text
126
Chapter 8
REFERENCE
Rearranging Items in Scales and Grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Randomizing Unordered Scales and Grid Rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manually Rearranging Unordered Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hiding Scale Options and Grid Rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Flipping Ordered Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Applying Scale Layouts to Selected Questionnaires . . . . . . . . . . . .
Question Dialog’s Advanced Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Grid Dialog’s Rows Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Grid Dialog’s Answer Entries Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Answer Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NetCollect Answer Tests Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Hidden Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Piping Answers Forward in a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Repeating Questions Within in a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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128
128
129
130
131
133
133
134
136
137
137
138
iv
Chapter 9
TUTORIAL
Adding Dynamic Elements
141
Login Options
152
Chapter 10
REFERENCE
Understanding Logins in NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Key Concept: Login Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Open Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Anonymous but Restricted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unique Passwords and Names + Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unique Password File Built on the Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Passing Login Information via the URL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Login Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
No Password Required — Open Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Shared Password(s) — Anonymous but Restricted . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unique Respondent ID File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Respondent Name and Password File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside application launch passes unique ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Linking Passwords and Resumes to a Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Layout Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Notice Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pausing and Resuming Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Login Dialog Resume Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Password Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Legal Values for Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding the NetCollect Special Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Make PIN File Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Updating Live PIN Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
153
153
154
155
156
157
158
158
159
160
161
162
165
166
167
168
169
169
170
171
171
172
173
Chapter 11
TUTORIAL
Defining Logins
175
Embedded Surveys
187
Chapter 12
REFERENCE
Understanding Embedded Surveys in NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Key Concept: Embedded Survey Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Example 1: Welcome Jane, Please Confirm Your Address . . . . . .
Key Concept: Data is Data to NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Example 2: Evaluating a Particular Service Experience . . . . . . . . .
Example 3: Streamlining 360 Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Example 4: Looping the Respondent Through Questions . . . . . . .
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191
192
192
193
194
v
Key Concept: Watch your Cause and Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NetCollect’s Internal Data Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Piping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ASCII vs. SQL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Piping Information into a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Piping Answers Out of a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Field Matchups for Piping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Starting or Ending Handshakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Starting a Survey with Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
On Exit Completed — Sending Respondents to a URL . . . . . . . . .
NetCollect’s URL Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced Embedded Survey Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Temporary Files to Obscure URL Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
On Incomplete for a Custom Error Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resume URLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Piping Status Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
196
197
199
200
201
205
210
212
213
215
217
219
220
221
223
224
Chapter 13
TUTORIAL
Loading Data into a Survey
225
Handing Data to Other Systems
241
Real-Time Reporting
251
Chapter 14
TUTORIAL
Chapter 15
REFERENCE
Understanding NetCollect Server Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NetCollect Reports Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Report Login Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Login Rules Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Notices Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Report Definition Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Layout and Access Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Questions and Groups Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Report Login Pass Through URLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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255
255
257
257
258
260
261
vi
Chapter 16
TUTORIAL
Creating Server Reports
263
Publish Settings
275
Chapter 17
REFERENCE
Understanding the Publish Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How Surveys Run on a Web Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Publishing the First Time on Your Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Publishing the First Time on QuestionWeb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Publish Steps in Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Accessing SP4 Files from Multiple Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web Site Definitions for Your Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking Script Versions on Your Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copying, Editing and Deleting Your Server Definitions . . . . . . . . .
Servers Accessed via LAN Shares (Your Server) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Servers Accessed via FTP (Your Server) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web Site Definitions for QuestionWeb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding QuestionWeb Uploads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Finding Your FTP password for QuestionWeb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QuestionWeb Accounts with Multiple Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting Paths for a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sharing Survey Folders with Other Files on Your Server . . . . . . . .
Between Publish and Upload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced Upload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Server Selection and Publish Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Survey Content and Project Data Files on Your Server . . . . . . . . .
Uploading for the First Time to Your Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Uploading to Live Surveys on Your Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
276
276
277
278
279
279
280
280
281
282
283
284
284
284
285
285
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
Chapter 18
TUTORIAL
Publishing and Uploading to Your Server
295
Publishing and Uploading to QuestionWeb
308
Chapter 19
TUTORIAL
Publishing to a Regular Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Using QuestionWeb Demo Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
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Chapter 20
REFERENCE
Control Panel Screens
319
Your Server vs. QuestionWeb Control Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic Survey Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change Survey Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Activity Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic Data Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manage Partially Completed Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Survey and Report Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Server Load Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
320
320
320
321
322
323
324
326
328
328
329
Chapter 21
REFERENCE
Managing Data
331
Understanding the Download and Import Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing Data Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Download Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Best Practices for a Clean Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Get Latest Data Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced Download Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Server Selection and Publish Log tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Archived Data, Backup, and Project tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manual Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Import Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Closing and Archiving Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table of Contents
January 15, 2007
332
333
333
334
335
337
337
339
341
341
342
344
viii
Chapter 22
REFERENCE
Files and Code
346
A Note to Programmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Files on the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Files in the Content Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Files and Folders in the Project Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DLLs and Script Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing the HTML/ASP Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing Hidden Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding the NetCollect CSS File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating New Button Sets and Progress Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding the CFG File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reading the Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Main Project Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Throttle Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Index
Table of Contents
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347
348
348
350
354
355
357
358
359
361
362
362
363
365
ix
Chapter 1
Getting Started
REFERENCE
NetCollect is the Web survey module for SurveyPro 4.0. One part of NetCollect installs with your copy of SurveyPro to allow you to design the
Web surveys. The other portion is installed on your server to run the live
surveys. We recommend starting with this section to learn where to go
next.
Chapter Contents:
Using this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Additional Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Key Concept: Essential Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Server Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Understanding the NetCollect Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Survey Creation, Testing and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Respondent Data and Server Script Interactions . . . . . . . . 8
Ten Tips for Effective Web Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1. Put Yourself in Your Respondents’ Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2. Keep it Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3. Use a Clean Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4. Minimize Required Fields and Formatting . . . . . . . . . . 10
5. Test the Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
6. Don’t Bog Respondents Down with Instructions . . . . . . 12
7. Plan the Server Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8. Test the Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
9. Check your Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
10. Change Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Best Way to Mangle Survey Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Upgrading from Earlier Versions of NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Opening NetCollect 3.0 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Opening NetCollect 2.0 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 1 - Getting Started
January 15, 2007
1
Using this Guide
Each of the chapters is identified as “Reference” or “Tutorial.” Reference
chapters, introduce new terms, provide advice on the best use of a particular feature, and document the dialog controls. Tutorial sections walk you
through setting up a particular feature. Tutorials can usually be completed
out of order—any assumptions about your knowledge will be identified at
their start. You’ll find the reference and tutorial chapters are grouped
around one or more related features or dialogs.
This guide focuses on NetCollect design and publishing. If you are new to
SurveyPro, refer to Chapters 1-8 in the SurveyPro User Guide to get
acquainted with the basics of working with questions and scales. The
SurveyPro User Guide is also your resource for data collection functions
beyond the Web SDH data files covered here, and for reporting functions
beyond NetCollect’s real-time Web server reports.
If you already know
NetCollect 3.0
You’ll find significant changes to the features and dialogs in NetCollect
4.0. We recommend reviewing the sections for any features you use in
your projects, and be sure to read Upgrading from Earlier Versions of NetCollect on page 16.
If you used QuestionWeb
with NetCollect 3.0
Many of QuestionWeb’s features, such as the Control Panel, have made
their way into NetCollect 4.0. So, rather than documenting QuestionWeb
in a separate guide, you’ll find it covered in this manual.
Additional Resources
Discussion List and
Newsletter
Apian provides a free discussion list for users to ask questions about
SurveyPro and survey research in general. You can opt for either an email or Web-based interface.
We also recommend signing up for the Apian newsletter to stay posted on
product updates and workshops, and for the tips from our Support team.
http://apian.com/support/forum/
Knowledge Base
This is a searchable resource for how-to questions and problem-solving.
http://apian.com/support/knowledgebase/
Technical Support
All new orders and upgrades come with a period of free support. Annual
support contracts may be purchased by phone at (800) 237-4565 or
online.
http://apian.com/support/
January 15, 2007
(206) 547-8392
Using this Guide
2
Coaching and Training
Apian offers public workshops, on-site corporate training, and one-on-one
telephone coaching.
http://apian.com/training/
Downloads
Updates (patches) to SurveyPro are provided for you to download free of
charge.
http://apian.com/downloads/
Key Concept: Essential Terms
Throughout this guide, key concepts will be highlighted in this manner.
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the format used to define pages on the Web. This includes the layout of
tables, fonts, images, and colors. HTML pages are “static” in that they appear the same to each Web site
visitor.
Script
A script is a program—it receives input, follows its rules, and produces output. For your surveys, the
input is the definition of your individual survey, such as its passwords and skips, along with the data the
respondent supplies. The output is then the next page delivered to the respondent, and the data saved
to the server. Server-side scripts are run by the server, and therefore act the same regardless of the
browser or operating system a Web visitor is using. Client-side scripts such as JavaScript are downloaded
with the HTML page and run within a browser, and therefore may be disabled on an individual’s system.
NetCollect’s core functions are all server-side, with JavaScript used as a second layer to make certain
features more responsive.
ASP
Active Server Pages take the static page definitions in HTML and tailor the content to an individual site
visitor. With NetCollect, the survey pages are a mix of both HTML and ASP code, and will have a “.asp”
extension on your server. In addition, there are ASP scripts which are referenced by all your surveys as
part of the server-side scripting.
DLL
In addition to the ASP scripts which execute your surveys, NetCollect has packaged many of the server
functions in DLLs. These are Windows programs which are more efficient than Web scripting for faster
processing of survey requests and better server management. DLLs will need to be installed by your
server administrator.
SP4 File
When you’re designing your survey, you’re working in SurveyPro on your local computer. The file in which
you’re defining the questions, importing data, and analyzing results is a .SP4 project file. Just as a
Microsoft Access database may include forms, data, and reports, a SP4 includes the questionnaires,
data, and reports for one or more related surveys.
January 15, 2007
Using this Guide
3
Key Concept: Essential Terms
Publish
Once you’ve created a questionnaire in SurveyPro on your local computer, you’ll publish it to a Web
server. Publish refers to the process in which SurveyPro generates the .ASP survey pages and individual
survey configuration, and then uploads (copies) those files to your server.
Download
Data is collected on the Web server, so periodically you will need to download it to your local computer
for import into SurveyPro. NetCollect includes an integrated download and import function for quick
updates, as well as Web-based download options.
Server Options
One size never fits all, so NetCollect is designed to let you post your surveys in three server environments. Often users will start with one option,
migrate to another, and then use the third for the occasional big project,
so we recommend reading through the options so you’re aware of all the
possibilities.
Your Company’s Server
This is the 100% do-it-yourself approach, where you’ll design the surveys
and publish them to your company’s in-house or externally hosted server.
If you have the systems and expertise available, this is a great option as it
involves no additional costs. It’s also completely within your company’s
security setup, and makes it easy to connect your surveys to local SQL
databases.
You’ll need to work with your server administrator to do the one-time
script install in Chapter 3 and to make sure you have the necessary permissions to upload and download files (or an IT contact who will upload
and download for you).
Apian QuestionWeb
Here we have the mostly do-it-yourself option, as you’re still designing the
surveys, uploading, testing, and retrieving the data—you just don’t have
to worry about setting up or maintaining a server. Generally this is the
fastest way to get your first survey online, taking just one business day to
set up your account. QuestionWeb was designed with security and uptime
in mind, in a top tier data center with redundant connectivity and power
supplies, with a high-quality firewall, current operating system patches,
and on-site 24/7 staff. Project administration and data downloads are
encrypted to further protect your results.
With QuestionWeb, you’ll sign up for one or more “folders,” each one for
as many months as you need. Each folder may contain one survey at a
time, and you can change the survey as often as you need. For example,
January 15, 2007
Server Options
4
in one folder you may launch your employee survey in June, then close it
in August, let the folder sit idle for a bit, and then launch a customer survey in October. Or, you could have the original folder run only through
August, and then add a new folder in October for a small setup charge.
The vast majority of the survey design and management process is identical for your own servers and QuestionWeb. In general, QuestionWeb simplifies things as you don’t need to know server paths to upload, just your
account name and which folder you’re using. When there are differences,
such as a chapter or section you can skip, it will be mentioned in the
beginning of the section, or you’ll see two parallel sections, one labeled
“Your Server” and the other “QuestionWeb.”
To sign up for QuestionWeb, go to www.questionweb.com, or if you have
questions, call (800) 237-4565. In addition to the one survey per folder
limitation, when you’re making real-time connections to external data
sources QuestionWeb only allows ASCII file and URL connections, not
SQL. Embedded Surveys on page 187 includes a discussion of these different methods.
Apian SurveyHost
January 15, 2007
Using SurveyHost lets you tap into an experienced Web survey design,
programming, and project management team—along with not having to
worry about a Web server. Often NetCollect users have their own servers
or QuestionWeb for more straightforward surveys, and come to SurveyHost for high volume or custom development projects. Places SurveyHost
can help include:
•
Advice on the best survey setup for passwords, pause/resume, skips,
and answer tests for your survey and respondents
•
Creation of your HTML questionnaire and SurveyPro SP4 file when
you don’t have time to do it yourself
•
Custom layout design to match your company’s site
•
Custom programming for functions NetCollect doesn’t include
•
Multiple language surveys, including Japanese, Arabic, Russian, etc.
•
Projects involving multiple submissions per respondent or multiple
survey versions, such as 360 surveys
•
Coordinating with your company’s Web team to pass data between
your e-commerce system or SQL databases and a survey on
SurveyHost
•
Custom real-time reporting
•
E-mail notifications to your customer service team when someone
marks “contact me” or gives a low rating
Server Options
5
•
Confidentiality buffer, including sending e-mail invitations with unique
IDs for anonymous surveys
•
High response rates, such as large e-mail drops and spikes in traffic
from TV broadcasts
While www.surveyhost.com lists many of the features we offer, if you
don’t see what you’re looking for, just call us at (800) 237-4565. After all,
that’s the whole point of a full service custom shop.
Understanding the NetCollect Processes
There are two main process flows in NetCollect. The first is the process
you will go through to create and manage your surveys. The second is the
interaction between an individual respondent and the server. On the next
two pages are flowcharts outlining these processes. As you go through
developing and then testing your own surveys, referring back to these diagrams will give you the larger context.
January 15, 2007
6
Survey Creation, Testing and Management
While setting up a new
survey may look
intimidating at first,
SurveyPro’s built-in file
uploads and downloads
and Web-based Control
Panel streamline the
process.
Keep in mind that there is
often more than one
revise/upload/test loop in
a survey’s development.
January 15, 2007
7
Respondent Data and Server Script Interactions
Now that you’ve seen the
project management
perspective, here’s a look
at the micro level as a
single respondent
completes a typical
password protected survey.
(Passwords are optional.)
See Files and Code on page
346 for a detailed
description of all the files
on the server.
January 15, 2007
8
Ten Tips for Effective Web Surveys
This list offers some easy ways to help make your surveys a success. Skipping these steps can result in problems ranging from reduced response
rates to useless data—neither of which does justice to the work you
invested in developing your surveys.
1. Put Yourself in Your Respondents’ Shoes
Even if your respondents can be forced to complete your survey, do you
really want them to answer it in a bad mood? Respondents are giving you
their time and opinions, doing you a tremendous favor by completing the
survey. Keep that in mind for a few of the following tips, as well as when
planning any incentives you use in the survey.
2. Keep it Brief
As with paper surveys, there is a huge range of “typical” lengths depending on the topic covered and audience involvement. Incentives are a good
way to increase involvement, but they’re generally expensive and only go
so far. If you want a good response rate:
•
Minimize the number and complexity of questions by focusing on the
essential data for your business decision
•
Be up-front and realistic about how long it will take a typical
respondent (not you) to finish
•
Include a progress bar
•
Allow respondents to pause and return later on long surveys
•
Require respondents finish in one sitting on shorter surveys
•
Use skips and branching to hide questions not applicable to all
respondents
•
Minimize the number of HTML pages in the survey
Many people design Web surveys with only one question or grid on each
survey page. If your survey has 5 grids and 20 independent questions, this
means that the respondent will have to click Next and wait for a page to
download 25 times. However, if you break pages at section headings (or
where skips require), a survey of that length may require only 6-8 pages.
No matter how fast your server or how fast the respondent’s connection,
people are generally impatient enough that the 1-5 seconds they’ll have to
wait for each page can begin to irritate.
January 15, 2007
9
At the other end of the spectrum, putting an entire survey on one very
long scrolling page can make it seem longer than it is. Extremely long
pages can also cause problems for people on dial-up connections.
3. Use a Clean Layout
Your survey doesn’t have to be plain, but it should have:
•
A clear hierarchy of headings, questions, and scales
•
Fonts big enough for people to easily read, in colors that are easy on
the eyes
•
Consistent styles, generally using just one or two typefaces/fonts
•
Whitespace between tiles or graphics and/or indentation of scales or
sub-questions
•
Good contrast between fonts and backgrounds, such as black text on
a white background
Any graphics, colors, and additional fonts should enhance the respondent’s ability to complete the survey, or at least not intrude with distractions or excessive download times. NetCollect’s defaults are designed to
be a good starting point. If you’re working with a survey from a prior version, you can apply one of the Themes to a survey and see what changes
it makes (see page 74).
4. Minimize Required Fields and Formatting
Two of the advantages of a Web survey are that you can require questions
be answered and check the formatting of typed answers. At times,
researchers will take this ability and go a little power mad, requiring every
answer on a survey be completed. Many respondents will not tolerate
this.
When considering whether or not to require an answer, ask:
January 15, 2007
•
Will the entire form be useless if I don’t have this one question’s
response?
•
Will the skips or branches work better if I make it required?
•
Will the respondent understand why this field is required?
•
If I require all these fields, will the number of people answering
carelessly or falsely increase?
10
When considering whether or not to require a specific format, ask:
•
Is entering the “proper” format in this question a hassle for the
respondent?
•
Can I make the pattern scale more flexible so characters such as
hyphens and spaces are optional and ignored by NetCollect?
•
How long will it take me to do data cleaning on this write-in if I don’t
enforce the format?
•
Can I replace the write-in with a drop-down list?
And always ask:
•
How likely are respondents to abandon the survey when they get a
page back with “fix me” messages?
Whenever you do require a field or format, be sure to notify the respondent in the question’s instructions. In the case of required fields, an
increasingly common convention is a red asterisk * with a simple note
“* = Required” at the start of the survey. Or, if most of the questions are
required, then say they all are and flag the exceptions as “Optional.” Also,
be clear about required formats, such as dates or numbers, so respondents can get it right the first time. For example, a question might read:
“Date you purchased (MM/DD/YY).”
5. Test the Questionnaire
A surprising number of surveys do not get even basic testing before
launch. Here are a few elements you should be checking for:
•
Spelling and grammar—often a fresh set of eyes is needed for this
•
Questions fully address your business question (with no extra
questions)
•
Within questions, scales are comprehensive or give a not applicable
or Other option
•
Clear instructions
•
Functionality of skips, branches, answer tests, pause/resume,
password settings, piping, etc.
•
Attractive layout in a range of browsers, screen resolutions, and
connection speeds (whatever your respondents will be using)
Ideally, there will be at least three testing passes, first on your own, then
with a colleague or your client, and finally with a typical respondent.
January 15, 2007
11
If you will be editing the HTML pages SurveyPro publishes in FrontPage,
Dreamweaver, or another editor, then we recommend doing the testing in
two stages. First, upload the survey straight from SurveyPro and test the
questions, scales, skips, etc. Then when you’re certain that’s final, edit the
page layouts and upload for a final re-test. See Editing the HTML/ASP
Pages on page 355.
6. Don’t Bog Respondents Down with Instructions
Respondents have other things on their minds. If you send a 10 paragraph
e-mail invitation, they may not find the critical information as they skim
through it. Too often, respondents ask “What’s my password?” at the top
of an e-mail containing “Enter your password 1234.”
Likewise, many surveys front-load the questionnaire with pages of
instructions. Whenever possible, spread instructions throughout the survey and use bullets to facilitate skimming. For most surveys, the following
approach works well:
•
Invitation—brief description of the survey, deadline, confidentiality
assurance, URL, password, and unsubscribe instructions (if
applicable)
•
Welcome/login page—time needed to finish the survey,
pause/resume instructions, and confidentiality assurance (again)
•
Survey body pages—put instructions for each type of question at the
first instance rather than all together up front
•
Pause page—resume instructions and deadline to finish
7. Plan the Server Load
Because NetCollect includes load management functions, you know
exactly how many respondents your survey will accept each minute
before saying “Try back later.” When you’re working with larger groups of
people, you can use this to plan the rate at which you send e-mail invitations. Note that these calculations are generally only needed when you do
e-mail drops or other mass broadcasts, as they cause a sharp spike in the
number of respondents.
By default, NetCollect surveys allow 500 pages to be submitted per
minute. This means that if your SurveyPro questionnaire has 10 pages
including the Welcome and Thanks, then 50 people can start the survey
each minute (people resuming surveys can always get in). If you expect at
most a 20% response rate, you could theoretically send out 15,000 survey
January 15, 2007
12
invitations per hour without anyone being told it was too busy. In practice,
picking a slightly lower e-mail rate is better as it gives you some cushion
for the variable click-through rate on any given minute.
The 500 pages per minute default is designed to work on most servers.
See Server Load for High Volume Surveys on page 49 for more about determining your server’s capacity. Note: QuestionWeb accounts may have different default capacities.
8. Test the Import
If the data won’t import correctly, there isn’t much point to conducting the
survey. NetCollect has a significant number of safety checks to make sure
that the data collected on your Web server matches your survey (part of
the whole Test/Live mode setup), but creative people can still find a way
to make analyzing the data impossible. The two favorite methods are
changing a survey while it’s collecting data and manipulating the survey
pages NetCollect generates. See The Best Way to Mangle Survey Data on
page 14 to avoid the former, and direct your Web designer to Editing the
HTML/ASP Pages on page 355 to avoid the latter.
While this is unlikely to be a problem on your survey, isn’t it worth a few
minutes to make sure?
9. Check your Reports
After bringing in your test data, take a few minutes with the reports to be
sure that you can create the figures, filters, and cross-tabs you need to
answer your business question. While it’s a hassle to go back to the drawing board on a survey at this point, it’s better than discovering you missed
a key demographic after the respondents have come and gone.
Time spent on these test reports in SurveyPro is not wasted, as they’ll be
populated with the real data as soon as you start downloading and
importing it.
10. Change Modes
Your survey will publish and upload in Test mode, which is fully functional. It will say “Test” on each page and flag the data files as from testing
to remind you which mode you’re in. Before you activate your public link
or send those e-mail invites, be sure to switch the survey to Live mode in
the Control Panel.
January 15, 2007
13
Note: It’s better to prematurely switch to Live and have to go back to Test
for another edit pass than it is to launch a survey in Test mode.
The Best Way to Mangle Survey Data
NetCollect does its best to protect your data, from the obvious “locking”
of your survey when you publish it to your server to more subtle checks it
makes behind the scenes. However, if you’re determined, it’s still possible
to make your survey responses partially or completely unusable.
When you create a questionnaire in SurveyPro, the software assigns a
unique Q number to each question or grid row—you can see them by
expanding the Database Questions node of the Object Tree in SurveyPro.
As you publish the Web survey pages, the current set of Q numbers is
embedded in the HTML pages. As the scripts save respondent data, they
associate each value marked with its Q number.
Now imagine you realize you forgot a question, or need to remove one, or
want to rearrange a few—just minor edits. So while the survey is still collecting data on your server, you unlock the questionnaire in SurveyPro
and make the changes. Maybe these changes were in preparation for
reporting, and maybe you’ll re-publish them to your Web server for further data collection. In either case, you now have a problem because the
surveys in progress are using different Q numbers than those now in your
SurveyPro file. Sometimes users realize they have a problem when
SurveyPro balks at the import because the SurveyPro file says Q27 is
using a checkbox scale, but the data you’re trying to import into Q27 contains comments. Unfortunately, certain types of changes to a SurveyPro
file will not produce incompatible data structures, so you’d simply be
importing the wrong data.
For example, you start with this grid and collect data using it:
Then you realize that you’d prefer your reports present the items in a different order, and change the SurveyPro file to this:
January 15, 2007
The Best Way to Mangle Survey Data
14
Because you didn’t change any scales or remove any questions from the
SurveyPro file, there’s no way for SurveyPro to know that five of the six
questions are now in different places. Responses import by Q number, not
by the text of the question. In this case, you’d never receive an import
error, just mangled data.
The good news is this is an easy problem to avoid. All you have to do is
leave your SurveyPro file locked until you use the Control Panel to Close
the survey. Then import all the data, after which you can safely rearrange
the grid as above. You can also always use Question Groups and Rescales
to make these sorts of reporting adjustments because they’re layers on
top of the original survey structure.
Next Steps
If you have older NetCollect surveys, see Upgrading from Earlier Versions
of NetCollect on page 16.
Whether you’re new to SurveyPro or a NetCollect 3.0/2.0 user, try the
Ten Minute Web Survey on page 18. This tutorial shows you the main dialogs and flow of creating surveys before the rest of the guide gets into
NetCollect’s more detailed options and settings.
If you will be posting the surveys on your own server, you’ll need to work
with your server administrator to set up the scripts. All the details are in
Chapter 3. Do not leave this step for the last minute. While it can
take less than an hour to do the installation, if your server administrator
has questions or if your site has an unusual configuration it’s been known
to take a week of back-and-forth to sort through all the details. This is
because each Web server is slightly unique and may have multi-layer
security into which NetCollect has to be incorporated. The good news is
you only have to go through this setup once per server.
QuestionWeb users will skip the server installation.
January 15, 2007
Next Steps
15
Following the installation instructions are reference and tutorial chapters
for the assorted features. These are grouped by topic, with relevant tutorial(s) immediately following the reference material.
When your survey is drafted, Publish Settings on page 275 begins the coverage of uploading to a server and using the Web-based Control Panel to
manage your survey.
Upgrading from Earlier Versions of NetCollect
SurveyPro and NetCollect do their best to preserve the settings from your
existing Web surveys. However, due to the many changes to the scripting
environment and areas such as passwords, it may not be able to translate
all your settings. If you’re going to publish a NetCollect survey which was
created in a prior version, be sure to check the skips, passwords, answer
tests, and layouts.
Before opening an older file:
1. Conclude any Web surveys that are currently “live” (collecting data on a Web
server) and import their data.
2. Create a backup copy identified as the NetCollect 3.0 (or 2.0) version.
3. Open the SP3 or SVA file in SurveyPro 4.0.
When you have multiple questionnaires in an SP4 file the first step may
not always be possible. In that case, be sure to carefully review the import
of any legacy SDH files you bring into the new project file.
Important:
Once a file is opened in SurveyPro 4.0, it
cannot be opened in an older version of
SurveyPro or NetCollect.
Opening NetCollect 3.0 Files
When you use SurveyPro 4.0 to open an older NetCollect file, you’ll see a
warning dialog. The dialogs will prompt you to save to the new .SP4 file
extension, so your original copy will be preserved.
Once you have the file converted, open your NetCollect questionnaire
document(s) and review your survey’s settings in these dialogs:
January 15, 2007
16
Document Properties
Use the toolbar button or Document menu, Properties to bring up this
dialog. You may be required to add a Web page title for your survey. See
Document Properties Dialog on page 59.
Web Survey Setup
This new dialog connects you to the various Web survey features. From
NetCollect 3.0 to 4.0, there were significant changes in passwords and
publishing so you’ll need to review and update the document’s:
•
Survey Login Method for passwords, pausing and resuming, etc. (see
page 152)
•
Server Configuration (see page 275)
The other dialogs accessed through Web Survey Setup will either load all
your NetCollect 3.0 settings or are completely new to NetCollect 4.0.
Page List
This new dialog manages pages as objects which can be named and reordered, unlike NetCollect 3.0 which only implied this structure. See page
102.
Opening NetCollect 2.0 Files
When opening a SurveyPro+NetCollect 2.0 file you will automatically be
prompted to Save As to a new .SP4 file name, so you don’t have to worry
about backing up your SVA file. There was a tremendous feature jump
between NetCollect 2.0 and 3.0, so expect to re-create or check everything beyond the basic question text and scale definitions. You may also
want to check your scales as NetCollect 4.0 has more features which
assume a properly structured survey.
There is a chance your 2.0 SDH files will not import easily into 4.0, so it is
highly recommended to wrap up any open surveys before migrating the
files.
January 15, 2007
17
Chapter 2
Ten Minute Web Survey
TUTORIAL
One of the wonderful things about NetCollect is it has many options for
your survey’s layouts and functionality. Before we dive into the feature
details in the rest of this guide, this chapter takes you through the process
building and locally previewing a survey in just a few minutes.
In this tutorial you’ll learn how to:
Set a document to the Web format
Apply a theme
Add a page break
Set a login type
Preview a survey locally
The tutorial assumes you are already familiar with:
Adding questions, grids, and scales
Setting up a Web survey document
1. Launch SurveyPro and enter your initials when prompted.
When SurveyPro starts, it’s with a new empty survey document in the
Paper format. The first thing you always want to do is change the document (questionnaire) type to the Web format, as this activates all the Webspecific controls such as passwords.
2. From the Document menu select Properties, or click its toolbar button
.
The Document Properties dialog is where you set layout options for the
survey overall, such as margins, colors, headers, and question numbering.
Individual question and text tiles can override most of these settings.
3. Change the Questionnaire Medium to HTML for NetCollect.
4. Give your questionnaire the Web page title “Quick Survey.”
Chapter 2 - Ten Minute Web Survey
January 15, 2007
18
Your screen should look like the one below. This set the basic document
type, so now we can go ahead with a few other options before adding our
questions.
Applying a layout theme and editing the header
1. Click the Apply Theme button.
2. Pick the Blue theme.
As you can see from the preview, this loads a header, footer, background
colors, and button style for the respondents to click Next or Pause.
January 15, 2007
19
3. Click Apply to pre-load the layout settings.
4. Back in the Properties dialog, click the Header tab.
5. In the middle of the dialog, click on the placeholder text “Your Survey Title
Here.”
Headers and footers are assembled from one or more “cells” with each
cell containing graphics or text. Since each cell can have its own colors,
fonts, and margins, there’s a secondary dialog to provide the details.
6. Change the text to “Quick Survey”.
January 15, 2007
20
7. Click OK. Back in the Properties dialog, click OK again to save your settings.
Now instead of a blank paper page, the screen shows three Web pages,
each one with a header and footer. SurveyPro starts you off with three
pages because most Web surveys have a “welcome” page which provides
instructions and perhaps collects a password, then one or more body
pages, and finally a confirmation or “thanks” page.
Adding questions
1. Scroll down to Web Page 2 (the page number is just above each page’s gray
border). Click the thick blue bar between the progress bar and buttons so it
turns orange.
2. On the toolbar, click the Insert button and select Question.
January 15, 2007
21
3. In the big Questionnaire Text box, type “Is this your first Web survey?” and
click Next.
4. From the Scale Selection drop-down list, pick 7: Yes/No (Unordered) and
click Finish.
5. Click the blue bar under the first question and Insert another Question.
6. Give it the text “How would you rate this survey?” and click Next.
7. Change the Scale Selection to 9: Excellence -- 4 levels and click Finish.
Adding pages
Web surveys can have any number of questions on a page, though in this
case we’re going to add some page breaks and wrap up this quick survey.
Because of the nature of Web surveys, pages in NetCollect documents are
treated a little differently from those in a paper survey. Rather than thinking of them as 11 inches in a continuous document flow, try to picture
each page as an object—a box in a flowchart.
1. Click once on the second question to select it, and from the Document menu
select Edit Page List, or click its toolbar button
.
Within the Page Edits dialog, the contents of each page is provided by tile
number because you may have a mix of question, graphic, and instruction
January 15, 2007
22
tiles on a page. Because we had a tile selected when we brought up the
dialog, we’re given the option of breaking the page at that point.
2. Click the button Break page 2 at the selected tile 3.
Now the survey has four Web pages. Let’s add one more for some comments.
3. In the upper list, click on the page P4 Untitled is done-thanks.
4. Click the button Insert new page between 3 and 4 and check your screen
against the one below.
5. Click OK to return to the document screen.
January 15, 2007
23
6. On the empty Web Page 4, click the thick blue insert bar between the header
and buttons.
7. Insert a Question and give it the text “Comments?”
8. Click Next and select scale 3: Non-repeating or Long Memo Written Answer.
9. On the right hand side of the dialog, change the Entry Lines to “4” and click
Finish.
Scroll through the survey and take a look at our questionnaire: Welcome,
3 body pages, and Thanks.
Setting the login type
While brief, our survey is now complete. We could peek in the browser
now, but there’s one more setting to make the survey functionally complete.
1. Scroll up to Web Page 1 and double-click on Log in method undefined;
double-click here to setup.
2. Select the second radio button Shared Password(s).
January 15, 2007
24
3. In the box that appeared below the radio buttons, type for your Password
“quick”. Click OK.
Now the survey shows a password entry blank and Start button. While
SurveyPro’s design screen approximates a browser display, let’s take a
look at how the respondent will view the survey.
Using the local preview
1. Save the survey to a location of your choice (somewhere you don’t mind a
sub-folder being created).
2. On the toolbar, click the Preview in browser button
.
3. Click OK for the default file location. Click Yes to create the folder if
prompted.
In order for a survey to function, for it to check passwords, execute skips,
and send data, it has to be running on a Web server. Because this is a layout only preview without a Web server behind it, the left side of the survey pages is a panel which lets you navigate among the pages in the
survey. Click through the pages to see how your questionnaire will appear
to respondents. When SurveyPro does the local browser publish it uses
your computer’s default browser. You can also preview in other browsers
just by copying and pasting the file path in the browser address bar.
This is a good quick way to check your design, but NetCollect also makes
it easy to Publish your surveys to your live Web server as well. If you don’t
yet have your organization’s Web server configured, you can use a
QuestionWeb demo folder (see page 315) or set up a Localhost server on
your computer (see page 42).
Congratulations on your first NetCollect Web survey!
1. Back in SurveyPro, Close the Web Survey Setup dialog.
Now you can exit SurveyPro, create a new file, or continue playing with
this survey. Additional tutorials for layouts, passwords, and other features
are interspersed with reference sections through this guide.
January 15, 2007
25
Chapter 3
Server Installation
SETUP
If you’re using QuestionWeb or SurveyHost to host your surveys, you can
skip this chapter.
The server scripts are installed only once, and we recommend doing the
install a week before your first survey. A smooth install takes relatively little time—a half hour or so—but as this process is dependent on your
unique server environment and requires the assistance of your server
administrator, it is best to allow time to resolve any permissions or configuration issues that crop up. If you do encounter problems, it is generally
most effective to arrange a conference call between your server administrator and Apian’s Technical Support.
Note: This chapter is written primarily for server administrators.
If you are the SurveyPro user, some of the terms will probably be unfamilar. A few sections are highlighted as for your reference, such as Permissions 101.
Chapter Contents:
Setting Up a NetCollect Survey Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Files Needed from the SurveyPro User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Server System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Script Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Recommended Folder Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Installing the DLLs and ASP Library Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Setting Permissions for the Survey Folders . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Key Concept: Permissions 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Server Paths for the SurveyPro User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Testing the Server Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Installing a Test Web Server on Your Local System . . . . . . . . . 42
Adding the IIS Windows Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Installing the Scripts for a Test Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Defining Localhost Server Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Server Load for High Volume Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Chapter 3 - Server Installation
January 15, 2007
26
Setting Up a NetCollect Survey Server
NetCollect is the Web component of the SurveyPro desktop program. Its
Web server setup requires a few steps:
•
Setting permissions for survey and data folders
•
Running the ASP and DLL installation application
•
Sending the file paths to the SurveyPro user
•
Testing your setup
This one-time setup requires a server administrator log in via Terminal
Services or directly to the server.
After the initial setup, the SurveyPro user will be able to post and manage
their surveys through FTP or UNC file shares and the HTTP control
panel. When surveys are designed and tested, it is not uncommon for the
survey designer to post multiple iterations of the survey, as well as downloading data multiple times per week. If your network policies restrict FTP
or LAN file permissions to IT staff only, QuestionWeb.com may be a more
practical option. If you do end up having a different person Publish than
the one doing analysis, be sure to send them the latest SP4 file after each
Publish—working off a stale file can cause import mismatch (data corruption) problems.
Files Needed from the SurveyPro User
The server setup files are copied to the SurveyPro user’s personal hard
drive or to a shared LAN drive for workgroup installations. By default,
they’re in this folder:
C:\Program Files\Apian Software\SurveyPro 40\Web Server Install\ASP
The following files are needed by the server administrator:
•
InstallNetCollectServer[version].EXE
(Send the highest version number if you have more than one.)
•
NetCollect40ServerSetup.pdf (this chapter and Publish)
•
Server Crib Sheet - FTP.doc
•
Server Crib Sheet - LAN.doc
Also send the SurveyPro 4.0 serial number, which can be found in SurveyPro’s Help, About screen. Make sure it starts with “SP4-”.
January 15, 2007
27
Server System Requirements
The ASP+DLL scripts require:
•
Windows 2000 or 2003 (Professional or Server editions)
•
“Root” or Terminal Services access by an administrator to run the
installation program for the initial server setup
•
UNC or FTP access by the SurveyPro user to manage surveys
If the server does not have the required VB6 Runtime module installed,
the installation program will add it to the system. No SMTP connectivity
is required, and the surveys operate under standard HTTP and HTTPS
ports (SSL is only used if the survey designer specifies it in the paths).
NetCollect does not require any databases on the server, but it will connect via SQL strings to any you specify for a particular survey. See Embedded Surveys on page 187.
Script Versions
To minimize server maintenance, the NetCollect server scripts change
versions less frequently than the desktop software. Therefore, the version
of the server scripts is a different naming scheme from the desktop application. Visit http://apian.com/downloads/ to see the latest versions.
When the user publishes and uploads their surveys, SurveyPro checks
with the Web server to make sure the scripts loaded on the server match
those the survey pages are expecting. This is one of the advantages of
using the upload and download functions built into SurveyPro rather than
a third party FTP program or Windows Explorer.
If you need to update the scripts, then you can install the new version in
the same folders as the existing scripts. All the files are named with their
version, so they will not over-write earlier scripts, and any surveys currently running will continue to do so on the version for which they were
published. If instead you choose to put each script version in its own CGI
folder, you’ll need to give the SurveyPro user a fresh Server Crib Sheet for
each revision so they can update their publish settings.
January 15, 2007
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Recommended Folder Structures
A NetCollect survey publishes using three folders:
•
Survey Content Folder, the front-end to which respondents will
navigate in their browsers
•
Survey Project Folder (and automatically generated subfolders) where
the project’s configuration, password, and data files reside
•
ASP Library Scripts folder, typically under /cgi/ which process the
surveys and in turn call the DLLs for functions
From an administrative perspective, the easiest approach is to set up
folder roots for the Content and Project folders which have the appropriate permissions, and then the SurveyPro user can create sub-folders for
individual surveys. In the server setup dialog these are referred to as
“Nodes” but you can think of them as a root—a base location under which
folders for individual surveys are added.
Important:
While multiple surveys can work from one Content or Project folder if
they have different base filenames, the SurveyPro defaults assume each
survey is in its own folder. Two of the files SurveyPro publishes with each
survey are “index.htm” and “index.asp.” The “index.htm” file is a simple
meta redirect and can be discarded if your server has “index.asp” in its
default pages list, or if you’re directly linking to a page rather than the
folder. However, “index.asp” initiates a survey session, so while it could
be renamed, it cannot be discarded without risking survey errors.
If a user were not allowed to create a new sub-folder for each survey, they
would be unable to use the automated uploads in SurveyPro, instead having to manually rename and then select the files to upload. They would
also risk corrupting existing surveys if they were not very careful in their
naming schema. For example, if they called files generically “passwords.pin” or “addressdata.csv” then they may overwrite an earlier survey’s files when they uploaded. Having multiple projects in the same data
folder may also cause confusion for the automated data download.
January 15, 2007
29
The following three examples represent different ways of configuring folders for the same surveys (two customer, one HR). Remember each survey
project has its individual folders under the Content and Project roots.
SurveyPro users are allowed
to place surveys under the
Web site root
All users share permissions
to data folders under
“ncprojects”
SurveyPro users are allowed
to place surveys under a
survey root “surveys”
All users share permissions
to data folders under
“ncprojects”
SurveyPro users may place
surveys under a department
survey root “hr” or
“marketing”
Departments have individual
project data roots with
different user or group
permissions for “hrprojects”
and “mktgprojects”
January 15, 2007
30
Folder names and security
In the above examples, we use “ncscripts” and “ncprojects” as examples.
NetCollect makes no assumptions about the names other than Windows
and Web legality, so you have full control over their naming and level
within your server’s folder architecture. While these paths are not visible
to the respondents completing the surveys, for security purposes we
advise using a name other than these examples, just as one will often
move IIS from the default path when hardening a server.
If your server has multiple
domains running surveys
The DLLs are accessed via the Windows registry, so they only have to be
installed once per server. However, you’ll need to use Windows Explorer
to copy the ASP library scripts into each Web site’s CGI folder tree. The
ASP Library scripts do not contain any path information, so they do not
need any modification when copied.
While you can also re-run the installer and simply specify a different
folder for the ASP Library scripts, this only works if none of the domains
have loaded the DLLs into memory yet. Otherwise, when you run the
install, it will attempt to overwrite the DLLs and fail because IIS had
locked them. This can be gotten around by unloading the sites or restarting IIS and running the install before anyone hits a survey again, but as
you can see, a file copy in Windows Explorer is a bit simpler.
If your domains use
multiple front-ends or a
separate data server
The built-in SurveyPro upload utility accommodates a single front-end
server, so users of load balanced front-ends will need to manually upload
to the additional servers or use any replication utility you have in place.
As long as all the front ends look to the same UNC data path and local
CGI path, then no changes need to be made during the copy. Data needs
to reside on a single box to properly execute the session tracking and
manage individual passwords. The Apian knowledge base includes a more
detailed article about load balancing configurations.
January 15, 2007
31
Installing the DLLs and ASP Library Scripts
InstallNetCollectServer[version].EXE is the only installation program you need to run on the Web server—SurveyPro itself only resides
on the survey designer’s desktop or LAN drive. First make sure you’ve
received all the files on page 27 from the SurveyPro user along with their
SurveyPro serial number starting with “SP4-”.
1. Log in to the server using an Administrator account, either locally or via
Terminal Services.
2. Double-click on InstallNetCollectServer[version].EXE.
3. Click Next past the splash screen.
4. Enter the NetCollect serial number, review the license agreement, indicate
you Agree, then click Next.
This next tab is the destination for the DLLs:
5. In most cases, the default path is fine, but if needed change the path and
click Next.
In addition to the DLLs, the installer needs to copy some ASP scripts to a
folder within your Web site. This screen starts with the default IIS path,
but will likely need to be changed. If you specify a folder which does not
exist, the installer will create it. If you do change the path, double check it
before you click Next (occasionally an extra “cgi” may appear on the end).
January 15, 2007
32
6. Set the path to suit your server and click Next.
Up to this point, you’ve only been making selections—the installation program has not yet copied any files.
7. Review the folder settings and click Next to begin the file copy.
8. Click Finish on the confirmation screen, and continue to the next section on
setting permissions.
If instead of a confirmation you received an alert, it most likely means that
DLLs of the same version have already been installed on this server and
are currently loaded into IIS’ memory. Contact Apian Support for assistance:
http://apian.com/support/
Setting Permissions for the Survey Folders
Now that you have a basic understanding of the folders needed (on page
29) and have run the installation program, here are final setup details. For
the SurveyPro users reading this, start with Key Concept: Permissions 101
on page 37.
Permissions are by far the most common issue for setting up a server, so
we recommend following these settings closely. Some of your folders,
such as a CGI folder or data area, may have more generous permissions
than those specified here. That’s fine by NetCollect, all it cares about is its
minimum needs.
January 15, 2007
33
The following steps assume a typical publicly accessible Web server. If
you’re familiar with setting IIS and NTFS permissions, jump
ahead to the tables for IIS on page 35 and NTFS on page 36.
Checking the Default Documents List
SurveyPro assumes “index.htm” is a default document on your Web
server.
While logged in locally to the server(s) or via Terminal Services:
1. Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, Internet Services Manager.
2. Expand the tree to see your site, right click and Properties.
3. Select the Documents tab.
4. If Enable Default Document is not turned on, cancel out of the dialog, find
the person who configured the server, and go over the permissions with them.
5. Assuming it is enabled, make sure the list contains “index.htm.” If not, click
Add to provide the new name.
6. Optionally, add “index.asp” to the list.
If you place “index.asp” above “index.htm,” the server will save a couple
mips not loading the very tiny redirect page. Do not do this unless you’re
in charge of that document hierarchy or wish to be hunted down by an
angry server administrator and/or Web designer.
To Set the IIS Permissions
1. Still in the Internet Information Services console, expand the node for the
server, then for the specific Web site.
2. Right click on the folder whose permissions you are setting, and select
Properties.
3. On the Directory tab, using the checkboxes and Execute Permissions dropdown, set each folder per the second column of the following table.
January 15, 2007
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Minimum IIS Permissions Required by NetCollect
Folder
IIS Permissions
Survey Content
Read
Execute Permissions: Scripts only
Survey Project data and
configuration
Read
Execute Permissions: None
ASP Library Scripts
Read
Execute Permissions: Scripts only
Identifying the IIS Anonymous User
1. Still in the Internet Information Services console, right-click on the Web site
root and select Properties.
2. Select the Directory Security tab.
3. Under Anonymous access and authentication control, click Edit.
4. Under Anonymous access, click Edit again.
5. Jot down the name of the account.
6. Cancel back to the main IIS console.
To Set the NTFS Permissions
While logged in locally to the server(s) or via Terminal Services:
1. Open Windows Explorer or My Computer.
2. Browse to the folders on your drive which correspond to the sites.
3. Right click on the highest level folder you need to adjust and select
Properties.
4. Click the Security tab.
5. At the bottom of the dialog, click Advanced.
6. Set permissions for each folder per the following table.
January 15, 2007
35
Minimum NTFS Permissions Required by NetCollect
This table refers to the Advanced NTFS settings. If you’ve run IIS Lockdown or done similar hardening, watch for Deny permissions set on the
Web Anonymous Users group. In particular, the Create/Write/Delete
Deny permissions will need to be removed from the Survey Project/Data
folder.
Under each folder, you’ll see two columns: IIS User and SP User. The IIS
user is the anonymous account under which the Web site operates (see
page 35). The SP [SurveyPro] User is the person who will be uploading
surveys and downloading data. If your server has more generous settings
than these, NetCollect does not need you to tighten access.
Minimum Permissions Needed by NetCollect 4.0
NTFS Permission
Survey Content
Survey
Project/Data
IIS
User
SP
User
IIS
User
SP
User
Allow
Allow
Allow
Traverse Folder/ Execute
File
ASP Library
Scripts
IIS
User
SP
User
DLLs under
Program Files
IIS
User
Allow
List Folder/ Read Data
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Read Attributes
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Read Extended Attributes
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Create Files/ Write Data
Allow
Allow
Allow
Create Folders/ Append
Data
Allow
Allow
Allow
Write Attributes
Allow
Allow
Allow
Write Extended Attributes
Allow
Allow
Allow
Delete Subfolders and Files
Allow
Delete
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Allow
Read Permissions
Allow
SP
User
Allow
Change Permissions
Take Ownership
January 15, 2007
36
Key Concept: Permissions 101
This is written for the SurveyPro user, so if there are any hitches in your server setup you’ll have a basic
understanding of the conversation between your server administrator and Apian Tech Support.
When you use your personal computer, whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re interacting with Windows
permissions. For example, in order to install software on your computer, you have to be logged in as a user
who has Administrator rights. If you use a network printer, it has been shared to give you permission to print
to it. When you access a common data drive, someone has configured the file permissions so that you can
access all the folders you need to do your work, but not allow you to access sensitive information such as
salaries. Web server permissions are no different than these situations you already deal with every day.
The goal for setting permissions is to allow the absolute minimum access to any user or application (such as
the NetCollect scripts). When this is done properly, it’s transparent, because a user only sees “permission
denied” when they wander where they shouldn’t. Setting these limited permissions can be complex, and
sometimes administrators opt instead to allow broader access to users. While allowing broader access
makes administration easier, it also leaves a system vulnerable to tampering. On your home system or within
a small company network this may not be an issue, but on a Web server an open system is an invitation to
hackers.
On a Windows Web server, permissions are set using three elements:
Users and Groups of Users
When you upload files to your Web server via a LAN or FTP, you’re identifying yourself as an individual
user. In addition to user accounts which represent individuals, programs such as the NetCollect scripts
run on servers under their own user accounts. When you browse to a public Web site, you arrive as an
anonymous user. The Web server is frequently configured so that when a visitor comes to a site and
doesn’t log in, the Web site will operate under a “Web Anonymous” account with very limited rights.
Generally users are placed in Groups based on a common class of permissions, such as Marketing,
Accounting or [server] Administrators. This way, when you assign file and folder permissions, you only
have to do so once for a group, and then as individual users come and go, you simply add and remove
them from the appropriate groups.
File and Folder Permissions
Once a user account or group is defined, folder and file level permissions can be assigned to it. A
NetCollect user will typically be given permission to Read (download) and Write (upload) to the folders
where they will be posting surveys and collecting data. There are many nuances to these settings, which
is why our installation recommends following our instructions exactly. By default, files and folders in
Windows “inherit” permissions. This means that if you have a folder called “surveydata” on your Web
server, such as “http://yoursite.com/surveydata/,” during the initial server setup you can give the
account running the NetCollect scripts permission to Write respondent data to that folder. Then when
you have an individual survey project, you create a sub-folder such as “/surveydata/hr2005/” and it will
automatically inherit the same Write permissions from the folder above it.
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Key Concept: Permissions 101
IIS Permissions
Internet Information Services is the Web server software that will be delivering pages and surveys to your
Web site visitors. In addition to telling the Windows file/folder system that a user may need to write to a
folder, you will need to turn on Write permissions for a folder within the IIS site definition. By default, all
Web site folders are Read only to protect your server.
Server Paths for the SurveyPro User
When a SurveyPro user publishes their survey, they need to first define a
target Web server, and then in another screen they set sub-folder and file
names for that particular survey. The dialog they’ll fill out for the target
Web server is this:
As you sort out these fields, use the LAN or FTP “Server Crib Sheet”
Word document (see page 27) to record the values and send them to your
SurveyPro user.
As you provide this information to the SurveyPro user, the perspective of
each field is a critical factor. There are a few general controls on this dia-
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log, and then 6 blanks which represent several different perspectives of
the Content and Project roots. The Content root is the path (which may be
the domain root) under which individual survey folders will be posted—
the pages to which respondents will browse. The Project root is the folder
which has Write permissions set, under which individual survey data folders will inherit permissions. See page 29.
Remember that this dialog is the generic server information for all the
SurveyPro user’s surveys. This means you should not be including any
folders here which are specific to just one survey project—everything
should be at a level above that.
Revision of server
application installed
The scripts on the server need to match the version of SurveyPro/NetCollect publishing the surveys. See Script Versions on page 28.
Web server
Let your user know whether they will be uploading and downloading via
UNC paths over a LAN or VPN, or by FTP.
Respondent’s Browser Site URL
These three fields are pieces of URLs from the perspective of a site visitor’s browser.
Web Root http or https
Simply the base domain for respondents going to the surveys. Any legal
URL is allowed, including IP addresses and special ports. Do not include
any subfolders in this field.
Survey Contents Node SubURL
If you have configured the server so that the SurveyPro users will put all
their surveys under a folder, then this field will contain the folder(s) below
the domain root, including the survey content root folder but not including any project-specific folders below that. If users are allowed to post
surveys in the domain root, then this will be blank.
Library Script Virtual SubURL
Again, this is the folder path below the root where the NetCollect ASP
library scripts reside. Because multiple script versions can reside in one
folder, it’s best to leave this as shared NetCollect script location, rather
than creating a folder specific to each version.
Script File References on Server
This is our second perspective. When you are logged into the server
locally (or via Terminal Services), what are the paths you see in Windows
Explorer? These are used by the DLLs so they need to be the drive d:\ or
UNC \\servername\ paths, not IIS virtual folder paths.
Survey Contents Node
Absolute Path
Start with the root of the Web site, and then add any sub-folders you specified in the Survey Contents Node Sub-URL.
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Project Data Node
Absolute Path
This is the full UNC path to the folder which has been set up with the
required read/write permissions. This can be a path to another server if
you’re running a separate data box, such as when you’re using load balanced front-end servers. Any UNC path is acceptable, including ones
based on IPs.
File Transfer Upload/Download
Our final perspective is the SurveyPro user’s, and is dependent on
whether they’re using LAN shares or FTP to connect. When SurveyPro
publishes the survey files, it needs to create folders under both the Content and Project roots on the remote server(s), and then upload the ASP
and configuration files.
Local/LAN Disk
configurations
These are the UNC or mapped drive paths from the SurveyPro user’s
desktop to the Content and Project roots (which may be on different servers). If you have multiple SurveyPro users whose drive mappings differ,
you can provide them with the UNC path on the crib sheet. At the same
time, if you play musical servers but have good drive mapping standards
to maintain paths, then that mapping would be the more stable reference.
FTP configurations
Once the SurveyPro user has connected to the FTP server, these are the
subfolders which correspond to the Content and Project roots. The
SurveyPro user can Browse to these folders once they’ve entered their
FTP server information and Connected.
Set FTP Connect
If the Web server type is Remote FTP, the Set FTP Connect button will
appear at the bottom of their Web Site Definition dialog. Clicking the button brings up these settings:
Server definitions are saved as part of an individual user’s Windows profile, so saving the password in a Web Site Definition does not embed that
value in SurveyPro data files.
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SurveyPro’s FTP assumes the server is using port 21. If your server is
using a custom port or requires encryption, your user will need to use a
third party FTP application such as WS_FTP Pro.
Testing the Server Installation
Sometimes the SurveyPro software is ordered and installed a while before
the first real project. Rather than wait for that acid test (at which time the
free support period may have run out), we recommend installing and testing immediately.
Using the DLL Test Script
One of the ASP library scripts installed on the Web server is called
DllTest_[version].asp. Using a browser, load that page in the CGI
folder you used during installation:
This is a simple test verifying the presence of the DLLs and that their permissions are correct. Once it comes back with a “Test successful” message, continue with the next testing step to make sure the Content and
Project roots have the proper permissions.
404 error
Check your paths in the URL you typed against what you see in the IIS
console for where the file resides.
403 or 500 error
Check the IIS and NTFS permissions tables on page 35.
DLL Install Test reports an
error
Try restarting IIS. Note this will briefly interrupt all Web traffic, so you
may want to do it after hours.
If the test still fails, contact Apian Technical Support.
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Running a Test Survey
To fully test the setup, the SurveyPro user should:
•
Define the Web server
•
Set sub-folders and files for this survey
•
Use the built-in SurveyPro upload function
•
Run the Web-based Control Panel to set up the files
•
Complete the survey at least once
•
Download and import data using the built-in SurveyPro functions
These steps are all in a tutorial in Chapter 18, so if they run that they’ll be
set. Completing this full project cycle will verify the paths and permissions
are correct both from the SurveyPro user’s and Web server’s perspective.
If you encounter problems, there’s also a Troubleshooting guide. It’s
designed to be used during Technical Support conference calls, but you
may find it useful on your own as a slightly different perspective.
That finishes configuration of a production Web server. The following section on Personal Web Server is purely for testing by the SurveyPro user.
Installing a Test Web Server on Your Local System
If you have Windows 2000 or XP Professional (rather than Home edition),
you can install a copy of the Windows Web server on your local system.
This is very handy if you:
•
Don’t have direct access to your production (live) Web servers, and
have to ask someone to post your surveys each time they change
•
Want to confirm that a problem you’re encountering on your
production server is due to an issue on that particular server and not
part of your survey design
•
Want to try advanced features involving database connections or
multiple surveys in one data folder, which are not enabled on
QuestionWeb
•
Need a test system which works without an Internet connection
The instructions here just walk you through what NetCollect needs to run.
If you’d like to tinker more, Microsoft publishes “Pocket Consultant”
guides for IIS which address the most common questions. IIS 6 is the version in Windows XP, and IIS 5 in Windows 2000.
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Important
These instructions are to set up a testing Web site accessed by you on your
local system. If instead you plan to run real Web surveys from your local
computer, use the installation instructions earlier in this chapter for a production server.
Mozilla Firefox Users
Firefox sometimes has a problem resolving the http://localhost/ URL
used by a local Web server, generating a faux 500 server error. If you get
this error, try updating Firefox or using Internet Explorer for localhost
access before you conclude you do in fact have a legitimate server error.
Firefox is fully compatible with both the preview in browser mode of
SurveyPro and with surveys running on Web servers that are not localhost.
Adding the IIS Windows Component
The following steps are based on a default Windows installation which
hides many administrative functions of the operating system. It’s possible
that your installation already has one or more of these changes in place, in
which case just skip ahead to the next step.
In some cases Windows XP and Windows 2000 have slightly different settings, but this will be highlighted either at the section level or for an individual step.
Show Administrative Tools (Windows XP)
1. Right click on your Windows Start button and select Properties.
2. Select the Start Menu tab and click Customize.
XP style menu users:
3. Select the Advanced tab. In the list of Start menu items, scroll to the end
where you’ll find System Administrative Tools and select one of the two
Display options if they’re not already selected.
Classic style menu users:
3. At the top of the list of options, check Display Administrative Tools.
4. Click OK to save your settings.
Show Administrative Tools (Windows 2000)
1. Start, Settings, Taskbar and Start Menu.
2. Select the Advanced tab.
3. At the top of the list of options, check Display Administrative Tools.
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Installing the IIS Server
Now that Administrative tools are turned on, we can check to see if the
Web server is installed.
1. Start menu, Programs, Administrative Tools.
2. If Internet Information Services is already in the list, skip ahead to the script
installation on page 44. If it’s not there, continue here.
3. Insert your Windows system CD, and when the splash screen comes up, select
Install Optional Windows Components.
4. In the list of Windows Components, check Internet Information Services (IIS)
and click Next.
5. When the installation is complete, click Finish and you can eject your system
CD.
Installing the Scripts for a Test Server
When you installed SurveyPro 4.0 on your desktop, the installation copied
a file called InstallNetCollectServer[version].EXE to your system.
This is the program you need to run to set up your local Web server. Note:
You can install the NetCollect scripts on multiple servers even if you have
a Single User license of SurveyPro and NetCollect.
The default path where this file is placed is:
C:\Program Files\Apian Software\SurveyPro 40\Web Server Install\ASP\
1. Double-click on InstallNetCollectServer[version].EXE.
2. Click Next past the splash screen.
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3. Enter your SurveyPro serial number. If you’ve misplaced it, launch SurveyPro
and go to Help, About, and jot down the one starting with “SP4-”
4. Review the license agreement, indicate you Agree, then click Next.
This next screen is the destination for the DLLs:
5. In almost all cases, the default path is fine, but if needed change the path
and click Next.
In addition to the DLLs, the installer needs to copy some ASP scripts to a
folder within your Web site. This screen starts with a sub-folder on your
default IIS path.
6. Click Browse and confirm that your system has IIS at c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\ as
in the screen below:
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If your screen does not have at least these folders (it’s OK to have subfolders), then your installation has been modified. If you weren’t the one setting up IIS, you should probably Cancel the installation at this point and
speak to your company Help Desk about your setup.
7. Assuming the folders were there, click OK to close the Browse dialog, and
Next to continue the installation.
8. Click Next again to copy the files, and then Finish to close the installer.
Adding a Data Folder
By default, folders under IIS are read only. We want to create a “root” data
folder for our surveys so we don’t have to set permissions every time we
publish a survey. An easy system on test servers is to name folders by
their function.
1. Launch Windows Explorer through Start, Programs, Accessories or My
Computer.
2. Create a folder under wwwroot called “ReadWrite”
Windows 2000 users, skip ahead to Defining Localhost Server Paths on
page 48.
Windows XP users, continue. While you have full control of your system, IIS isn’t actually running as you. It’s using a different user account,
and we need to give that user permission to write data. Actually, we’re
going to take a shortcut and give all users of your desktop the ability to
write in that folder, which is part of why this section is about setting up a
test system, not a production server. If you want to set the minimum permissions, follow the procedures for a regular server setup.
1. In Windows Explorer, Tools menu, Folder Options.
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2. On the View tab, scroll to the very end of the list. Check Use simple file
sharing if it’s not on already.
3. Click OK to close the Options dialog.
4. Right click on the ReadWrite folder you just created and select Properties.
5. Select the Web Sharing tab.
6. Select Share this folder.
7. In the dialog that pops up, select Write. Click OK on the security warning.
8. Click OK to save the new permissions. If you get a message about the share
name being in use, change the Alias slightly such as making it “ncreadwrite.”
9. Click OK again to close the Properties dialog.
And now your desktop or laptop is a test Web server!
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Defining Localhost Server Paths
When you’re ready to publish a survey to your local system, you’ll need to
define a Web server within SurveyPro. These are the settings you’ll need if
you used the defaults in these instructions:
Be sure to click the Test URLs button to make sure everything is OK.
And now you’re ready to go! For a walk-through of the Publish process,
see the tutorial on page 295.
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Server Load for High Volume Surveys
What constitutes high volume? There are two ways to generate high load
on a survey. The first is to simply have a lot of visitors all the time, such as
on a large e-commerce site or a large company’s intranet. The second
method is to generate artificial spikes in visitors. The most common
approach for surveys is sending e-mail invitations, but any event such as a
television broadcast or trade show can generate surges of visitors. Generally e-mail drops produce an immediate response which sharply falls off in
the next 24-48 hours. Sending e-mails in batches or even simply sending
them in the middle of the night (rather than at 9:30am when all your
employees are at their desks) helps manage the inbound traffic.
In contemplating the load on your surveys, you need to think in terms of
how many respondents you need to handle per minute. Shorter durations
such as two respondents in 1/100th of a second are handled by the
scripts. Longer durations, such as an hour, are a useful reference point but
don’t represent how NetCollect handles arriving respondents.
This section will help you understand what NetCollect is doing behind the
scenes, so you can better assess whether your surveys are high load, and
how to check on the performance of your servers.
CPU Management
The NetCollect system uses flat files instead of databases, both to minimize server system requirements by making SQL optional, and because
some C++ tricks let us read and write very quickly to them. However, IIS
tends to be fairly simple minded when two script instances attempt to
access the same file at once. Normally when this file contention happens,
IIS will hang on to the CPU for all the scripts trying this and jam up the
system. Instead of letting this happen, NetCollect forces IIS to let loose of
the CPU and then retries in a few milliseconds, keeping traffic moving.
These retry requests are logged.
There are also a couple system intensive maintenance routines, such as
merging the abandoned survey sessions into a data file (high volume surveys may generate over ten thousand). When NetCollect is running these
administrative functions, it restricts the amount of CPU used to ~25% so
you don’t have to worry about it impacting survey respondents or other
processes.
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Handling Inbound Respondents
One of the worst things for a server administrator to hear is “Oops, we
sent all 100,000 e-mails at once” because once they’re out there, it’s
impossible to keep people from trying to hit the server. This is why the
first thing NetCollect’s scripts do is check how many people are taking a
particular survey, and if necessary, lock out new entrants. Because this
function is most critical in high load situations, it was designed to access a
minimal number of files and CPU cycles.
Each time a respondent clicks Next on a survey page, the scripts have to
handle the request. Some surveys will have 2 pages, some have 30 or
more. By default, NetCollect surveys publish with a capacity limit of 500
pages per minute. So if a survey is 10 pages long, NetCollect will allow 50
respondents to start the survey in a rolling 60 second period. The 51st
person trying to start the survey in a minute will get a “try back later”
message. Respondents resuming a paused survey are always allowed in.
Both the overall limit of 500 pages per minute and the number of pages
per respondent may be adjusted in each survey’s Control Panel, which is
NetCollect’s Web-based admin utility. Direct your SurveyPro users to the
Advanced Options, Server Load Protection page (see page 329).
Depending on your server capacity, you may want to establish a higher or
lower pages/minute limit that you tell your SurveyPro users to use. Or
you may want to adjust the limit up or down for individual surveys which
are particularly straightforward or system intensive (SQL connections,
lots of field checks that can produce page reloads, etc.).
While NetCollect knows the number of HTML pages it publishes for each
questionnaire and uses that as the default for surveys, in some cases that
value isn’t very representative of actual server load. If a survey is very
skip/branch intensive, then typical respondents may only complete 10
pages of a 50 page survey. In those cases, the SurveyPro user can adjust
the Typical Survey Pages setting to a lower value without jeopardizing
performance.
NetCollect File Reads and Writes
NetCollect’s scripts use the best practices possible for fast file opens,
reads, and writes. If you have concerns about whether a particularly large
file is slowing performance, the best way to discover the impact is to run
an experiment. Go through the survey a few times with the full copy of the
pipe or other file. Then try completing it another few times with an abbreviated source file. Note differences in the execution times recorded in the
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log, and if necessary, adjust the throttle limit to reflect the heavier hit on
the pages which do the piping (not all survey pages would be impacted).
In many cases, you may be surprised at the execution times—for example
the PIN password files are structured to allow binary searches, letting a
million values be used almost as efficiently as a thousand.
With the occasional exception of piping pages, the first and last pages of a
survey will be the most system intensive because initiating and closing a
respondent session involves more files and modules than middle survey
pages.
Adding Capacity
In some cases, the SurveyPro user may say 500 pages per minute just isn’t
enough. The best way to handle this is to use a higher performance box,
either by upgrading the entire system or by adding processors.
You can also look at load-balanced front-end servers, but keep in mind
that all respondents to a particular survey need to be writing to the same
data folder. This also only solves the problem of high CPU usage on the
IIS server, so if you’re seeing lots of file retries being recorded, this will
only exacerbate the problem.
If you are seeing lots of file retries, you can look into faster data writes,
either by going for a higher performance hard drive or by upgrading any
LAN connections between the IIS server and where data is being written.
Also to address frequent file retries, you can “clone” surveys. This is similar to server mirroring, where a complete copy is made of the survey
project, including a copy of the data folders. In this case, you create a
switcher page that randomly directs respondents to one of the clones, or
you can parse your e-mail list to send respondents to specific clones.
Note: Switcher pages do not work with one-time individual passwords as
the respondents would be able to access each clone one time.
Leave/resume would also be limited to bookmarks with a switcher page,
rather than re-entry with a code.
Checking the Logs and Doing the Math
The IIS logs are of limited use in evaluating survey performance. Instead,
check the NetCollect logs for particular surveys. The main project log will
record execution times for each script request, including file access retries
and any errors. The throttle log will reveal the time and number of respondents at its peak (handy for convincing users that the 500 pages/minute
limit is more then enough).
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When you review the logs, you’ll see page submits in milliseconds. With a
little math, you can translate that to how much server capacity each page
submit is taking.
1. Take at least 4 passes through a survey at the same times respondents will
(not midnight). Find the average time it’s taking to submit pages for the
survey.
2. Say it’s averaging 50 milliseconds to submit a page. There are 60,000
milliseconds in a minute. This translates to a theoretical capacity of 1,200
pages/minute for the survey. Multiply that 1,200 by the number of loadbalanced front-end servers if applicable.
3. Now consider how much of your total processor you want to allot to one
application. If it’s 25%, then the maximum you could set this survey to is 300
pages/minute. Generally you’ll want to keep it under 50%.
The allowed processor is generally a safety cut-off, not a fixed slice of the
pie. For example, on Apian’s servers, if you totalled “allowed maximum”
processor for all the surveys live at any time, you’d be well over 100%.
However, very few of those surveys get near their capacity limit. Of the
ones that do have high volumes, very few are doing so on a sustained
basis. Instead they’re being driven by e-mail invitations which are on staggered schedules—and often staggered time zones.
See Reading the Log Files on page 362 for how to decipher the entries of
both the main Project log and the Throttle log.
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Chapter 4
NetCollect Documents
REFERENCE
All of the basics of adding questions, scales, and instructions are identical
between paper, NetCollect, and DirectCollect documents (see the SurveyPro User Guide for details). Beyond the fundamentals of questions and
tiles, NetCollect questionnaires have some special settings to design the
survey and set how it behaves on your Web server.
This chapter covers some concepts related to Web surveys, as well as an
overview of the dialogs you’ll be working with to set up your NetCollect
documents.
Chapter Contents:
Layouts and the Nature of HTML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Measurements in HTML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Using Graphics on the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Setting Up a NetCollect Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Understanding Margins and Backgrounds in NetCollect . . . . . 58
Document Properties Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
General Tab for Document Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Web Page Tab for Margins and Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . 61
Key Concept: Not Applicable and No Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Buttons Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Header and Footer Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Autonumber Tab for Question Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Web Survey Themes Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Web Survey Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Previewing your Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Adding Hyperlinks to Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Notices, Errors and Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Chapter 4 - NetCollect Documents
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Layouts and the Nature of HTML
While the survey pages you publish will have a .ASP extension, the
aspects which display on a respondent’s screen are all coded in HTML.
(See Key Concept: Essential Terms on page 3.)
The most important thing to understand about HTML is that it is an
interpreted language. This means that while you can say you want a
font displayed at 10 points, the browser will interpret your setting and
may display it slightly differently in Internet Explorer vs. Navigator vs.
Firefox vs. Opera, as well as in Windows vs. Mac. In addition, you never
know if the user has set a preference such as “Large Fonts” which will also
impact the browser’s interpretation of your setting. Other elements out of
your control are the size of the monitor, size of the browser window within
the screen, color calibration of the screen, fonts installed on the system,
and whether the user has JavaScript enabled.
What all this means to you, the designer, is that you need to accept a little
uncertainty in your designs. Unlike paper where you can precisely position each element, with Web surveys you can’t always be sure where text
lines are going to wrap, or whether all the questions will fit on a screen
without scrolling. In most cases, these are not problems, but if you’re
accustomed to designing precise layouts, recognize that you need to start
designing flexible ones instead.
NetCollect helps with some of this. The output conforms to standards that
are supported by the vast majority of browsers (version 4 and later). To
address the problem of varying screen and window sizes, surveys are laid
out within a fixed “body” column that fits most displays. The pre-loaded
themes have been color checked on a variety of monitors. Fonts are published with a “degrading” specification, so even if you pick a typeface the
respondent does not have installed, they will still see a similar style. Also,
all JavaScript published in NetCollect pages is backed up by server-side
scripting that works with any browser or firewall.
Apart from the style issues, you’ll notice some small structural differences
in HTML. For example, your multiple answer scales publish with checkboxes, and single answer scales publish as radio buttons which only allow
a single selection:
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While radio buttons will always let you change an answer, you cannot
completely clear the question after making a selection. If you want to give
your respondents this option, add a Not Applicable radio (see page 63).
For longer single answer scales, you can also use a drop-down or scrollable list for the layout:
Measurements in HTML
You’ll notice your NetCollect surveys have layout options in pixels rather
than inches. This is to be consistent with the screen-based nature of Web
surveys, as well as with how images and spacing are specified in the
browser.
PC screens typically display around 72 or 96 pixels per inch, with common screen resolutions of SVGA at 800 pixels wide x 600 high, XGA at
1024 x 768, and SXGA at 1280 x 1024. The default margin for the survey
body column in NetCollect is 760 pixels, which will fit within a full screen
browser window at 800 x 600 (you have to allow for scroll bars and such).
Note that even if you knew your respondents were using larger monitors,
many people with large displays do not have their browser filling the
whole screen. Also, if you make the survey’s body column too wide, the
lines of text become very long, and your survey becomes hard to read.
Within this user guide, browser screens were sized to 800 pixels wide
before they were captured.
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Fonts
NetCollect will list every font installed on your system, but in most cases
the best results are achieved by using the Best Sans Serif or Best Serif
options. Unlike paper surveys, Web surveys don’t include the fonts you
specify with the pages—they simply reference a name which may or may
not be installed on your respondent’s system. Because of this, Net-Collect
publishes a “degrading” font list in the pages, so if you specify Arial, a Mac
user will see Helvetica or another similar font, rather than a completely
different typeface.
If your organization has a detailed style specification, set the primary
typefaces in your NetCollect Text Style. After publishing the survey, your
designer can modify the survey pages and cascading style sheet (CSS file)
to match your firm’s requirement. The designer should reference the section beginning on page 355 to ensure they leave intact the functions the
NetCollect server engine requires.
Using Graphics on the Web
Your NetCollect surveys can incorporate graphics in several places:
•
As tiled backgrounds to the survey page, either behind the questions
or in the panels to the sides (see page 61)
•
Within the header and footer as logos, accent images or backgrounds
(see page 67)
•
Inserted within the question flow as accents (see your SurveyPro
documentation)
Page Graphics. which you may use on your paper surveys, are not available in NetCollect questionnaires or HTML reports. Graphics tied to coordinates on a page, rather than a point within a text flow, are not
consistently supported by browsers.
For best results with your graphics:
•
Use GIF files for logo or business graphics, and JPEG (JPG) files for
photographs. These formats produce the highest quality image with
smallest file sizes for these types of graphics.
•
Use a graphics program to shrink the image to the final size before
bringing it into SurveyPro. If you import a full screen image and scale
it down to a thumbnail in SurveyPro, the respondent will still have to
download the full screen image when the page loads.
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•
Do not try to scale up images which are not solid blocks of colors
(such as rule lines). Graphic programs will do there best to produce
smooth result, but they can’t create detail from nothing—instead try
to locate a higher resolution source file.
Setting Up a NetCollect Document
There are several dialogs which you’ll use to configure your Web surveys.
In most cases, you can jump around these dialogs and define things in the
order that makes sense to you. The only functions you have to do at the
absolute beginning are setting the document to HTML format and the
type of server scripts—both in the first tab of Document Properties.
Document Properties
This contains document-level layout options, such as the page margins,
background colors, button style, and headers and footers. It’s also where
you can set up question numbering for your survey. In general, if you
don’t find a layout option within an individual question or grid tile, try
Document Properties. See page 59.
Web Survey Themes
This dialog is accessed from the first tab of Document Properties. It
allows you to set the header, footer, backgrounds, and button styles all at
once using a pre-designed “theme.” See page 74.
Page List
Since an individual page can be any length on the Web, and because of
the way skips and branches send respondents to future pages (rather than
to specific questions), pages in NetCollect are more like objects than with
paper. Use this dialog to add new pages, delete pages, break pages, and
set properties such as whether to include the header. The Page List dialog
is also where you set messages for pause and error pages. See page 102.
Skips and Branches
Once you’ve created your questions and defined the pages in a survey,
you can set skips and branching so respondents bypass sections which
don’t apply to them. See page 99.
Web Survey Setup
While Document Properties contains layout elements, Web Survey Setup
is where to go for functional aspects of your survey. This includes the
password login setup (see page 152), answer tests for required fields or
formatting (see page 134), links to outside data (see page 187), real-time
server reports (see page 251), and paths for your Web servers and for this
individual survey (see page 275).
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57
Understanding Margins and Backgrounds in NetCollect
When you visit a Web page, you’ll often see a banner graphic that goes to
the very top of a browser screen and across the entire text column. Below
that, you’ll have the main body of the page, which has side and top margins. To allow this type of layout, there are several different margins for
the survey page and for elements such as headers and buttons.
Controls for these margins and backgrounds are located in the following
dialogs:
To Set
Go To
Screen Settings
Survey Settings
Document Properties Web Page tab (see page 61)
Header
Document Properties Header tab (see page 67)
Footer
Document Properties Footer tab (see page 67)
Buttons
Login dialog Layout Tab (see page 167)
Both the headers and footers are made up of several building blocks, each
of which has its own spacing. Individual question or graphic tiles within
the body of the survey also have settings for space above and indentation.
Another way to understand the margins is to apply some of the themes to
a survey, and see what settings are used to produce the layout.
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58
Survey page elements and margins
Note that this diagram exaggerates the margins. See also the description
of the header and footer blocks on page 67.
Document Properties Dialog
To access the Web layout options:
1. Document menu, Properties dialog
2. Set Questionnaire Medium to HTML for NetCollect
3. Type a Web page title (visible to respondents)
After you switch the survey type, the controls on the main screen and the
tabs will change.
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General Tab for Document Type
Document Name
If your project only has one questionnaire document, you can leave this as
the default, but if your SP4 file contains several survey versions, a descriptive name is very helpful (versus “Copy of Copy of Questionnaire”). The
name only appears within SurveyPro, such as on the tabs at the bottom of
the design screen and in the Form Select Filter dialog, so as with other
named objects, shorter labels are often better.
Questionnaire Medium
Switches the document to the HTML format, turning on the Web-specific
options. While you can change a survey back and forth between media,
certain layout settings are lost when you switch, so you’re better off copying the questionnaire document and having one document per medium.
Target script system
Your surveys should be using the ASP scripts as they support features
such as enhanced layouts, pause/resume, username+password logins,
and piping. If your server administrator has said to use Perl instead, you
may want to investigate upgrading your server setup or using QuestionWeb. This guide does not cover the Perl scripts as they run off the NetCollect 3.0 feature set.
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Web page title
Use this field to type the survey name respondents will see. In addition to
being visible in the browser title bar, it is also inserted in the default notice
text for errors and information.
Edit Login Setup
Jumps to the login setup dialog, which is covered beginning on page 152.
Apply Theme
Applies a set of layout options for colors, buttons, and margins, overwriting any existing settings in your header, footer, and backgrounds. See
page 74.
Web Page Tab for Margins and Backgrounds
Use this tab to set document-wide preferences for backgrounds, margins,
and colors.
See the explanation of margins and backgrounds on page 58 for help
understanding these controls.
Screen Background:
Color selection
The Screen Background color is visible to the sides of the survey “body”
which contains the tiles. It may also be visible at the bottom of the page
when you only have a couple questions on a screen. This can be a solid
color, or an image tiled (repeated) across the page.
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Screen Background:
Top space
Sets the gap between the top of the browser window and the main survey
body. This gap will have the same color as the Screen Background, and
may be set to “0” pixels.
Survey Background:
Color selection
The Survey Background can be transparent to show the Screen Background behind or have its own color or image. In general, a light, solid
color is best as images or strong colors make it more difficult for respondents to read the questions.
Survey Background:
Survey width
This is a fixed “page” width for the question and graphic tiles in your survey. Because you can’t be sure whether the respondent will have a
browser window 800 pixels wide or 1280+ pixels wide, it can be difficult
to design Web pages which display consistently (see Layouts and the
Nature of HTML on page 54). Designers frequently deal with this problem
by fixing a column width for the page’s contents and letting any space
beyond that be empty. NetCollect defaults to 760 pixels wide for this column to fit within 600x800 screen resolutions without a horizontal scroll
bar.
Survey Background:
Side, Top, Bottom spaces
You can think of the Survey Background as a piece of paper you’re filling
with questions. That paper lies on top of a larger desktop which is often a
contrasting color (the Screen Background). Within the Survey Background color, you can set margins for the top (above any Header tiles),
sides, or bottom (below the Footer). These margins are only really noticeable if you have different colored Screen and Survey Backgrounds.
Survey Background:
Position
Aligns the column of questions to the left edge of the browser window or
centers them within the window.
Grid Band Tints
If you choose the alternating tinted bands style for your question grids
(within the Grid dialog), these are the colors used throughout the document. The tinted bands generally make it easier for respondents to match
up the correct set of radio buttons with each rating item.
Online notice colors
As a respondent completes a survey, they may resume a paused survey,
skip a required answer, or mis-type a password. These actions produce
information and error messages which are inserted into the survey pages.
In general, you want these messages to stand out from the rest of your
survey design, so if you’re using a lot of red or blue in the survey text, you
may want to select other colors. See the summary of where to locate
assorted messages to customize their text on page 81.
Other Blank
When you mark “Add Other Blank” on your scale definition, SurveyPro
automatically adds another checkbox or radio button with a type-in box.
You can change or translate the label used by SurveyPro for this blank.
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Combo Select
When a scale is laid out as a drop-down list (see example on page 55), the
value which initially appears to respondents in the closed list is not the
first item of the scale. Instead, NetCollect uses a placeholder value which
is equivalent to a missing response. Use this field to customize or translate
that label—you can also leave it blank if you prefer no text show.
Explicit No Answer N/A
Sets the label for both the document level and scale level N/As. When
you are primarily using the document level “reset” form, then you may
want to change the label to something more descriptive such as “Clear
Answer.” Similarly, the scale level N/A can be used as a “None of the
above” or “Not applicable” option in a survey, so you may want to set the
level to reflect that function.
Always add N/A radio
button so respondent can
clear
This sets whether your questions will automatically add the document
level N/A radio button. When enabled, it will appear on all single answer
scales in grids and questions which are laid out with radio buttons (as
opposed to drop-down lists). You can override the Document Properties
setting for individual questions tiles, either to turn on or off the N/A, but
grids always follow the setting you make in Document Properties.
Key Concept: Not Applicable and No Answer
So what are the differences between “N/A” in a scale definition and “N/A” in the HTML Document Properties?
Scale = Not Applicable
Sometimes you’ll want to add a “None of the above” or “Not applicable” option to a scale. You can
always do this by manually typing another label, but using the scale’s NA option (right by the Other blank
option) has a couple advantages. Like the Other blank, NetCollect knows this is a special item so it:
•
Doesn’t include the NA in mean calculations of ordered scales, so an Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor/NA
scale would only calculate the mean using the answers to boxes 1-4 (this can also be done manually
with Rescales).
•
Places the NA radio button or checkbox below the Other blank, which is the natural position for this
answer choice. It will always appear in this position even if you’re randomizing the scale items.
•
Adds an answer check to the question, so if you have a multiple answer checkbox scale, when
someone marks NA it will clear any other boxes they marked.
The scale NA is retained as an answer choice in your survey data, just like all the other answers
respondents can choose, so you can include it in frequency distributions, filters and cross-tabs. You can
also use a Rescale to drop it from your analysis.
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Key Concept: Not Applicable and No Answer
Document = No Answer
In HTML, you can freely turn on and off checkboxes and NetCollect adds an “empty” item at the top of
drop-down lists, but while you can change a radio button answer, you can’t clear them. The Document
Properties option to “Always add N/A radio button so respondent can clear” adds a radio button to each
single answer question. Unlike the scale’s NA which is retained as a specific response, the Document
Properties radio for clearing answers is equivalent to a missing response. When the data is received by
SurveyPro, it will not distinguish between someone who clicked that radio and someone who never
selected an answer at all.
On the Advanced Options tab of an individual question dialog, you can override the document-level
setting to include or hide the NA radio button.
Buttons Tab
Web surveys use buttons when they submit respondent answers and a
processing request to the server. In NetCollect, the processing requests
take the form of Start, Next, Back, and Finish Later buttons. You have
three options for your survey’s “buttons”:
Browser button labels
In this case, NetCollect simply tells the Web browser “make a button with
this label.” This button style has two advantages: they can be easily customized including to other languages, and respondents are accustomed to
recognizing browser buttons.
NetCollect’s graphical
buttons
Web pages also recognize graphics which are identified as buttons. Several button sets are included with NetCollect and are used by some of the
Themes. While you can customize the mouse hover text on graphical buttons, the images themselves cannot be modified from within NetCollect.
Custom graphical buttons
If you have a Web designer, they can create custom button sets for your
projects. All they have to do is follow the naming rules on page 359 and
place a copy of the files in the Web Images folder under your SurveyPro
installation.
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Dialog controls
When you’re using the standard browser buttons, the dialog lets you type
the labels that will appear on each button. When you’re using graphical
buttons, those type-in fields let you add descriptions which appear as
hints when respondents hover their mouse pointer over buttons. Even if
you don’t want to have longer descriptions on mouse hover, you should
have some sort of label in those fields for accessibility purposes.
The Buttons tab always displays the full button set, even though some
Login types and survey layouts do not use all the buttons. Buttons are
clustered by First Login Page, Middle Pages, and Last Page as these often
have distinct labels. The Pause Page appears when respondents request a
pause by clicking Finish Later. The Returning Page appears when respondents enter a resume code for a survey or bring up a bookmark for a survey in progress.
See also the Login dialog’s Layout tab on page 167 for button arrangements and border lines, and Key Concept: Types of Pages on page 101 for
explanations of Welcome vs. Finishing vs. Pause pages.
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Button Style
Select either the Browser button labels or one of the graphical button sets.
NetCollect will list any complete button sets which use the proper naming
convention and are placed in the Web Images folder.
First Login Page Labels:
Start New
Most questionnaires have a “welcome” page which provides instructions
and asks for a password if required. Often this page has a distinct “Start”
button reflecting the respondent is beginning a new survey. If your first
survey page has questions on it instead of just instructions, you may want
to change this label to “Next” for multi-page surveys, or “Submit” for single page surveys.
Middle & Last Page Labels:
Next Page / Last Page /
Finished / Pause
These are all the same function to the scripts. They send the current
page’s data to be processed and request another page in the survey. In
multi-page surveys, you’ll often want to have distinct labels on the “middle” survey pages from the final page(s) where respondents are completing their response.
First Login Page Labels:
Continued
When your login uses the 5-digit server-issued return IDs, the first page of
the survey will allow respondents to start new surveys and to continue
surveys in progress. This is the button which appears under the resume
code entry field.
Pause Page Label: Continue On the pause page, respondents have the option of continuing their survey in that moment rather than using a bookmark or resume code to take
a break.
Returning Page Labels:
Resume
When a respondent loads a bookmark for a paused survey, they see a
Resume page which indicates whether there is a survey in progress for
that URL or if that session was marked as completed or expired. Depending on your login type, the respondent may be prompted for a password
or server issued return ID, or simply prompted to click a button to
Resume.
Returning Page Labels:
New Survey
Sometimes respondents forward URLs which include a session identifier.
In this case, the respondent may see the Resume page when they personally have yet to start a survey. This is why the Resume page includes a
button giving respondents the option of starting a new survey session.
Report Display Label:
Display
When you define instant reports, you’ll often have an access page listing
the reports available and prompting for a password. This button submits
that selection and password to display a report. See page 251.
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Header and Footer Tabs
While the headers and footers for paper surveys are limited to text, the
NetCollect ones allow you to include graphics as well. They have their
own margins, so you can do the banner style headings that go right to the
top of a browser window. Or, if your organization has standard heading
code, you can paste it straight into the dialog and NetCollect will include
it in the final HTML pages.
The sections on HTML measurements (see page 55) and margins (see
page 58) are very helpful for understanding how headers and footers are
placed within a NetCollect document.
In both Headers and Footers, you’ll use up to 4 “cells” to arrange graphics
and text. Each cell has its own width, “padding” margins and background
colors. Within each of those cells, you can include a graphic or text, and
align that element vertically and horizontally. The overall header or footer
section also has a background and optional spacing above, between cells,
and below which lets that background show through. Headers let you add
a line below their cells, and footers let you add one above.
Very few headers or footers use all 4 cells and all the margin settings—
most arrangements are simpler. When in doubt about where some of the
margins and backgrounds begin and end, the simplest approach is to
experiment. To edit a header or footer, just double-click on it in the survey
page. The Themes are a quick way to pre-load a header for playing
around (see page 74).
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How NetCollect determines cell sizes
Remember that these are instructions for the individual browser, not exact
specifications. Use Preview in Browser to peek at how some browsers are
interpreting the settings.
•
Overall, cell sizes are the contents + whatever padding is specified.
•
The height of the full-width cell is contents + top/bottom padding.
•
In the 3-cell row, NetCollect first blocks out any cells where you
specify a width. Then it allocates the remaining survey width to the
other cell(s), wrapping text to minimize the row height.
•
The height of the second row (containing left/middle/right cells) is
based on the tallest cell used, once their contents + padding are
added together.
Important:
When you apply a Theme to your survey, anything
you’ve set in the header or footer will be replaced by
the theme. It’s best to apply Themes first and then
adjust the layout to your taste rather than the
reverse.
Shared Header and Footer Controls
Most of the dialog elements are the same for both Headers and Footers,
so they’re covered together here. If a control only applies to one type, its
explanation will start with “Headers:” or “Footers:”.
To add a Header (or Footer) 1. Document menu, Properties dialog
2. Select the Header tab and change the Contents to Text and/or images.
3. Click on any of the cells to begin adding elements in their detail dialogs.
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Contents
Use these options to select the type of header or footer you’d like to use.
Select None to go directly into the survey’s questions. Use Text and/or
images to build a custom header or footer which will appear on both the
survey pages and special pages for pausing and resuming. Or, if your firm
has “boilerplate” designs for your sites, you can directly paste in the
HTML code. Note: You can turn off the Header or Footer on individual
pages using the Page Properties dialog on page 103.
The remaining controls are only available with Text and/or images
selected. If all you want is a progress bar, you can create a header with all
the cells empty.
Background: Color selection Sets the color or tiled image behind the entire header or footer region.
This will show in any space you add above, between or below the cell
rows. It will also show behind the text or graphic in cells whose background you leave as Transparent. The progress bar and page number will
show the header/footer background if they’re placed in the right cell;
when placed below the cells they appear on top of the survey background.
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Background: Space above / Within the larger block of the header/footer, you can add bands of spacing. These bands let the header or footer background show through. You
Between / Below cells
can also increase the height of a particular cell by increasing its padding.
All measurements are in pixels.
Line at top/bottom edge
Places a line on the edge of the header/footer block to separate it from
your questions. This is adjacent to the header/footer background color if
you are adding space next to the cells, or to the closest cell row’s contents.
You can set both the color and weight (thickness) of the line.
Space under header
Space above footer
This sets the gap between the header (including progress bar) or footer
and your survey questions. The Survey Background will show in the gap.
Full-width / Left / Middle /
Right Cells
These build a header by stacking cells. The cells do not have to be filled,
and the three in cells in the second row do not have to be equally spaced.
See the next section for individual cell properties.
Headers: Progress Bar
Progress bars let respondents know where they are in a survey, encouraging them to hang in a little longer rather than abandon a questionnaire
mid-way through. The percentage shown on each page is calculated by
the number of pages completed before a respondent arrives at the page.
As with the button sets, this list includes any images which follow the
proper naming convention (see page 359). You can turn off the progress
bar or modify the percentage it shows on a given page through the Page
Properties dialog (see page 103). Adjusting the percentage to something
which “feels” correct to respondents is most important when you have
skips or pages of uneven lengths. The progress bar label appears to the
left of the graphic. You can place the progress bar within the lower-right
header cell or below the block of header cells. When placed below, it will
be on top of the survey background, not the header background.
Footers: Page Number
Displays the NetCollect page number in a light gray color and small type.
Unlike the progress bar which is an indicator for the respondent, this is a
helpful tool for the tester—especially when testing a survey with many
skips and branches. Page numbers can be placed inside the right cell or
below the footer, in which case they display on top of the survey background rather than the footer background.
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Properties within Header and Footer Cells
Many of the controls are the same whether a cell contains text or a
graphic. At the bottom of the dialog is a reminder about the survey width,
as the headers and footers fit within that setting.
Contents
Use the Clear cell setting to empty a cell you no longer want to use (not
all cells have to be filled). Otherwise, select Text to type headings or Picture to use a logo or decorative graphic.
Background
You can set a background color for this particular cell if you like. Otherwise, if it’s left on Transparent you’ll see the next color layer which has
been set, which could be the Header/Footer Background, Survey Background, or Screen Background (in that order).
Text: Text Style
Sets the style to be used for this cell. As with other Text Styles, editing a
definition in this dialog will update all uses of the style.
Text: Typing Area
When typing here, the Text Palette will pop up to let you override the
color or size of a few words or to insert a special character. If you want to
change the style of the entire text block, it’s better to add or edit a Text
Style. While the typing area will reflect some character-level overrides, it
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is not a preview of the full text style. You can add line breaks as needed to
control where the text wraps (may also require a Width setting).
Picture:
File button and Preview
Click the File button to browse for a picture. The graphic can reside anywhere on your system as SurveyPro will grab a copy of the file during
Publish and upload it with the survey pages. Once you select a picture,
NetCollect will display its dimensions at the top of the preview window,
which is helpful if you’re resizing the image. If you do adjust the scale, the
preview windows will display the resized graphic. See also Using Graphics
on the Web on page 56.
Width
With text, the Width sets the length of the cell including padding, which
allows you to have unequally sized Left/Center/Right cells and override
NetCollect’s automatic cell sizing (see page 68).
For Pictures, the Width setting determines the size of the graphic itself.
The overall cell size is the picture size plus any cell padding. If you want to
make the cell significantly wider than the image, just use generous padding. Uncheck Keep proportions to scale the Height independently of the
Width.
Align Across / Down
Aligns the text or image horizontally and vertically within the cell. This
alignment is after the padding is applied, so if you want an image off-center or are trying to align elements which aren’t symmetrical (such as text
baselines on a logo and typed text), use asymmetrical padding.
Padding to cell edges
Header and footer cells do not pick up any other margins such as the Survey Side Space, which lets you run a graphic right to the edge of the survey width for banner style headers and footers. Below the padding
settings you’ll see the current survey width and side margins (see Understanding Margins and Backgrounds in NetCollect on page 58). If you want
your header or footer text or picture to be aligned with the left edge of
your questions, just set the cell’s padding to match the side margins. You
can also use the padding to fine-tune the alignment of items in different
cells. Values are in pixels and must be positive numbers.
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Autonumber Tab for Question Numbering
There are a few advantages to using SurveyPro’s Autonumber rather than
typing your own values:
•
It “hangs” the number to the left of the question text, just like the
numbered instructions in this guide.
•
Each questionnaire version is numbered independently, so if you have
the same questions on long and short versions of the survey, each will
be numbered properly.
•
Randomized grids will keep the autonumber order even as the rows
are shuffled.
•
If you add or delete questions, it will clean up all the numbering for
you.
•
Unlike manually typed numbers, Autonumbers will not appear in the
default Report labels.
By default, Autonumber “nests” the numbering levels, indenting levels 2
and 3 under level 1 which is a natural layout for sub-question styles.
Changing the indent to “0” lets you apply multiple “top level” numbering
series in a questionnaire, such as 1, 2, 3 in the main questions, but I, II, III
in the demographics.
Note: Surveys with extensive skips and branching should either leave off
numbers or use 1, 2, 2a, 2b, 3, etc. styles. “Missing” question numbers can
confuse or intrigue respondents.
To turn on Autonumber
2. Select the Autonumber tab and select either Standard Choices or Custom
Autnumbering.
3. Fine tune the autonumber level in individual question, grid and text graphic
tiles.
Defining styles is the same as for other document types, with details in the
Help screens and SurveyPro User Guide.
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Web Survey Themes Dialog
With NetCollect, you can apply a Theme to jump-start your Web survey
design. After applying a theme, you can adjust any of the settings as you
like. You’ll need to replace some of the placeholder “your title” text.
Themes will replace any existing settings for:
•
Margins
•
Background colors
•
Button style
•
Header and footer cell contents
Themes will not change:
•
Inline graphic tiles you placed amid your questions
•
Browser button labels or mouse hover prompts
•
Password login and resume settings
•
Any documents other than the one currently selected
•
Definitions of Text Styles
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To apply a Theme
2. Select the General tab and click the Apply Theme button.
3. Pick a theme and click the Apply button.
4. Edit placeholder text added to the Header and Footer tabs.
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Web Survey Setup Dialog
This is a central dialog for many of the NetCollect survey functions. Some
of the features, such as the Login controls and Answer Tests, can be
accessed through other dialogs or toolbar buttons as well. For each of the
features, the main screen will summarize your current settings, and then
you simply click Edit to review them in detail or make changes.
Survey Login Method
This brings up the login dialog to set passwords, edit notices, and adjust
button layouts. See page 158.
Answer Tests
Use answer tests to set required responses and customize error messages.
See page 134.
Online Reports
You can create multiple real-time reports for your survey, with either public access or restricted by passwords. See page 251.
Embedded Operation
Embedded surveys are ones which interact with outside applications or
resources, whether it’s mail invitations embedding a password in the URL,
saving to or reading from ASCII files, SQL databases, or other hand-offs.
See page 187.
Server Configuration
Your server configuration consists of general information about your Web
server, such as the domain www.yoursite.com, as well as details specific
to this survey. See page 275.
Preview Survey
Even if you don’t have a Web server ready, you can preview the layouts on
your computer. See page 77.
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Web Survey Setup Dialog
76
Publish to Server
Once your server configuration is defined, use this button to create the
HTML survey pages and upload your files to your Web server. See page
275.
Advanced Upload
Sometimes you may need to upload just one or two files, not the entire set
of survey pages. See page 290.
Get Latest Data
This button will go out to your Web server, download any new data files,
and import them into your SP4 file. See page 335.
Advanced Download
Lets you selectively pull just a couple files from the Web server as well as
checking the server log. See page 337.
Previewing your Survey
Seeing the questionnaire in SurveyPro, even after turning off the borders
with the eyeglass button
, is slightly different from looking in a
browser. For a peek at how the survey would look, use the Preview in
Browser button
.
When SurveyPro generates the preview files, it defaults to a shared folder
which overwrites any prior previews. Generally this is fine as it only takes
a moment to generate a fresh preview, but if you’re comparing different
survey versions you may need to specify the file locations.
Preview will launch your default browser with three panels: a notice at the
top, the page list to the left, and a survey page in the main panel. Click on
the page numbers in the left panel to see how each one displays.
Because different browsers display HTML slightly differently, you may
want to check in additional browsers on your system. To do this, just copy
and paste the file path (in the URL line) from one browser to another. The
two most common browsers at this writing are Internet Explorer and Firefox, followed by Netscape and Opera.
Note that Preview is just for reviewing layouts as the pages are not connected to a Web server. For full functionality including checking answer
tests and skips, publish the survey to your live Web server (see page 295),
a QuestionWeb account (see page 309) or trial folder (see page 315) or
local test server (see page 42).
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Adding Hyperlinks to Surveys
In NetCollect, you can add hyperlinks to your surveys with a very small
bit of HTML code. The following steps walk you through doing this in a
way that picks up the NetCollect styles, and do not assume you know
HTML coding. What we’ll be doing is creating a tile in SurveyPro which
looks like what we want, grabbing the underlying code for that tile, and
then adding the link markers in the text.
1. In your survey, Insert a Text Graphic tile, including the text you want to make
a hyperlink and any formatting, such as borders and the Text Style.
2. Click the Preview in Browser button
the link.
and select the page where you want
3. In your browser, right click on the area where the link will be, and view that
frame's source.
4. Locate the section of the HTML code which contains your paragraph. Scroll up
a few lines and find a line just above that, with "<!-- Tile…"
5. Select the next line after the tile number, and all the following lines through
the </table> line:
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6. Copy this text to the clipboard, and return to SurveyPro.
7. Close the Web Survey Setup dialog, and edit your graphic text tile with the
link text.
8. In the upper-right corner, mark the box for Raw HTML code,
9. Highlight what appears, and Paste over that with your HTML code.
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We now have a tile which is identical to the one SurveyPro created. However, now we can add our link markers. You can make any word or phrase
a hyperlink, it doesn’t have to look like a Web address. There are also two
types of hyperlinks: Web sites and e-mail addresses, so there are two bits
of code here depending on the type you need.
10. Go to the bit of text you want to make a hyperlink—in our example
“www.Widgets.org”.
11. Just before the first letter you want clickable, add this text:
For a Web address:
<a href="http://www.yoursite.com/">
For e-mail links:
<a href="mailto:[email protected]">
12. Just after the last letter you want clickable, add this text for both types of
links:
</a>
13. Click OK to save your text graphic.
This will look odd in SurveyPro, but as soon as you Preview in Browser
again or Publish, it should be just right. (Note: If you click the link from
Preview in Browser, it will open within the frame set.)
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Notices, Errors and Buttons
In general, NetCollect has placed notices with their associated functions.
For many surveys you can leave the defaults in place, but if you need to
adjust a message or translate it to another language, here’s where you’ll
go.
Notice text for respondents
Login setup, Notice Text tab Set your password and resume options first, as this determines the messages you’ll need to set. See page 168.
Page List dialog
This includes text for pause, resume, and error pages. The pause and
resume messages can also be accessed through the Login setup screen.
See page 103.
Answer Tests dialog
You can set a unique message for each question being checked. There is
also a global message which will appear at the top of each page. See page
134.
Document Properties, Web
Page tab
Here you can set the colors for notices which are inserted within the survey pages. See page 61.
Buttons for the survey pages
Document Properties,
Buttons tab
This screen gives you the option of picking a graphical button style or typing your own text for the browser style buttons. See page 64.
You can also define your own custom graphical button sets See page 359.
Login setup, Layout tab
The number of elements in a button layout depends on the login style, so
button arrangements and backgrounds are set in this screen. See page
167.
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Chapter 5
Applying Layout Options
TUTORIAL
Modify Text Styles
Build a header
Add a progress bar
Change tile widths
Edit scale layouts
Set indentation
Change background colors
Set button styles and layouts
Editing questions and text graphics
Tutorial Notes
General
You can save your file and take a break any time you’re in the
main document screen.
Tutorial Files
Are in your SurveyPro Samples folder, by default under:
C:\Program Files\Apian Software\SurveyPro 40\
On Finishing
This tutorial has:
• An “End” sample file
• Can be viewed using Preview in Browser
In this tutorial we’re going to be working more with some of the layout
options in SurveyPro. We won’t touch on all the options, but we will go
into all the dialogs you’ll use to set styles for tiles and documents.
1. Start SurveyPro, enter your initials, and Open the sample file
NC4 Tutorial - Layouts.SP4.
2. When prompted, click Yes to open a copy, and save as
YourName Layouts Tutorial.SP4.
Chapter 5 - Applying Layout Options
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3. Close the File History dialog.
4. If needed, select the document tab 1: Widget Web and adjust the Zoom to
your preference.
Take a moment to scroll through the survey. It’s very brief, just one page
of questions with no graphics or headers.
Changing grid layouts
On Web Page 2 of this survey we have a grid stretching past the right
hand margin. This is a common problem when you use longer scales or
have dual scale grids, even if the original layout was fine on your paper
survey. There are a few ways to deal with this. You can:
•
Shrink the fonts—remembering that eyestrain doesn’t encourage
completion
•
Change the scale labels so they’re shorter
•
Reduce the number of levels in the scale (not an option for our
ranking, but sometimes an option for rating scales)
•
Change the layout of the scale
•
Change the page width (see page 55)
In this case, we’re going to change the scale layout.
1. Double-click on the grid to edit it.
2. Click on the Quick Set tab.
3. Change Entry from Checkbox/Radio to Pulldown List.
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4. Click OK.
Since we can’t see the scale labels any more, let’s take a peek in a browser.
5. Click the Preview in browser
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6. Click OK for the default file location, or change it to another temporary
folder. Click Yes to create the folder if prompted.
7. In the preview, select P2: Questions on the left side and see how the grid will
appear to respondents now.
In general, pulldown lists are less desirable than radio buttons because
they “hide” the options and each question now takes 2 clicks to answer
instead of 1. However, when you have a familiar long scales such as states
or a serious space constraint, they can’t be beat.
8. Back in SurveyPro, Close the Web Survey Setup dialog to return to editing.
Adding a header
In Ten Minute Web Survey on page 18 you may have used a Theme to create its header and footer, but for this tutorial we’re going to show you how
to build one from scratch.
1. From the Document menu select Properties, or click its toolbar button
.
2. Click the Header tab.
3. Select Text and/or Images.
Headers and footers are composed of “cells” which are stacked next to
each other similar to tiles within a survey page. When you first turn on
headers and footers, all the cells are empty. Each cell has its own Edit button for adding text or graphics. See Header and Footer Tabs on page 67 for
all the details.
4. Click the Edit button for the Left cell (you can also just click in currently
empty gray box for the Left cell).
5. Set the cell Contents to Picture.
6. Click the File button and select WidgetAssociation.gif (from the same folder
as the sample files). Click Open to return to the cell dialog so we can make
more settings.
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The logo is already a good size for the survey, so we can leave its dimensions alone. It’s always best to use a graphics program to resize your
images before adding them to your surveys because this produces the
best quality and quickest download speeds (see page 56).
Headers use different margins from the survey body, which allows you
have a “banner” style graphic across the whole survey. For a logo like this,
though, we want it to be indented the same amount as the question text.
SurveyPro tells us the settings for the main document at the bottom of the
dialog—in this case it tells us “side margins of 10 pixels” as a reference.
7. Under Padding to cell edges, set the Left margin to “10” to match.
8. Set this cell’s Right margin to “30” so it won’t be crowded by what we’re
putting next to it.
9. Click OK.
We’re going to leave the middle cell empty and put some text in the right
cell. As long as we don’t set specific widths for the cells, SurveyPro will
just resize them to fit the contents.
10. Click the Edit button for the Right cell.
11. Set the cell Contents to Text.
12. Type in the text box “User Survey”.
13. Just above the text box, change the Style to T10: Title.
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14. Change the Right Padding to “10”.
Picture cells default to no padding, but text cells default to small margins.
We can leave the top and bottom padding alone.
15. Click OK to save the cell settings, and OK again to close Document
Properties.
Checking the layout again with Preview in browser
1. On the toolbar, click the Preview in browser button
file location.
and click OK for the
2. In your browser, click through the three pages to see how the header looks.
The rule line doesn’t look quite right, and the font in the title could use an
adjustment to better match the logo.
3. Close your browser window.
4. Switch back to SurveyPro and Close the Web Survey Setup dialog.
More header tuning
1. Double-click on the header on any page to edit it.
2. Edit the Right cell.
3. Click the Modify button
next to Style.
4. Change the TrueType Face to Best Serif.
While we could specify a particular typeface, we don’t know what may be
installed on the respondents’ computers. The “Best” settings are generally
safest for Web surveys.
5. Check Bold and click OK.
6. Click OK again to save the cell’s settings.
7. Back in the main Header dialog, turn off Draw Line in the upper-right corner.
8. Just below that, let’s put a bit more space between the header and survey
body by changing the Space under header Height to “60” pixels.
Normally we’d also set the progress bar to a more compatible color, but
with a one page survey it won’t appear so we don’t have to bother.
9. Click OK.
10. Preview in browser again to see the difference, and then return to SurveyPro,
closing Web Survey Setup.
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Changing Text Styles and fonts
Smaller font sizes (10pt and below) are most readable when sans-serif, but
we can modify the question text to make it closer to the serif style of the
logo. While it can be tempting to tap into all 200 fonts installed on your
computer, using just a few faces will produce more polished designs.
1. In the Object Tree to the left of the editing screen expand the Components
node with all your reusable items, and then the Text Styles node. (If your
Object Tree is missing, turn it on under the View menu.)
2. Double-click 3: Graphic Text.
3. Change it to Best Serif and Bold.
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4. Click OK to save your changes.
Now the font is different for the welcome message, grid instructions, and
thanks message—all the tiles where this style was being used.
5. Again in the object tree, double-click the style 1: Question, change it to Best
Serif, set the Height to 12, and click OK.
Scroll through the pages to see how the document changed. Now we can
see that we weren’t entirely consistent with our styles when we created
the questionnaire. The “question” text above the grid is not in the Question style used by the rest of the survey. Meanwhile, our grid rows are
using the Question style, but would probably look better if they used the
Scale style. So now that we have our styles defined, we just have to go
into some of the tiles to change the style they reference.
6. On Web Page 2 Questions, double-click on the grid instructions.
7. In the lower-right corner, change the Text Style to T1: Question. Click OK.
8. Now double-click on the grid itself.
9. Select the General tab and change the Setup Level to Advanced option
screens.
10. Click on the Rows tab and change the Question and Row Label Text Style to T2:
Scale.
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12. Check the Preview in browser again to see how the survey is starting to come
together, then return to SurveyPro, closing Web Survey Setup.
Indenting and resizing the grid
When we changed the scale layout to pulldown lists we ended up with a
big gap between the ends of the labels and the scale. We’re going to
change a few settings and tighten up the layout a bit.
1. Double-click on the grid again and select the Layout tab.
2. Set Indent Question Rows to “30” pixels.
While we’re here, we can also remedy the spacing problem between the
text and scale. You can either manually resize tiles as we’ll do in a
moment, or set an exact width in pixels. The default for NetCollect is to
set the body column inside the margins at 740 pixels. The advantage of
setting exact widths is that you can have several tiles use the exact same
dimensions—which is challenging when manually dragging the edge in.
(See Measurements in HTML on page 55.)
3. Set the Tile Width to “600” pixels, or ~81% of the full survey width.
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4. Click OK to save the grid settings.
Now the big gap between the questions and scales is gone. There’s still a
little space after our longest label, but remember we want to leave a little
“flex” room in our layouts. Of course if we miscalculate there’s no real
problem—the browsers will always wrap the text for us.
Below the grid is a write-in blank for the “Other” attribute. With the grid
indented, it’s looking a little like an orphan.
5. Double-click on the entry blank below the grid.
6. Click on the Dimensions tab.
7. Set the Question Text Left Indent to “60” which is double the indent of the
grid itself.
8. Set the Scale Entry’s Entry Width to “200” for a larger type-in box.
9. Finally set the Question Text Down from Top to “0” so it’s snug under the grid.
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10. Click OK to save the layout settings.
If you preview the page again, you can see how the grid, its instructions
and the Other blank are a more clearly defined unit within the survey now.
And all it took was a few indents and font changes.
Indents and scale layouts for individual questions
Below our grid, we still have some work to deal with the lack of structure
in our remaining questions. When tuning your own layouts, there are
many different possibilities for polished designs—this is only one
approach.
1. Double-click on the next question down, “Which widget brands are familiar
to you?”.
2. Select the Dimensions tab again and set the Scale Entry Left Indent to “30”
pixels, just like the indent on the grid rows.
3. Select the Scaled Entry tab.
4. Change the Box Columns to “1” and click OK.
The single column looks great—until you notice the very long Other
blank at the end.
5. Put your cursor over the right edge of the orange tile outline until it turns to a
double-headed arrow.
6. Click and drag to the left until the tile is a little wider than the question text
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Just like when we narrowed the grid, you don’t want to make it exactly to
the edge of the question text as the respondent’s browser may display the
text slightly wider than yours.
7. Edit the Age and Gender questions to make them one column and indent the
scale 30 pixels.
8. Edit the State question to indent the scale 30 pixels again.
9. On the State question’s Scaled Entry tab, change the Answer Entry Layout
setting to Pull-down list of answers, just like with the ranking grid.
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11. Preview in browser again to see how the survey has pulled together. Return to
the editing screen.
Inserting graphics
The survey switches gears when it starts asking demographics. To help
respondents transition between sections, you can add headings, graphics,
or page breaks (see Working with Pages and Skips on page 114). In this
case, we’ll add a simple graphical rule line created for our mythical Widget Association Web site.
1. Click once on the Age question to select it.
2. Insert an Inline Text/Graphic.
3. Set the Content Type to Picture.
4. Click the File button, select WidgetRule.gif and click Open.
5. Click OK to insert the graphic.
Our rule line is only 1/2 as wide as the survey page. Because this is such a
simple graphic, we can stretch it a bit. Remember that the Web can’t add
pixels to your graphics, so stretching logos and photos will make them
larger but reduces their quality.
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6. Double-click on the line.
7. In the lower-right corner, set the Width to “200” (percent) and click OK.
8. Preview in browser again to check our progress and then return to the editing
screen.
Changing background colors
The survey is limited to 760 pixels wide, which keeps it from stretching
too far on large displays, but since all the backgrounds are white right
now, the survey looks a little adrift. We can give it more form by changing
the side margins to another color.
1. Bring up the Document Properties dialog.
2. Select the Web Page tab.
3. Change the Screen Background to Custom Color and select dark gray from the
drop-down palette. Click OK.
Backgrounds in NetCollect are layered, and while the survey body is a
layer above the screen background, ours defaulted to transparent. That
was fine when the screen background was white, but not when it’s showing the gray through.
4. Bring up Document Properties again and select the Web Page tab.
5. Set the Survey Background to Custom Color and select white from the palette.
6. While we’re here, change the Grid Band Tints Odd Rows from the light blue to a
light gray.
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7. Click OK.
8. Preview in browser again to see how we’re doing.
If your display is 800x600, you won’t see the gray side bands because
your survey page will be filling the screen. For higher resolution monitors,
if you don’t see the gray, try dragging the frame divider between the left
hand page list and main survey pages to the left.
Setting button layouts
One last change for the button styles.
1. Back in the SurveyPro editing screen, bring up the Document Properties
dialog.
2. Select the Buttons tab and set the Button Style to vcr_silver. Click OK.
You can add button sets and progress bars to SurveyPro to match your
organization’s style (see page 359).
Since this is a one-page survey we don’t need the pause button.
3. On the toolbar click the Edit Page List button
.
4. Select Auto Page: Pausing enabled and click Edit Properties.
5. Check Disable Pause Page.
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6. Click OK to save the Pause properties, and OK again to close the Page List.
We can also add a little color to the buttons without a custom design.
While the button style is set in Document Properties, the layout is set in
the Login dialog as it depends on how you’re having respondents start
and resume the survey.
7. Double-click on the Start or Send Answers buttons.
8. Select the Layout tab.
9. Under Login Button Area check Top and Bottom Lines.
10. Set the Lines Weight to “4”.
11. Pull down the line color palette and click Other. Select orange and click OK.
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12. Add the same line settings to the Other Page Button Area.
13. Click OK.
14. Save your survey and Preview in browser one last time.
In addition to lines just around the buttons, you can also run a colored bar
across the entire body column. A common layout is to put a box on the
first page around a password login, and then have a slightly different button layout style for the rest of the survey.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully tuned the layout of a Web survey.
You can keep experimenting with this file’s options, or move on to another
tutorial for skips (see page 114), answer tests and randomization (see page
141) or passwords (see page 175).
If you got off track along the way, you can open the sample file
NC4 Tutorial - Layouts End.SP4 for comparison.
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Chapter 6
Pages and Skips
REFERENCE
In NetCollect, pages act a bit differently from the continuous flow of
paper surveys. They have assorted attributes, such as descriptions, and
trigger actions like as skips and piping.
Chapter Contents:
Understanding Pages in NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Key Concept: Types of Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Page List Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Individual Page Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Automatic Pages for Pause, Errors and Reports . . . . . . 104
Understanding Skips and Branches in NetCollect . . . . . . . . . 105
Key Concept: Skips and Branches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Jumping Ahead in a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Divergent Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Including Pages for an Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Rules and Tips for Skips and Branches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Skips and Branches Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Setting GoTos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Chapter 6 - Pages and Skips
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Understanding Pages in NetCollect
In a paper document, pages are reminiscent of a scroll, a long continuous
flow of text or questions. The physical form is arbitrarily broken every 11
inches, but the content itself is unbroken to the reader.
On the Web, pages act more like boxes within a flowchart. Some pages
contain many questions while others have only one or two. Sometimes
respondents progress through the pages in sequence, while at other times
respondents will jump ahead on the flowchart, or diverge on exclusive
paths.
Within NetCollect, HTML pages have several elements:
Margins and background
These are set in the Document Properties dialog, and are the same for all
pages within the survey to create a consistent “look.” See page 61.
Headers and footers
Again, these are defined in Document Properties (see page 67). You can
also turn off the header or footer for an individual page in the page’s Properties dialog (see page 103).
Buttons
The style of buttons, such as graphical images or free-form text, is set in
Document Properties (see page 64). In addition, you can set borders and
backgrounds for the button area. You’ll set the layout in Login dialog as
the arrangement of password fields and buttons depends on how the
respondent is starting and resuming the survey (see page 167).
Description
To make it easier to work with skips and branches, NetCollect lets you
give each HTML page an internal name such as “Demographics” or
“Product X details.” Use the individual page’s Properties to set the
description (see page 103).
Skips and branches
You can set skips and branches that trigger as respondents leave a given
page. This chapter includes details about how skips work in NetCollect for
different respondent situations (see page 105) and details on the dialogs
(see page 111).
Data piping
If you need to pull data in from an external source, you’ll set the trigger as
a respondent leaves a particular HTML page. Information on Embedded
Surveys begins on page 187.
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Key Concept: Types of Pages
When you switch a new questionnaire to HTML for NetCollect, SurveyPro changes the original blank 8.5" x 11"
piece of paper into three HTML pages. Or, if you’re copying or converting an existing paper survey, SurveyPro
will add empty pages before and after the survey. This is to start you off with the most common survey setup,
a Welcome page, one or more survey body pages, and a Thanks page.
Welcome Page
The first page of a survey will typically contain brief instructions and confidentiality assurances and
then a password login or simple anonymous Start button. While you can include questions on the
Welcome page (such as their language preference), that is a bit unusual so it can confuse respondents.
By default, NetCollect assumes the first page is a Welcome, and uses the Start label for the buttons. You
can omit a Welcome page and dive straight into the survey if you prefer (most common with single page
surveys). If you prefer a Next label instead of Start, simply change the text used in the Document
Properties Buttons tab.
When using a URL with data to start the survey (see page 213), you can jump the respondent past the
Welcome page login directly to Page 2.
Survey Body Pages
Typically a body page will have questions on it, though you can also have pages which are purely
instructions. NetCollect will use the Next and Back buttons on these pages.
Finishing Pages
NetCollect assumes the last page before a Thanks page should have a Finish button instead of Next. If
your survey has several pages which go to the Thanks page, you can put the Finish button and
confirmation pop-up on them in the individual page Properties dialog. See page 103.
Thanks/Done/Exit Page
The last page of a NetCollect survey is assumed to be a Thanks page which informs the respondent their
data has been received. If different segments of your respondent base will see different Thanks
messages, you can change a body page to a Thanks page in the individual page Properties dialog (see
page 103). While you can pipe answers into the text of a Thanks page such as “Thanks Jane for
completing the survey. Your coupon code is 12345.” you cannot ask any new questions on these pages as
the survey is considered finished and data committed before the respondent sees it.
Exit URL
Instead, or in the case of looping surveys, in addition to a NetCollect generated Thanks page, you can
send the respondent to a URL when they finish. As with the Thanks pages, data is saved before the page
is delivered. This is a good way to return respondents to your primary Web site when the survey is hosted
on another server. See page 215.
Auto Pages
In addition to the pages you build in the main document editing screen, NetCollect automatically
generates pages for pausing the survey, resuming a saved survey, providing error messages, and logging
into real-time server reports. You can set the messages used in these pages in the individual page
Properties dialog. See page 103.
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Page List Dialog
When you switch a new questionnaire to HTML format, SurveyPro will
start you off with three pages for a welcome/log in, survey body, and
thanks/exit.
Break page at selected tile
If you have a tile selected when you enter this dialog, you’ll be given the
option to add a page break before the tile.
Delete page
Removes a page, including all tiles contained within it. If you want to keep
the tiles, either move them off the page first, or use one of the Merge
options.
Merge page up / down
Because a page can be the target of a skip or branch, it’s important to be
clear about which page you’re keeping after merging two together. The
one listed as “into” is the one that will be kept. This also determines which
page’s individual properties are being retained.
Insert new page
Adds a new empty page above the currently selected page.
Move page
Rearranges the order of the pages, including fixing up any skips and piping destinations when possible. Be sure to double-check both the skips
and piping after rearranging.
Edit Properties
Brings up the individual page properties.
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Individual Page Properties
For a normal page, the dialog looks like the one below, allowing you to
override basic attributes for the page.
Description
This is an internal description to help you identify the page contents. It
will appear in the Page Edits dialog, on the document editing screen, and
within the skips and branches dialogs. The description is optional, but
very helpful when defining skips for longer surveys.
Header, Use on page
By default, every page includes the header but it can be switched off
when needed.
Header, Enable progress bar With the exception of the login and thanks pages, the progress bar will
appear on each page. Occasionally you may want to disable the progress
bar on particular pages. The main progress bar settings are covered on
page 70.
Header, Percent completed
NetCollect calculates the percentage done for each page based on the
pages completed up to that point. When surveys have extensive skips or
large variations in the number of questions on each page, this percentage
may need adjustment to better reflect the respondent experience.
Footer, Use on page
The footer appears on every page by default. To hide it on a particular
page, clear this box. The main footer settings are on page 67.
Advanced Navigation
In most cases, you can leave this setting on Automatic. The other two settings are used for surveys which use skips to send respondents down
divergent paths:
Set: Finished button send answers
On a middle survey page which would normally use the Next Page button,
this instead tells NetCollect to use the Finished button and pop up the
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103
confirming dialog. Only use this when the respondent’s data is being committed by sending them to a thanks page or URL.
Set: Done thanks page with no questions or buttons
By default, the last page in a survey is set as the Thanks page. If different
respondent segments need to see different confirmation messages, you
can set additional pages as Thanks pages. This option is disabled if the
page has questions on it, as the survey is submitted as finished before this
page is sent to the respondent.
Automatic Pages for Pause, Errors and Reports
Below the survey pages you created are several special pages that NetCollect generates to manage the pause/resume process and provide
information to respondents.
Header and Footer
overrides
By default, each of these pages includes the Header and Footer you
defined in Document Properties (see page 67). If your survey has manually built headers using in-line text and graphics, these automatic pages
will appear very plain as they’ll simply show the notice text. When appropriate, you can hide the Header and/or Footer on each of these page
types.
Notice text
In the case of the error page, you’ll see several type-in areas for specific
situations, such as an incorrect password or a survey which has concluded. In the default text, you may see variables, such as
_SERVER_SET_SVY_TITLE for the Web page title you set in Document
Properties. The title is a safe bit of text to remove, but other code may be
necessary to the survey functioning, such as a server issued ID for resuming anonymous surveys (see page 169). Also note that the initial message
text for pausing and resuming is set by your Login settings, so don’t customize their content until you’ve finalized your password type.
Notice text can be multiple paragraph (arrow up and down to see the full
message). It publishes using the style T3: Graphic Text.
Disabling the Pause page
January 15, 2007
If you don’t want respondents to pause the survey, you can mark Disable
Pause Page in its Properties, which will remove the Finish Later button
from the survey. Note this does not prevent a respondent from bookmarking a survey page and returning to that later—to prevent that from resuming, you’ll need to set that to act as a failed login (see page 169).
Page List Dialog
104
Understanding Skips and Branches in NetCollect
Skips and branches are one of the greatest features of Web surveys. By
having the respondent bypass sections which don’t apply to them, you’re
not only shortening and simplifying the survey, you’re also increasing
your data quality (as respondents rarely fully read instructions).
In paper surveys, it’s common to tell the respondent “If No, skip to question 7” where question 7 may be later on the same page of the survey.
While you can give this instruction to a respondent and have them complete it manually within one HTML page (what we call a “soft” skip), to
enforce the skip pattern you’ll send the respondent ahead to another
HTML page.
Key Concept: Skips and Branches
These two terms have a very specific meaning in SurveyPro, so even though you may have an understanding
of “skip” or “branch” it’s important to understand how the software defines them.
Skip
If Yes, go to page 4. A skip jumps ahead within the survey, either sending some respondents ahead on the
same path as everyone else, or diverging respondent groups to completely different paths. Skips can be
applied to single answer checkbox or rating scales. A Yes/No question could have up to three
destinations: one for Yes, one for No, and one for No Answer.
Branch
Branches in NetCollect act as “includes” of one or more pages for a scale option. This lets you include a
range of pages for sedan owners, another range for convertible owners, and another for SUV owners. If
you set a branch from a multiple answer checkbox scale, a respondent who owns both a sedan and a
convertible would be presented detail questions for both types of vehicles. If instead the branch were
based on a single answer scale, they would only see the page(s) for the one model selected.
Following are three examples off common applications.
Each survey page can have only one skip or branch trigger question defined, but the question you’re using as
a trigger may appear anywhere on that page or earlier in the survey. This means that from page 4, you can
skip the respondent ahead based on an answer they provided back on page 2. See Rules and Tips for Skips
and Branches on page 109 for more details.
To give you the greatest flexibility possible, NetCollect allows complex patterns of overlapping and nested
skips and branches. Be sure to test the skips and branches after uploading to the server to check that you’ve
correctly defined the paths.
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Jumping Ahead in a Survey
This is the most classic skip, where you’re advancing the respondents past
questions which don’t apply to them. In SurveyPro, this can be done with
either a skip or a branch.
In either case, you would add a skip or branch for Page 2 testing against
the respondent’s answer to question (1). As a Skip, you would set a rule for
the answer No to jump ahead to Page 4. As a Branch, you would tell
SurveyPro to include Page 3 when the respondent marked Yes.
In this case, the survey is sequentially asking the respondent whether they
use each product. This is the way to go when you’re mixing topics, but
when you have a set or related products or services there’s an alternate
approach. See Including Pages for an Answer on page 108.
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Divergent Paths
Screening surveys, such as the simplified example here, are one of the
most classic examples of divergent paths. At the beginning of the survey,
you might have a series of qualifying questions, any one of which may
trigger a skip to send the unqualified respondent to a Thanks page and
end their session. If the survey included compensation to qualified
respondents, you’d set up a special “Sorry” Thanks page for the unqualified respondents. In other cases, you might just jump the unqualified
respondents ahead to the same Thanks page as everyone else.
At other times, you may ask employees their division, and diverge the
groups down paths tailored for IT, Marketing, Customer Service, Accounting, etc. At the end of those segments, everyone would converge back for
common questions such as rating their manager or comments.
Within each divergent path, you can “nest” other skips or branches, such
as skipping a new hire past questions about the Accounting department’s
re-organization twelve months before.
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Including Pages for an Answer
This is a branch based on a multiple answer checkbox scale, and it’s a
great way to shorten a survey for respondents since you don’t have to ask
if they use each product as a Yes/No question like we did in the first
example (see page 106).
If the respondent marked Gadgets and Gizmos, when they clicked Next
they’d first be asked to answer the questions on Page 4 for Gadgets, and
Next from there would send them Page 5 for Gizmos, and then send the
respondent to Page 7 for general comments.
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For your branch, you can have more than one answer in the scale include
the same pages. So if you were asking for more detail about the product
category rather than an individual brand, you might have the same branch
rule defined for both Gadgets and Gizmos.
You can also include no pages for an answer, so Other may or may not ask
for elaboration on product attributes. Or, if you do ask for more details, it’s
a nice touch to pipe their Other type-in answer ahead to that page so you
can ask them to evaluate “Whirligigs” rather than “Other” (see page 137).
Finally, if you have a lot of follow-up questions, the survey may have a
range of pages for an answer, such as Pages 5-8 for Gizmos. Within that
range of pages for Gizmos, you can also “nest” other skips and branches,
so based on the length of use question you might skip the respondent past
questions about prior versions.
Rules and Tips for Skips and Branches
While NetCollect gives you a great deal of flexibility in defining skips and
branches, there are some constraints so that the script logic doesn’t turn
into spaghetti. For example, when a respondent is on Page 7 of the survey,
the scripts need to be clear about what to do when the respondent clicks
the Back button.
You can define a skip or branch
With one test per page
From Page 4, you can define a skip ahead, or you can define a branch, but
you can’t define both a skip and a branch or skips based on two questions
on one page—the scripts wouldn’t know which one to do in the case of a
conflict.
With unique or shared
destinations for each scale
option
With Yes/No questions, typically the paths will be exclusive, but a
Yes/Sometimes/No question may send Yes and Sometimes to the same
destination. Also, if you haven’t set the skip to Require Answer, then you
can define a destination for respondents who don’t answer the question.
When working with branches, they are defined as “includes” for
answer(s), so you don’t have to worry about the respondent leaving it
blank—though you could define an explicit None or Not Applicable in the
scale and include a page asking them why the question didn’t apply.
From individual question
tiles
Within the dialogs, you’ll be given the option to select individual question
tiles, but not questions which are part of question grids.
It is possible to manually edit the survey’s configuration file to get around
this constraint, but it is far safer to break out the test question as a stand-
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alone tile as incorrectly editing a configuration can cause a wide array of
problems. (If you’re in a fix, we have a great deal of experience with this
type of hand edit and can make the changes for you at our hourly charge.)
On any question collected
up to that point
When the skip or branch is direct, such as asking for details on a particular
product they use, it’s natural to ask the skip question on the page that has
the test. At other times, you may ask a question at the very beginning of
the survey, such as their division, then a series of common questions, and
then split the respondents to their tailored paths.
Based on visible or hidden
questions
Rather than ask the respondent their division, you could pipe that information into a hidden field based on their individual password (see page
202).
That goes forward
Skips and branches always target pages later in the survey.
If you need to loop the respondent through questions more than once,
either create copies of the question within the survey (with unique Q
numbers, not by cloning the same question or later loops will over-write
earlier answers), or by breaking that portion of the questionnaire out as a
separate questionnaire, looping the entire survey and using URL handoffs to connect up the non-looping portions of the questionnaire (see
Example 4: Looping the Respondent Through Questions on page 194).
Sending the respondent to a All skips and branches work in terms of pages. With HTML, there’s no
reliable way to skip the respondent half-way down a page and keep them
page
from scrolling back up and answering questions which do not apply to
them. It’s also better to have pages tailored just to the respondent, as this
makes the survey appear shorter—they never see the questions they
don’t have to answer.
That is nested, but not
overlapping
As mentioned in the examples, it’s possible to nest a skip or branch within
one segment of another skip or branch.
If the respondent is on a skip path that covers Pages 3-8, you can put a
skip on Page 4 which jumps them ahead to Page 12, or a branch on Page 4
which includes Pages 5-6, but you cannot put a branch on Page 4 which
includes Pages 5-9. It’s possible to construct an interleaved effect by setting test questions based on questions that appeared on prior pages, or by
having questions appear more than once within a survey (see page 138).
In general, skips will give you greater flexibility than branches for defining
complex patterns.
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When working with skips and branches, it often helps to
Give each page a
description
Pages act like objects in NetCollect, and as such you can define attributes
such as a description. When you describe key pages as “Product X ratings” or “Demographics” rather than leaving them “Untitled,” setting the
skip and branch paths becomes a matter of picking the plain name, rather
than recalling whether it was page 23 or 24 that was just for users of Product X. See page 103.
Adjust the progress bar
percentages
By default, SurveyPro calculates the percentage done based on the pages
completed so far in the survey, so at the top of page 11 of 20 it would
show 50% done. When respondents diverge down distinct paths, or when
you have some pages with only one question while others ask 50 ratings,
the progress bars may need adjustment to better reflect the respondent
experience. See page 103.
Leave off question numbers For the respondent’s survey to jump from question 12 to 20 only makes
them wonder what they missed. Alternatively you can use multiple numbering levels. See page 73.
Use a white board to
flowchart complex
skip/branch patterns
Especially when working with nested or interleaved skips and branches,
it’s critical to make sure you have the all the paths covered. A flowchart,
rather than notes on the survey draft, makes it much easier to spot loose
ends in the definition stage, as well as to test the survey on the server. Too
often, this flowchart is not updated when edits are made, so be sure to
keep it current.
Turn on the page number in
the footer
This puts a small gray number at the bottom of each page. Most respondents don’t notice this number, and it makes testing skips much easier—
especially if some of your pages are very similar or identical in content.
(Document Properties, Footer tab, Page Number)
Skips and Branches Dialog
The best introduction to skips and branches in NetCollect is the tutorial
on page 114. Additional reference material is in the main SurveyPro Help
system.
To add a skip or branch
1. Document menu, Skip Patterns
2. Select the page from which paths will diverge (not necessarily the page
containing the “test” question)
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3. Click Skip or Branch
4. Select the test question from the upper-left list
5. For each of the response options, select a destination page (or range of
pages for branches)
If the question you want to use for your skip/branch test doesn’t appear in
the list, check the scale the question is using and review the rules for skips
on page 109.
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Setting GoTos
By default every page in a survey continues to the next page. If on your
questionnaire pages 3-4 apply to customers, and 5-6 apply to prospects,
you’ll set up a page 2 skip that sends people to the right set of pages.
However, when the customers are done with page 4, you’ll want them to
bypass 5-6 and head straight to page 7.
You can always define another skip on page 4 which uses the same test
question to jump customers ahead, or you can simply use a GoTo. All a
GoTo does is say that anyone leaving a page will go to another destination—much quicker than a skip to define.
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Chapter 7
Working with Pages and Skips
TUTORIAL
Note: The conceptual information on page 105 may be helpful before running this tutorial.
Add new pages
Break pages at a particular tile
Set skips to jump ahead in the survey
Set branches which include pages for particular responses
Accessing the Document Properties dialog
Tutorial Notes
General
Tutorial Files
On Finishing
This tutorial has:
• A live version at http://apian.com/support/tutorials/
In this tutorial we’re going to be applying skips and branching to improve
the data quality of a survey while also increasing its usability for respondents.
NC4 Tutorial - Skips.SP4.
YourName Skips Tutorial.SP4.
Chapter 7 - Working with Pages and Skips
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your preference.
Our starting survey is written for users of widgets with a straight path
from the first page to the end:
We’re going to make a few changes:
•
Adding a qualifying question to screen out people who don’t use
widgets
•
Only asking respondents to rate the brands with which they’re familiar
•
Skipping children past the e-mail address to comply with privacy law
(COPPA regulates data collection from children—see
http://ftc.gov for more).
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All of this adds up to the following finished survey. Don’t worry—we get
there step by step!
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Adding a screening question
Right now we don’t ask whether people use widgets, so that’s our first
change to the survey.
1. Bring up the Edit Page List dialog
.
2. Select P2 Brands/Shopping criteria and click Insert new page between 1 and
2.
Behind the Page List dialog you may see your survey pages go blank—this
is normal.
3. Click Edit Properties for the new page and change the Description to “User?”.
4. Click OK to close the Properties dialog, and OK again to close the Page List
dialog.
5. Scroll up to the new empty Web Page 2. Click on the thick blue bar between
the progress bar and buttons.
6. Insert a Question.
7. Give it the Questionnaire Text “Do you use widgets?” and click Next.
8. Insert a new single answer checkbox scale with the labels:
Yes
I will within 6 months
No, and no immediate plans
9. Click OK to save the scale.
10. Back in the question’s Scaled Entry tab, change the Box columns to “1.” Click
Next, and Next again.
11. On the Dimensions tab, set the Scale Entry Left Indent to “30” to match the
rest of the survey, then click Finish.
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For the people who mark the last scale option, we could skip them all the
way to a Thanks page, but in this case we want to see if we can get them
to join a panel for other surveys. So we just want to send them past all the
widget-specific questions to the demographics. Scroll down to Web Page
7 and check out the destination. Right now, that page has comments in it
too, so we need to add a page break.
12. Click once on the instructions just below the comment question.
13. Bring up the Edit Page List dialog by clicking the toolbar button
pressing Ctrl+B.
or
14. Click the button Break page 7 at the selected tile 20.
15. With P7 still selected, click Edit Properties. Change the Description to
“Comments” and click OK.
16. Select P8, Edit Properties, set its Description to “Demographics” and click
OK.
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17. Click OK again to close the Page List dialog.
Now we have a destination ready for our skip.
18. In the Document menu, select Skip Patterns.
This first page is the summary of skips and branches from each page. By
default each page continues on to the next one in the survey.
19. Select Page 2: User? in the list and click the Skip radio button.
The question list includes all questions on this page or earlier in the survey which can be used for skips (single answer checkboxes and ratings).
In our case, it’s already on the question we want.
20. Check the box Require Answer to question.
Normally we’d follow this by putting “required” in the question text, but
we’re skipping that nicety to save a few tutorial clicks.
21. On the left, select 3: To next on No, and no immediate plans.
22. Map it to the destination page on the right Page 8: Demographics.
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23. Click OK to save the skip definition.
24. Click OK again to close the main dialog.
Adding a branch for brand details
If you scroll up the survey, you’ll see three “Brand detail” pages which ask
how respondents view specific brands of widgets. On Web Page 3 is a
question asking respondents which brands are familiar to them which we
can use to have respondents comment only on the brands they know.
While a skip jumps ahead to a page, a branch includes one or more pages
based on the answer(s) you mark. In this case, we want respondents to
see the detail pages for the brands they recognize.
2. Select Page 3: Brands/Shopping criteria and click the Branch radio button.
3. Leave the question on Q2.
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While you can require an answer for a branching question, it’s possible the
respondent may not be familiar with any of the brands. Since we don’t
have a “None” box, it’s best to not require an answer in this case.
4. In the left-hand list, select 1 none included on Sprocket. In the right-hand
list, select Page 4: Brand detail - Sprocket.
5. Repeat to map the Galaxy and Gizmo brands.
We could also ask about the Other response, including “piping” the
answer they type on Page 3 into a Brand detail - Other page to remind
them who they’re evaluating. If there were more questions for each brand,
we could also select a range of pages to include for an answer.
6. Branches need to know where to go when they finish, so select After
branching go to ?? and map it to Page 7: Comments.
7. Click OK to save the branch.
8. Click OK again to close the Skips and Branches dialog.
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Adding breaks and a second finishing page
Right now, the e-mail information is on the same page as the age question.
In order to skip under-age respondents past that legally dicey bit of data,
we need add another page break.
1. Scroll down the survey to Web Page 8 Demographics.
2. Click once on the text graphic starting with the privacy statement, just under
the Zip and Country questions.
3. On the toolbar, click the Edit Page List icon
or Ctrl+B.
4. Click Break page 8 at the selected tile 25.
5. Select P9 Untitled, then click Edit Properties.
6. Give the page the Description “E-mail” and click OK. Click OK again to close
the Page List dialog.
Take a moment to step back and review the page sequence. For anyone
13 or older, they’ll submit the demographics page, then see the e-mail
page, then click Send Answers to get the Thanks page. However, the
respondents under 13 will go from clicking Next on the demographics
page to getting the Thanks page. While there’s nothing to upset NetCollect in that arrangement, it’s a little disconcerting for respondents to
bypass a Finish or Send Answers button. To make this a little smoother,
we’re going to add an intermediate page for children.
or Ctrl+B.
8. Select P10 Thanks and click Copy page 10 and its tiles.
9. In the page list click <add a survey page> and click Insert copied page 10 at
end to add the new page.
Now Page 10 says it finishes, which we want as that’s going to be the message to children. We also want to put a finish button on the e-mail page.
10. Select P9 E-mail and Edit Properties.
11. Under Navigation, check Enable advanced exit page settings.
12. Select the second option Finished submit button.
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13. Click OK. to save the page Properties.
14. Update the descriptions for pages 10 and 11, so 10 is “Kids Panel” and 11 is
“Thanks.”
15. Click OK again to close the Page List dialog.
16. Scroll to Web Page 10 on the screen (the copy with the buttons).
17. Double-click on the text in the middle of the page and change it to “To join
our kid’s survey panel, have your Mom or Dad call (800) 555-1234.” Click OK
to save the edit.
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Skipping past the e-mail address
All of that was just prep work for the skip itself. While you can make
changes to the number of pages after skips are in place, it’s generally easiest to get the page order set and then set the skip/branch logic.
2. Click on Page 8: Demographics, then click the Skip radio button.
3. From the upper-left drop-down list, select Q33: Age.
4. Check the box Require Answer to question.
5. In the left-hand list, click on 1 to Next on Under 13.
6. In the right-hand list, select Page 10: Kids Panel.
7. Click OK. Notice the skip has appeared in the summary list.
Skipping past the Kids Panel page
When you look in the summary list, note that the E-mail page comes just
before the Kids Panel page. We don’t want all the people over age 13 to
see that notice, so we need to skip them past the Kids finishing page.
There are two ways we can do this. We can use the GoTo setting to send
everyone who goes through page 9 ahead to Page 11, or we can use a
Skip based on the earlier Age question to jump everyone who didn’t mark
the first scale option ahead. The GoTo is simpler in this case, so that’s
what we’ll use.
1. Select Page 9: E-mail and click the GoTo radio button.
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2. Select Page11: Thanks from the list
The Exit survey completed option is there for when you want to send
respondents to a URL outside the NetCollect pages when they finish.
Handing Data to Other Systems on page 241 walks you through that feature.
3. Click OK to save the GoTo.
4. Check your screen against this one to make sure you have all the skips and
branches set:
5. Click OK to close the Skips and Branches dialog.
6. Save your SurveyPro file.
If you got lost along the way, there’s an End sample file for this tutorial.
To see the skips in action, go to:
http://apian.com/support/tutorials/
You can also publish your file to your own server (see page 295) or a
QuestionWeb Demo folder (see page 315).
As respondents go through the survey, they can back up and change
answers on questions which drive skips. NetCollect will remember the
answers for both paths until they finish the survey, at which point the data
saved will only be their final path.
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Chapter 8
Dynamic Questions and Text
REFERENCE
One of the strengths of Web surveys is they minimize data handling. Pages
and Skips on page 99 showed some of the ways to increase data accuracy
by tailoring surveys at the page level. This chapter covers options within
individual question tiles, such as randomizing scale options and setting
required questions or formats.
Chapter Contents:
Rearranging Items in Scales and Grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Randomizing Unordered Scales and Grid Rows . . . . . . . 127
Manually Rearranging Unordered Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Hiding Scale Options and Grid Rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Flipping Ordered Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Applying Scale Layouts to Selected Questionnaires . . . 130
Question Dialog’s Advanced Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Grid Dialog’s Rows Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Grid Dialog’s Answer Entries Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Answer Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
NetCollect Answer Tests Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Using Hidden Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Piping Answers Forward in a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Repeating Questions Within in a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Chapter 8 - Dynamic Questions and Text
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Rearranging Items in Scales and Grids
Sometimes you’ll want respondents to see items in random order to minimize order biases or fatigue effects on the database overall. Sometimes
different versions of a questionnaire require options to be in a different
pre-set order—or even a sub-set of options. SurveyPro and NetCollect
have a few tricks for rearranging scales and grids. Following are the
changes you can make, and then the three dialog screens you’ll use to
make the settings.
Randomizing Unordered Scales and Grid Rows
NetCollect creates a randomized order for each respondent going through
your survey. Here are a few nuances of the randomization:
•
It can be applied to any unordered scale, whether laid out with
checkboxes/radio buttons, or in a drop-down list.
•
Within a grid you can randomize either the rows or the scale(s), but
not both at the same time.
•
Other and Explicit N/A options created as part of the scale structure
(not as regular scale labels) will always appear at the end of the scale.
•
If you use grid row or scale headings, items will randomize between
headings. The headings themselves will stay in the original order.
•
Autonumber on grid rows will maintain proper order even as the
items within the rows are rearranged.
•
The random order is saved for each respondent, so as they go forward
and back their scales and grids will appear to be fixed.
•
Items of the same length, such as 6 point scales or grids with 6 rows,
will share a random order. This means that if you repeat scales or
grids through your survey, they too will appear in a consistent order
for the respondent. If you prefer each grid be in a different order,
rearrange the items in each grid. You can use Question Groups to
create a consistent order for reports.
For a question’s scale
1. In the Question’s Advanced Options tab (see page 131) set the Ordering to
Randomize.
For a grid’s scale(s)
1. In the Grid’s Answer Entries tab (see page 133), select the Scale Column in the
upper-left corner that you want to be randomized
2. At the lower-left corner, set its Entry Order to Randomize.
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For grid rows
1. In the Grid’s Rows tab (see page 133) mark the box in the lower-right corner
to Randomize Each Respondent’s Order.
Manually Rearranging Unordered Scales
If a survey has evolved over time, new options may have been added at
the end of the scale list to preserve ongoing data collection. In this case,
you might want to drag those new scale items higher in the list.
1. In the Question’s Advanced Options tab (see page 131) set the Ordering to
Drag & Drop List Above.
2. As with similar lists in SurveyPro, click on the gray row number in the left
column.
3. Once the row is highlighted, click on the gray number again and drag the item
up or down until you see a red insert line between the items where you’d like
to appear.
Note: This only affects the questionnaire(s) in which you’re making the
layout change.
If you want the underlying scale structure to have a new order, first make
sure none of the surveys in the SP4 file are collecting data (see The Best
Way to Mangle Survey Data on page 14 for why). Then edit the scale and
do the same drag-and-drop method to adjust the order of its items. If you
do a drag-and-drop, SurveyPro will keep track of the data in each bin as
you rearrange the scale. Never simply re-type labels to change order in a
file which contains data.
Similarly, if you’re only interested in having the reports in a different
order, see Rescales in the SurveyPro documentation.
Hiding Scale Options and Grid Rows
This is generally only an issue when working in multiple questionnaire
SurveyPro files, where surveys have evolved over time or are being tailored for particular audiences.
1. In either the Question’s Advanced Options tab (see page 131) or Grid’s Rows
tab (see page 133) check the Hide box next to any items you do not want to
appear.
You can hide items at the same time you’re selecting one of the Ordering
options. This does not re-order the database’s scale or question numbering, it just keeps items from showing on selected documents.
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Flipping Ordered Scales
Getting a grip on all the data and reporting nuances is a little convoluted,
so it’s best to read this conceptual portion rather than jump ahead to the
clicks. Let’s start with a typical ordered checkbox scale as it appears in the
scale definition dialog:
By default, Strongly Agree will appear as the first option on the survey,
either under a question or as the first scale option column in a grid.
The first column in the scale definition, the gray numbers, is the internal
box ID. This is used to store the data in SurveyPro and as the default value
for data imports and exports—including piping values in and out on your
Web server (see page 199). The box ID is also used to calculate the
median in reports. Within the scale definition dialog, this is always in
ascending order from one.
The last column, Val, is the value used in calculating means and standard
deviations in reports. Right now, this scale is set as Ascending from 1 by 1,
which produces values that match the box number. With this setting, a
mean and median would be fairly similar numbers in your report.
So given this combination of layout and reporting defaults, if we want
Strongly Agree to be the first option in the layout, then we end up with a
“good” mean being a low number, which is not necessarily intuitive in
reports.
One way to address this is to set the scale definition so the values are
instead Descending from 1 by 1:
Now you can see the Val column is the opposite of the box ID column.
This gets us Strongly Agree as the first box on layouts and it will produce
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a mean for Agree of 4.0. However, the box ID and internal data still identify Agree as 2, which means any data transfers will not “match” the
report values, and a median of Agree would be reported as 2.0, not 4.0.
To get everything to match up with the “high” label and value first in the
list, we just rearrange things a touch.
1. Define your scale in the opposite order of how you want it on screen, but
matching how you want the data and report values to be saved:
2. In either the Question’s Advanced Options tab (see page 131) or Grid’s Answer
Entries tab (see page 133) set the scale’s Entry Order to Reversed.
That’s it! It’s very simple to execute once you understand what’s going on
with the data and reports. The same approach can be used to lay out rating scales as 5 to 1 or 3 to -3.
Applying Scale Layouts to Selected Questionnaires
Because all these scale and grid changes are just to the layout and not to
the underlying database questions, you can apply them selectively to your
questionnaires. This means that if you have surveys tailored to particular
clients or which change over time, you can evolve the grids and scales in
just one or two questionnaires.
If you are in a multiple questionnaire SurveyPro file, the first tab of the
question and grid dialogs will start showing this control:
SurveyPro defaults to editing the question or grid everywhere, which
gives you access to all the controls including the scale selection, question
text, etc. If you switch the setting to Selected tile(s), then the question and
scale controls will be grayed out and you’ll be left with the layout
attributes.
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Caution:
Be extremely careful making changes to questionnaires SP4 file while any
of that file’s surveys are on a server collecting data. If you were to add a
grid item, then all the data on the server would now be “off ” a field even if
it was added to a separate document. See The Best Way to Mangle Survey
Data on page 14 for more.
Question Dialog’s Advanced Options Tab
This dialog is used to set both layout preferences and answer tests. Some
controls will be grayed out depending on the scale type—if something
you want to mark is unavailable, check the scale definition.
Checkbox in Tile Order
Lists the boxes as they will appear in the questionnaire—before one of the
Ordering options is applied. Note the list does not include either the Other
or Explicit N/A labels which may have been added as part of the scale
definition. Those two will always appear at the end of the scale.
Hide
Removes a scale option from the survey’s layout. See page 128.
Break
For scales laid out in multiple columns below a question, checking a Break
box will insert a column break.
Other Blank Full Width
If a scale is laid out below a question in multiple columns, by default the
Other blank runs the full width of the tile, across all columns. By un-
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checking this box, you can instead have SurveyPro use a shorter Other
blank which only goes across one column.
NetCollect n/a box
In HTML, once you select a radio button you can change your answer but
you can’t clear the question. In the Document Properties dialog’s Web
Page tab, there’s an option to include a N/A which acts to NetCollect like
a missing answer. This control here in the Question dialog lets you either
go with the Document Properties setting (Auto) or override that to include
or remove the radio for this particular tile. See Key Concept: Not Applicable
and No Answer on page 63.
Ordering
This changes the order in which scale options appear on the survey—not
the underlying scale’s definition. Per Scale simply matches the scale definition. Reversed flips the scale from the definition, and is most commonly
applied to ordered scales (see page 129). Randomize can be applied to
any unordered scales (see page 127). Drag & Drop is again an option for
unordered scales (see page 128).
Boxes Checked/
Respondent must answer
In addition to the Answer Tests dialog, you can set required questions in
the individual tiles. See Answer Tests on page 134.
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Grid Dialog’s Rows Tab
If your grid definition only shows two tabs, go to the General tab and
change the Setup Level to Advanced option screens. This section only
covers NetCollect layout aspects—see the SurveyPro documentation for
full coverage of Grids.
Hide
Removes a grid row from the survey’s layout. See page 128.
Randomize
Rearranges the grid rows for each respondent. See page 127.
Grid Dialog’s Answer Entries Tab
If your grid definition only shows two tabs, go to the General tab and
change the Setup Level to Advanced option screens. This section only
covers NetCollect layout aspects—see the SurveyPro documentation for
full coverage of Grids.
All the layout settings in this screen are based on the scale currently
selected in the upper-left corner.
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Entry Order
This changes the order in which scale options appear in their grid column.
Per Scale simply matches the scale definition. Reversed flips the scale
from the definition, and is most commonly applied to ordered scales (see
page 129). Randomize can be applied to any unordered scales (see page
127). You can randomize multiple scales within one grid, but you cannot
randomize both scale columns and grid rows at the same time.
Answer Tests
You can have your Web server check the respondent’s answers before
accepting them—of course, don’t forget tip #4 on page 10 about the cost
of required answers.
When a respondent leaves a required answer blank or uses an invalid
answer, NetCollect will send the page back to them with an error notice at
the top of the screen and a question-specific message above the problem
entry. You can tailor the text of these messages to each question or go
with more generic errors which refer the respondent to directions you’ve
placed in the question text. See Web Page Tab for Margins and Backgrounds
on page 61 to change the colors used in the errors.
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With answer tests you can check for:
•
An answer a question
•
Formatting of typed-in answers
•
Minimum and maximum number of boxes in a multiple answer
checkbox scale
•
Minimum and maximum dates and numbers (limits are set in scale
definition)
•
Following a ranking grid’s rules about skipping levels and ties
•
Forced sum total on a grid column
•
Minimum/maximum number of questions answered in a grid column
When your question includes an Other blank or Explicit N/A defined in
the scale, NetCollect automatically creates JavaScript to manage those
entries. For example, if a respondent had marked two boxes in a multiple
answer and then decided that None of the Above was a better answer
(Explicit N/A), NetCollect would clear the first two boxes they marked.
Similarly, when a respondent starts typing in an Other blank, the JavaScript will switch the radio button to Other or mark the checkbox for
Other. If a respondent has JavaScript disabled, an automatic server-side
check will check for consistency, returning the page if the respondent’s
answers don’t make sense or violate a limit on the number of boxes to
mark.
You can set required answers tile-by-tile if you prefer or you can use the
Answer Tests dialog to do so all at once. Any settings you’ve made in
either individual questions or skip/branch definitions will be reflected
here, and vice-versa.
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NetCollect Answer Tests Dialog
To set up Answer Tests:
1. Web Survey Setup dialog
2. Edit the Answer Tests
Must Answer Test
With single answer scales, the test is for any answer (other than a document level NA). Multiple answer checkbox scales and grid columns allow
you to specify a range of answers to be marked. If your scale includes an
Other blank and the respondent enters text without marking the radio or
box, the scripts will mark the Other option before doing the must answer
check.
Enable this check
By default, SurveyPro checks any answer formats it can while respondents are submitting their answers. You can turn this off and allow data to
come through to the SDH, but this can cause answers or records to be
rejected on import.
Error Line
You can tailor the text to each question/test, or you can use a generic
message which refers to entry instructions in the question text.
Answer Test
For number scales and patterns such as e-mail addresses and Zip codes,
you can check the formatting with or without requiring the question be
answered. This is also where question grid ranking and forced sum
enforcement appears. Again, you can use a generic error message or cus-
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136
tomize it for each question. Tests for formatting do not apply to checkbox
and rating scales so they’ll be grayed out for these questions.
Top of page notice
When a survey page is re-loaded for correction, this notice will appear at
the top of the page in addition to the errors above individual questions.
The same text is used throughout the survey for consistency. You can
change the color used in the Document Properties Web Page tab.
Using Hidden Fields
Hidden fields have two primary applications:
•
Setting static information, such as the language version of a survey or
other identifier
•
Receiving data in certain pipe-in scenarios (see page 201)
Hidden fields act like any other question, including being used to trigger
skips and branches. And just like other questions, the scale selection is
critical for NetCollect to properly handle your data on the server and
SurveyPro to manage it in reports. Don’t put field tests on hidden fields—
it’s very confusing for a respondent to be asked to correct a question they
were never asked.
To hide a question
1. In the Question dialog, select the Scaled Entry Tab
2. Set Answer Entry Layout to No Visible Entry
Piping Answers Forward in a Survey
Imagine a customer survey where you ask respondents their favorite feature. On the next page you might follow up with the generic question
“Why is that feature your favorite?” With an answer pipe, you can copy
forward their response and ask instead “Why is Pause/Resume your
favorite feature?”
Answer piping can be inserted in any instructions or question text within
SurveyPro. Just type a variable in this format including the underscores:
_ANSWER_Q27_
This will pipe forward the label(s) of a checkbox scale, rating number, or
text in a written answer. To pipe forward the text in an Other blank, just
add a capital “O” after the question number:
_ANSWER_Q27O_
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Because you’re manually typing the question number, you may need to
update the variables if you add or delete questions. If you’re not certain
what question number to insert there, you can use the Database Questions node of the Object Tree. It will highlight the Q number for the currently selected question.
Repeating Questions Within in a Survey
SurveyPro assumes that each question—as defined by the internal Q
number and solitary database field—exists only once in a survey. Sometimes you’ll design questionnaires which ask the same question text more
than once, perhaps for different divisions, but you want to retain distinct
answers for each of those fields.
Normally when you copy paste a question within one SurveyPro document, it will be assigned a new Q number and have the default report
label “copy of…” With NetCollect, you can instead paste in another
instance of the same Q number/database field. See NetCollect’s Internal
Data Format on page 197 for more about Q numbers.
Important
This is a potential way to corrupt your data. If you ask the same respondent
the same question more than once, you won’t be saving a data point for
each time you ask—you’ll be overwriting their one answer.
Therefore, this should only be used in skip scenarios where it is not possible for one respondent to see the same question more than one time.
Applications include:
•
Minimizing the number of pages a respondent sees by mixing
questions on their distinct skip paths rather than frequently diverging
and converging based on distinct and shared questions.
•
Multiple language surveys behind a password login. This requires
editing the other language paths in an HTML editor to replace the
question text (see page 355).
•
Sub-setting long grids or scales in conjunction with the Hide feature
(see page 128). For example, on one page you can ask an employee
their division. This could then skip to one page for each of the 6
divisions, each of which has a different sub-set of the same 150 item
organizational code scale.
When working with this feature, it is strongly recommended to keep the
Database Questions node of the Object Tree open, as it will keep you
focused on the underlying Q codes. It also helps to have clean report
labels for your questions.
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To enable this feature:
1. From the Tools menu, select Options
2. Check Allow more than one tile in a questionnaire to refer to a shared
question at the bottom of the dialog and OK.
The standard copy and paste shortcuts will still create new questions, not
additional instances of the same question, but now you’ll see a couple
more controls.
Repeating a single question 1. Select the question tile and Copy it as you normally would
2. Click where you want to insert the clone
3. From the Edit menu, select Paste Same Questions
This works well when you have question sets which are mostly different
between skip segments. In other cases, you may have virtually identical
pages and it makes more sense to copy the entire page of questions and
then make edits.
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Repeating a page of
questions
1. Bring up the Page Edits dialog (Document menu).
2. Select the page you want to replicate and click Copy page x using same
questions.
3. Close the Page Edits dialog and modify the new pages as needed.
If you need to repeat most of the questionnaire for each respondent, see
also Example 4: Looping the Respondent Through Questions on page 194.
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Chapter 9
Adding Dynamic Elements
TUTORIAL
This tutorial adds answer tests, randomized grids, and answer piping to a
survey.
Randomize the rows in a grid
Randomize the options in a scale
Add a None option to a scale
Set required fields and error notices
Pipe an answer forward in text
Working with pages and skips
Tutorial Notes
General
Tutorial Files
On Finishing
Chapter 9 - Adding Dynamic Elements
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This tutorial has:
141
Dynamic question elements can both improve the respondent experience
and increase data quality. Like skips and branching, they’re a place where
you can tailor a survey to each respondent, but without their being aware
they’re singled out in any way.
NC4 Tutorial - Dynamics.SP4.
YourName Dynamics Tutorial.SP4.
your preference.
Take a minute to scroll through the survey. If you completed the Skips
tutorial (on page 114), the basic design will be familiar. On the productspecific rating grids, you’ll see the rows bracketed by letters. The first letter is a SurveyPro Autonumber, which will maintain proper order after
randomization. The second letter is a static portion of the question text,
there only to illustrate the randomization when you see the survey on a
server.
Adding a page to ask about Other responses
Right now, the survey follows-up with detail questions when you mark a
specific brand, but doesn’t ask respondents about their “Other” brand
choice.
1. Bring up the Edit Page List dialog
.
2. Select P6: Brand detail - Gizmo and click Copy page 6 and its tiles.
3. Select P7: Comments in the list and click Insert copied page 6 before 7.
4. With the new P7 still selected, click Edit Properties.
5. Change the Description to “Brand detail - Other” and click OK.
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6. Click OK again to save the Page List changes.
Piping the Other text forward
1. Scroll so Web Page 7 Brand detail - Other is visible on your screen.
Our newly copied page still says “Gizmo Widgets” so we need to update it
to match the Other content. We could just type “Other” in place of
“Gizmo” but it’s much better to pipe the respondent’s actual answer forward. Piping has a few meanings in surveys—in this case we’re referring
to making a respondent’s answer appear in later in the survey.
2. In the Object Tree, expand the Database Questions node (if it’s not visible,
turn it on
) and scan through the list to check which one asks about the
brands they know.
3. Double-click on Page 7’s Gizmo Widgets text graphic.
4. Change the Text Content to “Other Widgets: _ANSWER_Q2O_” where the last
portion is Q2 and a capital letter “o” for Other.
Be sure to include the leading and ending underscores “_” as this strict
format is required for the server scripts to see the piping command and
insert the respondent’s answer.
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With this text, the respondent will see as the heading “Other Widgets:
whatever the respondent types”. If instead we had simply replaced
“Gizmo” with the answer pipe command, a respondent who typed “Acme
Widgets” as the Other brand would then see “Acme Widgets Widgets.”
Any time you’re piping a field the respondent types, you’ll want to make
the text as tolerant as possible, including allowing for plurals and empty
responses.
5. Click OK to save the heading.
Fixing up the branch for our new page
Since we added a page for Other responses, we need to update the Branch
which includes the detail pages.
1. From the Document menu select Skip Patterns.
2. Select Page 3 and click Edit.
3. On the left hand side, select none included on Other, and on the right hand
side select Page 7: Brand detail - Other.
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4. Click OK to save the Branch, and OK again to close the Skips and Branches
dialog.
Randomizing grid rows
NetCollect will randomize boxes in an unordered checkbox scale and
rows in a grid. It creates and saves a random order for each respondent,
so if they go forward and back through a survey they won’t see items rescramble themselves.
Our survey has several grids. The one on Page 3 could be randomized,
but we manually typed that “Other” label at the end, and we don’t want it
to end up in the middle. A trick for that it to break Other into its own grid,
but instead let’s just focus on the detail page grids.
1. Still on Web Page 7 Brand detail - Other, double-click on the rating grid.
2. First of all, we need to clean up the Report Label—change it to “Brand rating Other.”
3. Select the Rows tab.
SurveyPro’s grid dialog has two modes, a quick setup level and advanced
settings. In your survey’s grids you’ll need to change to Advanced on the
General tab to access the randomize controls.
4. At the bottom of the dialog, turn on Randomize Each Respondent’s Order.
5. Click OK to save the changes.
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That took care of one of the grids, but we’ve got three more brand detail
pages in this survey.
6. Turn on Randomize for the grids on pages 4-6.
Because the grids all have 5 rows, not only will the respondents see the
same order as they go forward and back, they’ll also see every instance of
that grid in the same order.
Adding a None box to a scale
1. Scroll up to Web Page 3 Brands/Shopping criteria.
This is an important question in the survey, so we want to make sure the
respondents mark an answer. Of course while some respondents may
intend to start using widgets within 6 months, they may not have started
researching brands yet so we need to give them a None option.
2. Double-click on the brands question.
4. Modify
the scale.
5. Under the option for an Other blank, mark Add Explicit N/A.
We could have just typed “None” as box number 4, but then it would have
been inserted above the Other blank. We’d also then have the same problem as with our ranking grid, in that randomizing the scale would shuffle
the None option. By using SurveyPro’s special Explicit N/A, we’re creating a box which will always appear under the Other blank, and which also
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has some special logic where it won’t let the respondent mark this box in
addition to other items—even in multiple answer scales like this.
6. Click OK to save the scale and OK again to close the Question dialog.
Right now the label is “N/A” which is OK, but let’s customize it a little.
7. Bring up Document Properties
.
8. Select the Web Page tab.
9. At the bottom of the screen, change the label for Explicit No Answer N/A to
“None”.
10. Click OK to save.
Now our scale definition is complete, but we can add a couple more features.
Setting limits on a multiple answer scale
Sometimes you’ll want to limit the number of boxes a respondent can
mark, such as requiring they pick only their top 3 choices. In addition to
this upper limit, you can set a minimum number of boxes they must mark.
1. Double-click on the brands question.
2. Select the Advanced Options tab.
The last setting is the one we want to change. It currently allows respondents mark none of the boxes up to all of the boxes.
3. Set the Minimum to 1.
We can leave the maximum on All for our shoppers who do a lot of widget
shopping. If we were providing a list of 20 brands, each with a detail page,
we’d probably want to change the question to “Mark up to 3 brands that
you are most familiar with” to keep the survey length tolerable.
Randomizing a question’s scale
NetCollect will randomize unordered scales, either single or multiple
answer, in both stand-alone question tiles and in grid columns (just not
grid rows and columns at once). As with the grids, it takes only a moment
to turn this on—especially since we’re already in the right tab.
1. Set the Ordering to Randomize.
2. Click OK at the “Are you sure” confirmation.
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Before we save the question, we’ve got one more step.
3. Select the Question tab.
4. Click at the end of the Questionnaire Text, press Enter, and type “(Mark at
least one box)”
5. Click OK to save the question.
Setting required answers and error notices
In addition to making a question required in its Advanced Options tab,
you can also set required questions and formats in the Answer Tests dialog. This dialog is where we can also tailor the error notices respondents
will see when they answer incorrectly.
1. Bring up the Web Survey Setup dialog
.
Under Answer Tests, you can see a summary of the fields which are being
tested.
2. Click the Edit button next to Answer Tests.
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3. Click on Q2, the multiple answer checkbox scale we edited, so you can see its
settings.
When NetCollect receives an invalid response on the server, it sends the
page back to the respondent with a general message at the top of the
page, and a detail message above each question with a problem.
Below the list of questions, you’ll see three sections. The first section is for
Must Answer questions, where a response is required. This picked up our
setting from the question dialog, and is showing the default error message
for a missing response. Because this error message line is just for this one
question, we can make it unique to this instance. Our question text
already says “Mark at least one box” so rather than repeat that we can
offer a hint.
4. Change the Must Answer Error Line to “If you are unfamiliar with any brands,
please mark None”
The next section is a check on the Other blank. If a respondent has JavaScript enabled in their browser, the survey will provide an interactive
Other blank, marking a the box when the click in the typing area, etc. If a
respondent was answering a single answer scale and had JavaScript
turned off, then they could potentially type in the Other blank but mark
another radio button. This is the error which would appear in that circum-
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stance, but since it’s not really an issue for us, we can leave it be. If you
play around with the live “End” version of this file, the Other blank
enforcement may become clearer.
The last section is the general notice displayed at the top of each page. In
most cases, the generic text is fine because you want the message to work
with a variety of problems.
We’re done with our brands question. Following it in the survey is our
ranking grid, next to whose questions you can see “Rank” marked. NetCollect picked up our scale definition which prohibited re-using ranking
levels.
5. Scroll through the list of questions until you reach the demographics at the
end.
Next to the Zip/Postal Code and E-mail questions you can see a test
enabled. These don’t say “Must” like Q2, which means that SurveyPro is
checking for a valid pattern in any answers it receives, but will let respondents leave the question blank.
6. Select Q42: E-mail.
Now the top Must Answer section is mostly grayed out, but we have the
an opportunity to change the pattern error.
7. Change the Pattern Error Line to “Enter your address in the format
[email protected]”
8. Select Q41: US Zip code.
The question text already specifies a US Zip or Canadian postal code, so
there’s not much elaboration we can do in an error message. In cases like
this the default “not usable” message works, so we’ll leave it be. However,
we do want to make one change here: setting this as a required answer.
9. Turn on Must Answer Question.
Nothing says error messages can’t be more than information, so let’s put a
plea in ours.
10. Change the Must Answer Error Line to “Please enter your location so we know
where to open new chapters!”
While you can’t see it in this list, the question text here actually says
“required.”
11. Click OK to save your Answer Tests, and Close the Web Survey Setup dialog.
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To see the randomization and answer tests in action, go to the live sample
survey at:
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Chapter 10
Login Options
REFERENCE
This chapter is divided into two main sections. The first, Understanding
Logins in NetCollect on page 153, takes you through the overall concepts
for different types of logins and passwords. Then Login Dialog on page
158 goes through the dialog controls for the different login types. Options
for pausing and resuming surveys are covered after, as are sections on
creating passwords and updating live surveys.
Chapter Contents:
Understanding Logins in NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Key Concept: Login Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Open Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Anonymous but Restricted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Unique Passwords and Names + Passwords . . . . . . . . . . 156
Unique Password File Built on the Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Passing Login Information via the URL . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Login Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
No Password Required — Open Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Shared Password(s) — Anonymous but Restricted . . . . . 160
Unique Respondent ID File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Respondent Name and Password File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Outside application launch passes unique ID . . . . . . . . 165
Linking Passwords and Resumes to a Question . . . . . . . 166
Layout Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Notice Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Pausing and Resuming Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Login Dialog Resume Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Creating Password Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Legal Values for Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Understanding the NetCollect Special Passwords . . . . . 171
Make PIN File Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Updating Live PIN Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Chapter 10 - Login Options
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Understanding Logins in NetCollect
A survey login is as much a part of your questionnaire design as the scales
you choose. Your choice will impact:
•
Security by letting you restrict survey access and/or multiple
submissions
•
Respondent convenience, by allowing them to pause a longer survey
and finish it later
•
Real and perceived anonymity and compliance with privacy law
•
Data quantity, by letting you merge data from other sources based on
the password entered
Most of the login types are part of the passwords tutorial on page 175.
Key Concept: Login Terms
Login
A login is how a respondent enters your survey. You may require a password or user name, or leave the
login unrestricted.
Logins may be done manually by a respondent typing and clicking, or you can create URLs with login
information embedded within them (see page 187).
Pause and Resume
Pausing a survey saves all the answers a respondent has marked and brings up a page with instructions
on how they can resume the survey later to finish. All NetCollect logins allow respondents to pause, with
the specific methods depending on whether it’s an anonymous or unique password survey. You can also
disable the pause function if you want respondents to finish in one sitting (see page 169).
PIN File
Some surveys only use one or two passwords, keeping random visitors from completing the survey. At
other times, you may have hundreds or hundreds of thousands of values. NetCollect surveys use a
special .PIN file format for checking passwords and managing status (not started, in progress, done).
The file may include values you generate from SurveyPro, or it could be a conversion of values from
another source such as customer IDs (see page 170).
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Key Concept: Login Terms
Cookies
We’re all familiar with bookmarking a page or adding it to our Favorites (same function, different
browsers). A cookie acts very similarly to a bookmark, but is created and loaded by a script.
With NetCollect, when the respondent loads the first page of a survey a bit of server-side scripting
creates a small file with the survey URL and their session ID and writes the file to the respondent’s
temporary browser files. The next time the respondent comes to the first page of the survey, the script
checks to see if a cookie exists on their system, and if so, welcomes them back with their partially
completed survey.
Cookies are very handy at times, but you should never count on them as cookies can be blocked or
deleted in a respondent’s browser. Cookies can also create confusion when your respondents are sharing
computers, as they may be welcomed back to someone else’s survey. See Pausing and Resuming Surveys
on page 169 for options that you can use in addition to or instead of cookies.
Open Access
Open surveys use no passwords, beginning simply with a “Start” button
on the Welcome page. They can also be used to set up surveys with no
Welcome page at all, as in this Mini Poll. See the dialog controls on page
159 in addition to the pros and cons listed here.
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Pros
It is completely anonymous, making it a good solution for
sensitive surveys.
It allows for “viral” or “snowball” respondent contact, as you can
reach out to a few respondents and they can forward the URL to
their friends and colleagues.
Cons
Respondents may submit multiple copies of the survey,
particularly with short or high-involvement polls.
You can end up with a significant number of unqualified
respondents, which is a problem if you’re offering compensation
to each respondent. (Be sure to pair this with a response rate
cut-off. See page 326.)
Resume
Options
Respondents may pause and resume by bookmarking the pause
page or adding it to their favorites. You can also have the server
mark their system with a cookie (see page 154). You can also have
the server issue the respondent an individual code that they can
enter to finish later
Anonymous but Restricted
In this case, respondents will enter one or more global, shared, or common passwords. You can use anywhere from one value to several thousand, but each password will be used many times by many respondents.
See the dialog controls on page 160.
Pros
The survey is anonymous. However, unlike an open survey you’ll
have to explain the confidentiality to respondents so they know
the password(s) won’t identify them as an individual.
Even a single password will help restrict outsiders from accessing
the survey.
If you can segment your population, such as new vs. repeat
customers or divisions within a company, you can issue one
password per segment. This will allow you to identify the groups in
your analysis, as well as giving you the option of using the
password to drive a skip pattern.
Cons
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As with open surveys, respondents may submit the survey multiple
times.
155
Resume
Options
Respondents may resume via bookmark, cookie, and server
issued ID as with open surveys. When a respondent resumes, you
can prompt them for the password again for extra security, or
have the system let them in without it.
Unique Passwords and Names + Passwords
When you have a list of employees, students, members or customers,
unique or individual passwords are a great option for administering a survey. You can have respondents enter just a password or pair it with a user
name for added security. For the values, you can generate passwords from
within SurveyPro or use existing values such as customer IDs. See the dialog controls on page 160 for single values, on page 162 for usernames and
passwords, and on page 170 for information on creating password files.
Always have spare passwords! It is very easy to generate spares
before the survey begins and then issue them to individuals who lose their
password or groups who were missed in the original list (entire divisions
are overlooked more often than you’d expect). Creating extra values at
the beginning takes almost no work, compared to the several steps
required to add values to a live survey (see page 173).
Pros
Respondents restricted to a single submission by default (can be
changed to multiple surveys in sequence).
The status of each respondent is known (not started, in progress,
finished), allowing you to send reminders just to those who have
not yet completed the survey.
Because you can identify each individual, additional information
such as their manager’s name or purchase history can be piped
into the survey (see page 187) or merged into the SP4 database
with a keyed import.
Cons
The survey is not anonymous unless you use a third party such as a
consulting firm and/or service such as SurveyHost to issue the
passwords or remove them from the data.
Administering the survey is more complex than with global
passwords.
Resume
Options
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Respondents can resume via bookmark and cookie if those are
enabled. They may also resume simply by entering their original
password again.
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Unique Password File Built on the Fly
This last option is designed for surveys driven by Web applications or
databases such as e-commerce and service ticket systems. For an example, let’s consider at an e-commerce site where you want to measure satisfaction with the shopping experience. Your Web developer will program
your shopping cart software so that the confirmation page includes a survey link along with the normal order summary, or perhaps they’ll have the
system issue an e-mail follow-up at the time of expected delivery.
The survey link could use any of the login options, but since you have a
unique value in the order number, it’s a natural fit for individual passwords. If the order numbers you issue are sequential, you could generate a
password file in advance with enough values to cover expected sales for
the next 6 or 12 months and use the standard Unique Respondent ID File
login. However, if you aren’t sure what your sales will be or if your numbers are non-sequential, pre-building a password file doesn’t work very
well. An alternate approach is to have the survey build its password list on
the fly, receiving a new password with each respondent. Whenever someone clicks on a link to the survey, the system will:
•
Check whether the password embedded in the link conforms to any
pattern requirements
•
Check whether the password value has been received already, in
which case it will resume the respondent where they left off or let
them know a finished survey was already received
•
Add a new legal value to the list of known passwords
Note that this login option assumes the respondent will be clicking on a
personalized survey link—there is no traditional Welcome screen where
they type in a password. In addition to the password, this link could
embed the customer’s name, order number, date, and other information
you want to pass into the survey. See the dialog controls on page 165, and
Embedded Surveys on page 187 for details on embedding data in URLs as
well as other ways to pass information into surveys.
Pros
No advance password generation is required, yet you can use a
unique identifier that restricts respondents to a single
submission.
Because you can identify each individual, additional information
such as their name and order details can be piped into the survey
(see page 187) or merged into the SP4 database with a keyed
import.
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Cons
Surveys are generally not anonymous, though you could have your
system issue unique IDs which are not later connected to any
personally identifiable information.
Resume
Options
Respondents can resume via bookmark and cookie if those are
enabled, as well as by clicking their initial invitation link.
Passing Login Information via the URL
In most cases, the respondent will manually enter a password into the first
page of the survey. An alternative is to embed the password, as well as
other values, in the initiating link. Constructing URLs with embedded
information is covered on page 213.
Login Dialog
When you switch a document to HTML, the first page will indicate there
is no login defined. The type of login is an integral part of your survey
plan, so it’s a good idea to set it sooner rather than later. This will add to
your database the question needed to collect a password, as well as giving
you the right context for customizing buttons and error notices. Following
are the controls for five main types of passwords, their common
Pause/Resume controls (see page 169) and then the Layout tab (see page
167), and Notice Text tab (see page 168).
To set your login
1. Double-click on the buttons on any page in the survey
2. Select your Survey Login type in the upper-left section of the dialog
3. Set your Resume preferences
4. If using passwords, type the values or select a file, and create a target
question for the values
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No Password Required — Open Access
This is, naturally, the simplest of the screens. It has no controls other than
the resume options, which are covered for all login types on page 169.
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Shared Password(s) — Anonymous but Restricted
With shared passwords you can use a single value to prevent unauthorized access to the survey, or you can issue multiple codes to categorize
respondents.
Type value(s)
If you are using one or a couple values, you can type them directly into
the dialog box separated by the “pipe” character | which is Shift+\. This
allows you to use multiple passwords with spaces.
File of values
When you have many values, such as store IDs, it’s often easier to create a
PIN file than manually typing the values. Information about creating PIN
files, either from your values or by having SurveyPro generate them, is on
page 170.
Case Sensitive
By default, the password tests are not case sensitive. If you activate this,
it’s best to indicate this in the Label. Note that the Apian 4 and 5 digit values are designed to not be case sensitive (see Understanding the NetCollect
Special Passwords on page 171).
Shared Password Entry
Label
The label built into the button block on the first page of the survey. Generally this is brief—longer instructions can be inserted above the login as a
text graphic.
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Link Question
For the passwords to be collected, you have to have a question for them in
the SP4 database. Occasionally you’ll link the password entry to an existing question (multiple survey files), or you can create a new field. See
page 166.
Resume options
Descriptions of the shared controls are on page 169.
Unique Respondent ID File
Use this option whenever each value in the PIN file represents one individual.
Respondent ID File
This is the name and location of the PIN file which contains your passwords. Have SurveyPro create a list of passwords, or convert an existing
list of values into a SurveyPro PIN file. See page 170.
One-time use
In most cases, this password type is used to limit respondents to a single
submission, but you can also allow respondents to submit multiple times
by turning off One-time use. Each time the respondent enters their password they will be welcomed back with the survey they paused, or if there
is no partial survey, they will be offered the opportunity to start a new survey. If you want respondents to be able to start multiple surveys in parallel (rather than sequentially) use Shared Password(s) with a file.
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161
Case Sensitive
it’s best to indicate this in the Label. Note that the Apian 4 and 5 digit values are designed not to check for case.
Respondent ID Entry Label
The label built into the button block on the first page of the survey. Generally this is brief—longer instructions can be inserted above as a text
graphic.
Link Question
page 166.
Resume options
Respondent Name and Password File
If your respondents have a familiar user name and password, this is a convenient way to give them access to the survey. It’s best to maintain consistent security for this information, so if your respondents usually enter
their login via an encrypted page, have your survey also running under
SSL.
If your respondents do not have a familiar username and password pairing, it is generally better to issue a single new unfamiliar value than to use
two unfamiliar ones. The security is comparable, especially if you use the
SurveyPro generated passwords which are non-sequential. It is a particularly bad idea to create a name and password pairing which combines two
familiar yet unrelated values for the respondent.
This is the most complex login to set up, because you need to tell the system how to handle the user name and password individually, as well as
how they’re handled together.
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162
Respondent NamePassword File
The server requires the names and passwords be in a special format to
handle logins quickly and without errors, so you’ll need to take your existing user name/password list and convert it to a SurveyPro PIN file (see
page 170). Once the file is built, you’ll link to it here.
One-time use
In most cases, this password type is used to limit respondents to a single
submission, but you can also allow respondents to submit multiple times
by turning off One-time use. Each time the respondent enters their password they will be welcomed back with the survey they paused, or if there
is no partial survey, they will be offered the opportunity to start a new survey. If you want respondents to be able to start multiple surveys in parallel (rather than sequentially) use Shared Password(s) with a file.
Case Sensitive
it’s best to indicate this in the Label. Note that the Apian 4 and 5 digit values are designed not to check for case.
Name or Password unique
NetCollect needs to know whether within your list the name is a unique
value, the password is unique, or only together do the two make a unique
entry.
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Strict match to password /
name
When the name or password is unique by itself, you have the option of
doing a partial match to the other value. For example, imagine asking
respondents to enter their company name along with their customer ID.
Because the customer ID is a unique value, you can use the name simply
as a confirmation they didn’t make a typo. In this case, you might want to
allow “Smith” as the company name even though your PIN file lists
“Smith Inc.” as the name. In most cases, though, you do want the strict
check on both values, so you would leave this box marked.
Respondent “Name” /
“Password” Entry
The labels built into the button block on the first page of the survey. Generally this is brief—longer instructions can be inserted above as a text
graphic. Because you can tailor this text, your login can use any two values for entry, not just a name and password.
Link Question
For the names and passwords to be collected, you have to have questions
for them in the SP4 database. Occasionally you’ll link the password entry
to existing questions (multiple survey files), or you can create new fields.
See page 166.
Resume options
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Outside application launch passes unique ID
This login option is via URL only, so there are no controls for providing
respondent instructions. Because the Respondent ID is embedded in a
URL, it’s best to have the system remember the value when respondents
bookmark the survey to resume later.
Link Question
page 166.
Resume options
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Linking Passwords and Resumes to a Question
Both passwords and server issued codes are saved to fields within your
questionnaire. This means there needs to be a question associated to each
field to receive the information. If your SP4 file already contains questionnaires with password entries, you may be able to re-use an existing question with the Select Existing control. However, more frequently, you’ll
use the Create New option to add a question. Password questions are
added as Q1 in your database unless you have multiple questionnaire documents.
As with all questions in SurveyPro, it’s important to make sure you have
the right scale type selected. The compatible scales listed are the variants
of written answers, including patterns and the special Apian 4 and 5-digit
codes. If you’re not sure what type of values you’ll be using for the passwords, you can temporarily select S1: Short Countable Written and
update it later if needed.
Even if your passwords follow a pattern, you don’t need to create a specific pattern for this field because values will be checked against a pre-set
list in the PIN file. However, do be sure to pick the appropriate Apian 4 or
5 alphanumeric scales if you’re generating the values from SurveyPro as
this will do smart substitutions such as “0” for “o” and “1” for “l.” See
Understanding the NetCollect Special Passwords on page 171.
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166
Layout Tab
The login fields and buttons on your survey are a block of related layout
elements, similar to how headers are built. For an overview of their relationship to other elements, see Understanding Margins and Backgrounds in
NetCollect on page 58.
On the Layout tab, you can set the colors and borders for the login and
button region (button labels and styles are set in the Document Properties
Buttons tab on page 64). Sometimes you’ll want a slightly different design
on the login page from the other survey pages, so there are two sets of
layout options.
Background
Transparent lets the survey background show through, or you can select a
different color to place behind the buttons.
Width
You can stretch the lines or color band for the buttons to the edges of the
survey width or you can have SurveyPro size the box more closely around
the buttons.
Lines
Apply lines to the top, bottom, or sides of the buttons. The line weight can
be changed, as can the color.
Space above/below
Sets the gaps between the last question and the buttons, and the buttons
and the footer. See page 58.
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Layout
With some login types, you can arrange the login label, field, and button
stacked in three rows, or lined up in one row. This drop-down is disabled
for some of the more complex combinations.
Show RID/Pwd not ****
As a respondent is typing their password into the login page, they will normally see “*****” to prevent anyone looking over their shoulder seeing
the value. This also keeps browsers from automatically caching their
entry. Mark this box to display the real text instead—a convenience to
respondents when the password value is unfamiliar and the added security isn’t needed.
Label text style
Sets the font used for the labels integrated into the button set. Additional
instructions added as text graphics above the buttons may use a different
style.
Notice Text
As a respondent goes through the survey, there are error and information
notices that will appear in certain situations. This includes entering an
invalid password, and resuming a survey. Use this screen to modify the
default notices, keeping in mind that shorter notices are generally best.
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Most of these notices will appear embedded within another page, as with
a failed password which will present the login page for another try.
Depending on your login type, some of these notices may not appear on
this tab.
Survey finished
confirmation dialog
When the respondent clicks the Finish or Send Answers button after the
last question, a notice will pop up a small browser window asking them to
confirm that they are ready to send their information. You can disable this
confirmation, as well as editing the text used.
Edit Pause / Resume Page
The pause and resume pages are created and managed by NetCollect.
These buttons jump to the Page Properties for each one, allowing you to
change their notice (see page 104). Note that these pop-up screens do not
have scroll bars, so be sure to arrow down through the message text to be
sure you see all the content.
Pausing and Resuming Surveys
There are two aspects to pausing and resuming a survey:
•
Buttons and pages a respondent uses to save and return
•
Server settings for managing partially completed surveys
You’ll define the respondent interface using the Login dialog (see page
158), Page List dialog for pause notices (see page 104), and Buttons tab in
Document Properties (see page 64).
By default, partially completed surveys will never expire and their data is
saved to a separate PARTIALS file when a survey is closed. This may not
make sense for high volume consumer surveys, so you can opt to expire
partially completed surveys after they’ve been idle as briefly as a day.
When they expire, they will still be saved to a data file, but you can opt
not to import those responses. These settings are in the Control Panel, so
they can be adjusted as a survey goes on. See page 324.
Login Dialog Resume Controls
Bookmark or favorites
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There is no way to prevent a respondent from bookmarking a survey
page, so you have three options for how NetCollect should behave when it
receives a request to load a bookmarked page. Resume paused survey is
the default, and is what a respondent will expect in most circumstances.
Sends new survey login will simply bring up the survey’s usual welcome
page. Acts like failed login will also bring up the welcome page, but with
an error notice included in the text.
Pausing and Resuming Surveys
169
Enable resume from a
cookie
This acts similarly to resuming from bookmarks, but doesn’t require
respondents take direct action. It is not enabled by default because it’s not
a reliable method of resuming surveys. See more about cookies on page
154.
Disable password re-check
When using shared passwords with bookmarks or cookies, you can
require respondents re-enter their shared password when resuming the
survey.
Remember return user ID /
Respondent ID /
Name and Password
When using bookmarks or cookies, you can have the server “remember”
a respondent’s password or server-issued ID when they activate the bookmark or cookie. This does not write the password to the cookie or bookmark (the 11 digit session ID is used instead), but it does load the resume
page with their password pre-typed within it.
Server assigned 5When respondents are sharing computers (home use, hospital staff, facalphanumeric return user ID tory workers), bookmarks and cookies don’t work well for pausing and
resuming surveys. Instead, you can have the server issue each respondent
a 5-character alphanumeric code which they can write down and then use
to continue from another system.
Resume Code Entry
If you are using the server-issued resume code, you’ll need to type a label
just as you would for a password.
Link Question
As with passwords, the server-issued resume codes need to have a question in which to collect their values. See page 166.
Creating Password Files
Whether you’re having SurveyPro generate your password values or supplying your own, you need to create a NetCollect compatible PIN file for
your project. PIN files include indicators for status (not started, in
progress, done) and a place for the respondent’s 11 digit session ID, as
well as the passwords themselves. The list is sorted, allowing your server
to look for a value in a list of 1,000,000 almost as quickly as it can search
1,000. As the file is processed, it also makes sure there are no duplicate
values.
Always generate spare values! If you’re converting your own list, add
extras before converting the file for people who lose their password, lock
themselves out by submitting the survey empty, or are overlooked in the
original list. You can add values to PINs later, but it’s more complex than
planning ahead—see Updating Live PIN Files on page 173.
Important:
January 15, 2007
If your project is going to have e-mail invitations and reminders then you
will want to use the Respondent EMailer to generate your .PIN files. See
170
its documentation for how to smoothly weave these two software tools
together. The coordination starts at the point where you want to begin
testing your draft with a login and proceeds through to the live launch. A
flowchart shows several places in the survey development process where
you will want SurveyPro and Respondent EMailer to be synchronized.
Legal Values for Passwords
NetCollect’s passwords are quite tolerant, so you can use values which
include:
•
@ symbols, such as e-mail addresses
•
Spaces, such as names
•
Mixed case
•
Special characters such as punctuation and strong passwords
As always, longer and more complex passwords are a trade-off between
security and usability. If you use complex values, you may want to review
your survey’s logs to see how often people are having problems logging in
(see page 362).
Understanding the NetCollect Special Passwords
If you don’t have a list of passwords you want to use, NetCollect can generate them for you. These are non-sequential values, pulled from a large
pool to reduce the chances people will type a valid password. Within the
dialog for generating PINs, it will let you know the recommended maximum number of values to generate for each type. The three format
options are 4 and 5 digit alphanumeric, and all numbers which are 6 digits
with a hyphen in the middle.
For Web surveys, the 4 and 5 digit alphanumeric are the best options.
When these values are paired with the matching scale, they are case
insensitive and do smart substitutions for common human errors. For
example, if a respondent types the letter “o” instead of the number 0 in a
password, it will still admit them to the survey. Similar substitutions are
done for letters similar to 1 and 5.
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Make PIN File Dialog
This dialog can be used to generate new PIN files, convert lists of passwords from other sources, and to add passwords to an existing PIN file.
You can access it either from the Login dialog or from the Tools menu.
Fill new PINs
You can have NetCollect create a new file using the 4 or 5 character codes
that allow special substitutions. The values generated are non-sequential
and pulled from a large pool, minimizing chances a respondent will stumble across a valid password with either a typo or by trying random values.
Text word list
The passwords can be a simple list of words in a text file, separated by
spaces, commas, or semicolons. This only works when the passwords
themselves do not include spaces or punctuation.
Comma / Tab-delimited file If the passwords are exported from another source, such as an employee
database, they will often be in a comma or tab delimited file. Microsoft
Excel spreadsheets can also be saved CSV (comma separated value) files
which are compatible with the PIN file converter.
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Output PIN File Name
Select the name and location for the PIN file (generally the same place as
the SP4 file). When you Publish the survey, a copy of the PIN file will be
placed with your locally published files before uploading to the Web
server.
PIN Structure
When using a username and password combination, NetCollect needs to
know which value is unique as that is the one used to sort the file. If you
are only using a password with no user name, leave the setting on One
field.
Prepare file for case
insensitive lookup
This will convert your imported passwords to all uppercase before sorting
the list and checking for duplicates. Be sure to pair this with a case insensitive setting in the Login dialog.
Source Fields
These drop-down lists allow you to select the field within your delimited
file that contains the name or password.
Ignore record one
Often delimited ASCII files include field names as the first row, which
should be excluded to prevent creating a valid password of “Password.”
Match Scale
This will check the imported values against a scale, such as e-mail
addresses or a pattern you define to match your customer or employee
IDs.
Updating Live PIN Files
Sometimes long-running surveys require a password file be expanded.
Another common situation is when a respondent group is forgotten and
it’s more people than you have spare passwords.
PIN files are not just lists of acceptable values. They’re live files updated
on the Web server every time a respondent starts or finishes a survey.
Because of this, you need to create a window of time when nobody is
starting or finishing a survey to do the update—otherwise the PIN file
might miss somebody’s “Done” marker or lose their session ID for resuming. The NetCollect Control Panel has a special setting for this called
Maintenance Mode.
QuestionWeb users:
Because of how QuestionWeb handles file check-ins, you do not have
direct access to download and upload a live PIN file. If you need to do a
live update, contact Technical Support for assistance.
To update a live PIN file:
1. Using the Control Panel, set the survey to Maintenance Mode (see page 328)
2. Once respondents are locked out, use the Advanced Download dialog to grab
your PIN file (see page 337)
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3. Tools menu, Make PIN File
4. Select the Source just like you did the first time
5. Select the downloaded PIN file as the Output PIN File
6. At the overwrite prompt, select Merge and OK
Part of the Merge process is checking that there are no duplicates created
in the file.
7. Use Advanced Upload to re-post just the PIN file (see page 290)
8. Using the Control Panel, turn off Maintenance Mode
Because one has to lock out respondents during this process, it’s best
done outside your peak response times. While the PIN update itself can
be done in a couple minutes, a graceful shut-down as described under
Maintenance Mode takes about half an hour. What you want to avoid is
having a respondent click Next between pages 3 and 4 and seeing a “temporarily off-line” message.
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Chapter 11
Defining Logins
TUTORIAL
Your NetCollect Login impacts both the security of your survey and the
respondent’s experience. NetCollect supports a variety of password and
pause/resume configurations—this tutorial will walk you through both
anonymous and password restricted logins. If you’re new to Web surveys
and passwords, the conceptual information on page 153 may be helpful
before you dive in.
Specify multiple shared passwords
Set resume options for anonymous surveys
Edit the Pause page
Change button layouts
Edit button labels
Hide the Pause button
Create a password file from within SurveyPro
Convert a username and password file from another source
Using the Document Properties dialog
Tutorial Notes
General
Tutorial Files
On Finishing
Chapter 11 - Defining Logins
January 15, 2007
Publish to your own server (page 295) or a QuestionWeb Demo
folder (page 315)
175
1. Start SurveyPro and Open the sample file NC4 Tutorial - Passwords.SP4.
YourName Passwords Tutorial.SP4.
your preference.
Once again we have a Widget Association survey. As we get started, the
survey will let respondents enter with no password and the default
resume settings. Scan through the survey and note the buttons appearing
on the first, middle, and next-to-last pages. Right now, we’re using one of
NetCollect’s graphical VCR style button sets—later we’ll change that to
the browser button style.
Unlike many of the tutorials which take a linear approach from rough survey to final version, this tutorial is designed to introduce you to multiple
variations of the login feature so we’ll change the same settings several
times.
Applying a shared password
Shared or “global” passwords keep casual visitors from getting into your
survey while maintaining individual anonymity. This can be a single value
for everyone or you can use several values reflecting different divisions or
customer segments.
1. Bring up the NetCollect Respondent Management dialog by double-clicking
on the Start or Next buttons on any Web survey page.
2. Change the Survey Login to Shared Password(s).
It’s important to set the main Login type first as the other options on the
dialog depend on your selection.
3. Below the Survey Login, type as the Password “WidgetUSA, WidgetCanada”
Be sure to get the comma between the two values. Because the password
a respondent uses is saved with the rest of their answers, selectively
assigning values can sometimes save you asking a question or two on the
survey. In this case, the USA and Canadian chapters would issue their
members the password for their region, letting us track their membership.
If you have many values you’d like to use, you can create a PIN file instead
of manually typing them. We’ll get to PIN files later as we set up individual
respondent passwords.
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This survey doesn’t require much in the way of security, so we’ll make it
easier on respondents and leave the Case Sensitive box un-marked.
Now the first page of the survey has a line of instructions and an entry
blank for the password.
Setting resume options
NetCollect’s default settings allow respondents to pause and resume surveys by clicking the pause button
and bookmarking the pause page
or adding it to their Favorites. The bookmark resume works in most situations because each respondent will have a personal computer at work or
home that they’ll use to start and finish the survey. However, sometimes
you’ll have a respondent population using shared computers (such as
health care and student environments) and respondents may start the survey on one system, pause, and finish on another computer. For that situation, we can have the server issue a unique code to each respondent,
which they can jot down and use to resume later from a different computer.
1. Double-click on the login area to bring up the dialog again.
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2. In the upper-right corner, check Server assigned 5-alphanumeric return user
ID and click OK to save.
The values the server issues are in the special NetCollect format which
tolerates common errors such as a lowercase “l” or uppercase “I” for a
one “1.” The substitutions are especially handy in this situation where
respondents will be resuming off a scribbled note. (See page 171.)
Changing login labels
NetCollect added a second field for the resume ID, but if you were a
respondent arriving at this page would you completely understand what
was going on? The server-issued code is a great option for surveys, but it’s
not a common Web interface so we need to expand on the instructions a
bit.
1. Double-click on the login area again.
Our two labels are at the bottom of the screen. While brevity is often
good, don’t be afraid to be a little verbose in your instructions.
2. Change the Shared Password Entry Label to “Enter the password to start a
new survey”
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3. Change the Resume Code Entry Label to “To finish a survey, enter the 5 digit
code you received when pausing”
4. Click OK to see the changes.
That’s better for clarity, but the button labels are blending into the instructions above. We can make them stand apart a little more by adjusting the
borders and font.
Changing the login layout
1. Bring up the login dialog again.
2. Select the Layout tab.
3. For the Login Button Area on the left side of the dialog, turn on Top and
Bottom lines, 3 pixels wide, in gray.
4. At the bottom of the dialog, change the Label text style to T2: Scale.
Now the login area is easily distinguished from the rest of the Welcome
page message.
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Editing the Pause page
In our shared computer environment, we don’t want respondents to bookmark the survey or someone else could finish their questionnaire. If we
want to be strict we can use the Login dialog to reject bookmarked pages,
but in any case we need to modify the default Pause page instructions.
1. On the toolbar, click the Edit page list button
.
3. Click in the message area and arrow down to read the full text.
4. Delete the first paragraph, and edit the second paragraph to say:
“Write down your personal access code so you can finish later from another
computer:
_SERVER_SET_RID”
When you see all capital letters with underscores in NetCollect, it’s a variable which the server will replace on the fly—in this case with the 5 digit
server issued code. In addition to including _SERVER_SET_RID on the
Pause page, you can also type that code in the survey instructions, perhaps telling respondents to jot it down when they start the survey.
5. Click OK to save the Pause properties, and OK again to close the Page List
dialog.
To see the final Pause page, the survey would need to be running on a
Web server. Always remember to test all aspects of your projects!
Creating a file of unique passwords
Unique passwords (or user name/password combinations) are the only
way to restrict each respondent to a single submission. The values can be
generated by NetCollect or you can import a list of existing customer or
employee IDs. We’ll be doing both in this tutorial.
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1. Double-click on the login buttons.
2. Change the Survey Login to Unique Respondent ID file.
Under Resume, our server assigned ID option just disappeared because
respondents can resume with their password instead.
3. Under Respondent ID File click the Make File button.
The dialog defaults to generating passwords from scratch and to a PIN file
in the same location as our SP4 file, which is just what we want. You may
be tempted to mark the case insensitive option, but if you’re using scale
30 or 31 the Apian passwords, it will automatically be case insensitive (see
Understanding the NetCollect Special Passwords on page 171).
4. Our association has 1500 members but we want plenty of spares, so in the
lower right area, enter as the Number to make “2000”
5. Click OK to generate the file and OK again on the confirmation.
Selecting a question for the password
1. Our new file is selected in the Login dialog, so click OK to save your settings.
Oops, we have an error notice. When we set up the initial login, NetCollect automatically created some questions to manage the password
and resume codes. Because we’ve been mucking around a bit, it wants us
to be more specific about the field we use.
2. Click Cancel on the error notice.
3. On the lower-left, click the Link Question button.
4. Leave the setting on Create New and select S30: Apian 4-alphanumeric user
ID which matches the values we generated.
If instead you used S1: Short Countable Written, NetCollect wouldn’t be
able to do the smart substitutions and would be much more strict on the
entries.
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5. Click OK to save the new question
6. Do a quick fix on the password Label, changing it to “Enter your password”
click OK to close the Login dialog.
Hiding the pause button
Respondents who pause don’t always come back to finish, so in some
cases the best response rate is achieved by not giving them a pause
option.
1. On the toolbar, click the Edit page list button
.
3. Check Disable Pause Page, OK and OK again.
Now as you scroll through the survey, the middle pages only have two
buttons for forward and back.
Changing button text
Earlier we changed the login labels, but now we’ll go ahead and change
the button text itself.
1. On the toolbar, click the Document Properties button
.
2. Select the Buttons tab.
3. Change the Button Style to Browser Button labels.
Note that the buttons are grouped by type, with the login page, middle
pages, and next to last page each having their own label settings.
4. Change a couple of the labels to your preference and click OK.
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If you have a graphic designer, you can have them create new graphical
button sets for your surveys (see page 359). Otherwise, the browser buttons will let you tailor the text or translate it to other languages.
Converting a list of user names and passwords
We’re down to the last section!
The Widget Association has a Web site where its members log in to see
member-only information. Rather than issue respondents a fresh password for the survey, instead they exported the login list from their site.
Creating password files is just like importing other data files into SurveyPro. You’ll need to know whether the first row is data or field names, and
what data is in which column. In this case, our file is quite simple:
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1. Bring up the Login dialog.
2. Set the Survey Login to Respondent Name and Password file.
3. Our file uses the member’s e-mail address for the “Name” so in the lower-left
corner change the Respondent “Name” Entry Label to “Enter your e-mail
address”
SurveyPro has defaulted to a new question for the password which is fine,
but we need to link to one for the e-mail address.
4. Under Respondent “Name” Entry click Link Question.
5. Leave it on the defaults and click OK.
6. Under Respondent Name-Password File click Make File.
Again, most of the defaults are just what we need. The Source is set on
Comma-delimited file which is the same type as our CSV file.
7. Next to the ASCII File blank at the top, click the Browse button
.
8. Select NC4 Tutorial - Passwords.csv from your SurveyPro Samples folder and
click Open.
9. Leaving the rest of the path alone, change the Output PIN File Name to
“Yourname namepassword.pin”
The next few fields relate to the contents of your particular list. In many
cases, the Name is the unique field, but the Passwords may repeat as mul-
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tiple people use “fluffy” as their favorite pet name. At other times the
password may be unique, or only the combination of the two fields. In our
file, the “Name” or e-mail address is the unique field, so the default is correct.
10. Check Prepare file for case insensitive lookup so people who habitually
capitalize their e-mail address won’t be rejected.
11. Set the Name Source Field to Field 1, and the ID Source Field to Field 2.
12. Check Ignore record one so nobody can enter with “E-mail address” and
“Password,” our column headings.
13. Click OK to build the password PIN file, and OK on the success notice.
When SurveyPro converts your CSV file into a PIN file, it’s adding fields
for the session ID and status (not started, in progress, done), sorting the
fields for fast searches, and checking for duplicate entries. This is why you
can’t simply rename your CSV file with a PIN extension.
14. The rest of the definition is good, so click OK to close the Login dialog.
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And on the first page of the survey, we have yet another login blank and
button arrangement:
That’s it for your whirlwind tour of passwords! If you’re linking to a survey
from a Web site or e-mail invitation you may also want to see Embedded
Surveys on page 187 for information on embedding the password in the
starting link.
If you want to play with your final login, you can publish your file to your
own server (page 295) or a QuestionWeb Demo folder (page 315).
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Chapter 12
Embedded Surveys
REFERENCE
What’s an embedded survey?
It can be as simple as embedding the respondent’s password in their starting URL, asking the respondent to confirm the address you have on file
for them, or saving the data out to ASCII format as well as SDH.
Or it can be a sophisticated custom Web application developed around
your surveys which delivers the proper questionnaire versions to 360
respondents based on their language preference, division, and position in
the organization chart.
Chapter Contents:
Understanding Embedded Surveys in NetCollect . . . . . . . . . 188
Key Concept: Embedded Survey Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Example 1: Welcome Jane, Please Confirm Your Address 191
Key Concept: Data is Data to NetCollect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Example 2: Evaluating a Particular Service Experience . 192
Example 3: Streamlining 360 Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Example 4: Looping the Respondent Through Questions 194
Key Concept: Watch your Cause and Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
NetCollect’s Internal Data Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Data Piping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
ASCII vs. SQL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Piping Information into a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Piping Answers Out of a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Field Matchups for Piping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Creating Starting or Ending Handshakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Starting a Survey with Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
On Exit Completed — Sending Respondents to a URL . . . 215
NetCollect’s URL Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Advanced Embedded Survey Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Using Temporary Files to Obscure URL Data . . . . . . . . . . 220
On Incomplete for a Custom Error Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Resume URLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Piping Status Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Chapter 12 - Embedded Surveys
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Understanding Embedded Surveys in NetCollect
Embedded surveys were developed to give a you great deal of flexibility
in creating interactive questionnaires, from both respondent and
data/systems perspectives.
Unless you’re 100% certain all you want to do is embed a password in
your starting URL (see page 213), this arena has a lot of new information
to absorb. Here’s one approach for building a solid foundation of NetCollect’s embedded features:
1. Read the descriptions of key terms on page 189.
2. Work through the two tutorials following this chapter, and don’t worry if you
don’t understand everything as clearly as you might have with other lessons.
At first you’re after the big picture.
3. Read the conceptual information in this chapter, all the way through the
page turner NetCollect’s Internal Data Format on page 197. While some of the
information will not apply to your surveys, even the examples you won’t use
will help raise your awareness of the features and issues.
4. Zero in on the specific features you’re planning on using from the latter part
of this chapter.
5. Consider taking a second pass through the tutorials to firm up what you’ve
learned, as well as to use them as a framework for trying out variants.
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This may seem excessive, but embedded surveys are the border in NetCollect between point-and-click features and custom Web development—
and in this chapter we start throwing around fun terms like hexadecimal
encoding. If you invest the time in really understanding the options, you
may discover you can enhance your respondent experience and simplify
your data handling more than you ever imagined with your surveys. You
may also discover ways to minimize or eliminate custom programming
fees if that was a direction you were heading. Finally, the more familiar
you are with some of the underlying dynamics, the better you’ll be able to
configure and test your surveys to avoid costly data errors.
Key Concept: Embedded Survey Terms
“Piping” is one of those terms in surveys which is used in many different ways. Before we go too far, here are
some common terms and how they relate to NetCollect’s embedded surveys.
Pipe In
Pulling data from an outside source into your survey. The source may be ASCII data files or a SQL
compatible database. The data pulled into the survey may be based on a demographic or other category
question, such as pulling in a department name and manager when the respondent enters a department
code. It can also be specific to a particular respondent, such as a reminder of the last product they
purchased. One survey may have multiple Pipe Ins defined.
Pipe Out
All NetCollect surveys generate SDH data files which are what download and import when you Get Latest
Data in SurveyPro. In addition, you can generate ASCII data files containing answers to some or all of the
questions. You can also write data directly to a SQL database. One survey may have multiple Pipe Outs.
Pipe Answer Forward
On page 2 the respondent may say their favorite brand is Gadget, but your survey may not get to brandspecific questions until page 6. Answer piping can be used to copy their response forward in the survey,
either within a text comment or setting a starting value in a later editable question. This is not
considered an embedded survey function as it doesn’t access any external files or systems. See page
137.
ASCII Data File
This is an easily generated and widely usable data format. With embedded surveys ASCII files can be
used for bringing information into a survey (such as the respondent’s address) or saving data out for use
by people without SurveyPro.
SQL Compatible Database
When many people see SQL (pronounced “sequel”) they think of a particular database such as Microsoft
SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle or Microsoft Access. In fact, SQL stands for Structured Query Language and is
a database format to which these specific applications conform. NetCollect’s data piping works at this
fundamental level so you can connect your surveys to a wide range of databases.
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Key Concept: Embedded Survey Terms
URL with Data
We’re accustomed to typing simple URLs such as:
http://questionweb.com/11706/
but when looking at embedded surveys, we’re often using more complex addresses:
http://questionweb.com/11706/Piping.asp?P1=EL0&Q1=12
URLs with data embedded—either starting a survey or coming from a finished questionnaire—are a
relatively straightforward way to pass information between Web applications. See Starting a Survey with
Data on page 213 and NetCollect’s URL Syntax on page 217.
Within the Embedded feature set, most NetCollect users will be working
with the following functions:
•
Piping In from ASCII files, such as using the respondent’s individual
password to bring in demographic data, either as a visible information
for confirmation or hidden fields. See page 201.
•
Piping Out to ASCII files to save either the whole data file or sub-sets
such as address changes. While you can always export this
information from SurveyPro after importing the SDH file, this lets you
create a file which can be downloaded and exchanged directly from
the Web server. See page 205.
•
Building a starting survey URL that contains information such as the
respondent’s password or name. See page 213.
•
Sending the finished respondent to a page on another site instead of a
NetCollect Thanks page. See page 215.
In addition, some surveys will use these functions:
•
Sending data out in the exiting URL for use by another Web
application—or even to loop a respondent through the same survey
again. See page 215.
•
Piping In information from a SQL database such as a CRM program
or employee database. See page 204.
•
Piping Out data to a SQL database to update respondent information
or survey status. See page 208.
There are two reasons these last three features are less frequently used.
First, they are simply not needed as frequently as the ASCII piping or
launching the survey with a password in the URL. Second, they tend to
require technical assistance from a programmer or database administrator. See ASCII vs. SQL on page 200 for pros and cons of the two methods.
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Before we get into the specific features and their dialogs, we’ve described
several typical applications and what you’d use to implement them. If
after reading the examples you’re not sure which features to combine to
get the particular effect you want, Apian Tech Support or the discussion
list (http://apian.com/lists/) may be able to point you in the right
direction. In more complex projects, you may prototype a few different
options to see which one produces the best combination of respondent
experience, data collection and analysis.
Example 1: Welcome Jane, Please Confirm Your Address
Any time you use individual passwords, you have an opportunity to bring
in information for that particular respondent. With customers, this can be
an excellent time to update your database.
The tutorial on page 225 uses a two-step process to confirm contact information. It pipes the address data into hidden fields and displays that information in text for the respondent to see. The respondent then indicates
whether or not they need to make changes, and if not, they’re skipped
ahead. For those who do need to update their information, the data
appears on the next page in editable fields.
The advantage of this approach is that you now have an explicit field indicating whether information was updated. If you don’t need that, if instead
you’ll be updating your database with all respondent submissions, then
you could have skipped the hidden fields and “make changes?” question,
piping straight to the editable questions.
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Key Concept: Data is Data to NetCollect
As you design your embedded surveys, keep in mind two concepts:
All data needs a question to hold it
Even if you don’t want a respondent to act on or see the data you’re pulling in, or even if it’s just to
display information in a text graphic, SurveyPro’s database needs fields to hold it. The mechanism to
create a database field in SurveyPro is to add a question. See Using Hidden Fields on page 137 for how to
create invisible questions within a survey. You’ll also work with hidden questions in the piping tutorial on
page 225.
Once an answer is in a question, you can act on it like any other question
The scripts don’t care whether the information was entered by a respondent or brought in from a SQL
database. They also don’t care whether the data is in a visible, editable question or a hidden one. This
means you can set up skips and branches based on piped in information. You can even get creative and
do something like pass a demographic code in the starting URL, and later use that hidden value to
trigger a data pipe.
Tip: If you’re not seeing your hidden questions appear in the skip dialog, check their scales.
Example 2: Evaluating a Particular Service Experience
Most of us have seen “Please rate your experience” pages or e-mails after
a customer service contact or on-line purchase. Very often, the feedback
URL is not just a simple link, but embeds information about our transaction such as a ticket number or order ID. With NetCollect, you can set up
this type of feedback system without any custom coding.
•
Set up the survey to launch only when it gets a password embedded in
the URL (see page 213).
•
Use the Outside application launch survey login method that lets you
build a password list on the fly (see page 165):
This way, you don’t have to create a PIN file in advance with all the
possible ticket or order numbers. However, once NetCollect receives
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a password, it will act just like a pre-set value in resuming partial
surveys and restricting the respondent to a single submission.
•
Optionally, use the password to trigger a SQL or ASCII pipe that
brings in details such as the contact date, customer service
representative, contact reason, order total, etc. (see page 204). This
can be visible data to remind the respondent what they’re evaluating,
or tucked away in hidden fields.
•
Also optionally, when the respondent finishes you can embed their
customer or ticket ID in the exit URL, handing them back to the Web
application running the support site or e-commerce system (see page
215).
Example 3: Streamlining 360 Surveys
360 surveys provide tremendously valuable feedback, but can be a bit of a
headache to administer. In their simpler forms, you can leave it up to the
respondent to supply the name of who they’re evaluating and indicate the
relationship on each form they submit. This is a fairly straightforward process, perhaps with some skips to handle questions specific to certain relationships.
However, pre-building all the relationship lists can produce higher quality
data, making the process easier for respondents and removing selection
biases when respondents evaluate only a portion of their peers or direct
reports. So if you know John needs to evaluate his manager Jane, peers
Bob and Nancy, and direct reports Linda and Peter, how do you construct
the 360?
You build a portal. The link you send respondents includes a URL and
password which log them into a personal “home page” for the 360 surveys. This page is a list of the relationships they need to evaluate, each
one with a survey link behind it. When the respondent completes a survey, they don’t stop at a Thanks page, but instead are sent back to the portal to complete another evaluation.
This is a custom Web application, and like any development project can
be very simple or very elaborate—and sometimes making things simple
to respondents requires very elaborate code. A few issues to consider in
your development:
•
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How do you restrict respondents to a single submission for each
relationship?
193
•
Will you show respondents the status on each survey (not started, in
progress, finished)?
•
Do the different relationships require different questionnaires?
•
Can you handle respondents with exceptions like two managers?
•
Can you add missed respondents after the survey launches? (We’ve
seen entire departments be overlooked.)
•
How will you deal with incorrect relationships after the survey
launches? With large organizations the relationship list can take
weeks to build, and people move in that time.
•
Do the respondents need to pick a language for their surveys?
•
How many respondents will be able to log into the portal at once?
•
Can you generate a status list so you can send a reminder e-mail to
respondents who haven’t finished all their surveys?
This sort of setup can also be used with other multiple-survey situations,
such as market research respondent panels. In that case, you would want
to allow surveys to drop off the portal as they expire and new ones to be
added.
To hook the assorted survey copies into the portal, the primary tools are
initiating surveys with data in the URLs and passing data back out in the
URL on exit (see page 212). The portal itself may be a combination of flat
files and databases to manage the respondents and the surveys they’re to
complete—you can also tap into the status notification in SQL pipe-outs.
Example 4: Looping the Respondent Through Questions
What if you want respondents to rate all their equipment vendors using
the same twenty questions for each one? Smaller organizations may only
have two vendors, while a large firm may have a dozen.
Or what if you’re using a Web survey as a data entry mechanism, and you
don’t know whether your mystery shoppers will be entering one evaluation or dozens in a stint?
You could simply set the Done URL to the start of the survey, but then the
respondent has to identify themselves repeatedly, which is irritating
enough with just a password, and going to kill your response rate if the
survey has more substantial one-time questions like their criteria for
selecting vendors or demographics.
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You could also pick a worst case total of the questions and make duplicates of the questions. Unfortunately that has some reporting headaches
because you may end up with Caterpillar evaluations in the first and third
set of ratings, and John Deere in the first, second and fourth.
So, the best approach both for the respondent and analysis is a loop. To
construct a looping survey, you’ll need to:
•
Set the survey to an optional embedded URL launch—this lets
respondents manually log in the first time, but then the scripts can
loop them through later passes.
•
Select Unique Respondent ID File for the passwords, but un-check
One-time use. What the scripts will do in this case is resume a
respondent in whatever iteration of the survey they’re completing,
without the need for a separate resume code and without locking
them out after one submission. You’ll also end up with a unique
identifier for each respondent in all their records.
•
Be sure you have a page break before and after the looping portions of
the survey. The following bullets assume the one-time questions
precede the looping section, but you could reverse that order or put
the loops in the middle by playing around with your skips.
•
Put a hidden question on the login page which will be used to identify
whether or not this is the respondent’s first time through.
•
Add a yes/no or single checkbox question at the end of the looping
portion asking respondents whether they need to do another
evaluation.
•
From the last page of the survey, set a skip on that question that sends
respondents either to the Thanks page or to an exit URL (the tutorial
on page 241 sets up an exit skip).
•
Send data out in the exit URL, including their password and a fixed
portion of the URL which identifies the later initiations as loops. You’ll
also want to send out any data which you want to appear in every
record, such as the company name. Be very cautious sending onetime ratings or demographics through the loop. You may need some
answers to appear in each record to do filtering or cross-tabs on the
looped questions, but when you tabulate the demographics or ratings
themselves be sure to apply a Form Select which only includes
records from the first time a respondent went through. (If you don’t
forward the values and then discover you did need them, you can
quickly fix it up with an export and keyed import in SurveyPro.) See
Creating Starting or Ending Handshakes on page 212 for more, including
pros and cons of using URLs and files for passing the data.
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•
Set a skip based on that hidden question to jump looping respondents
past the pages containing one-time questions.
Note: You can also set up loops in anonymous surveys. In that case, you’ll
need to create some sort of unique ID to identify all the submissions from
one respondent. You could use the first submission’s Respondent ID if you
pipe it out into an additional field, but watch your causes and effects (see
page 196) on that one. The pause settings should also be bookmark only,
as the server would be issuing a new 5-digit resume code for each loop,
and the respondents are likely to be confused by that and get errors when
they try to resume using a prior loop’s code.
Key Concept: Watch your Cause and Effect
Within your embedded surveys, you’ll set up trigger events on particular pages—sometimes with multiple
events between survey pages. The normal order of operations is:
1.Respondent clicks Next
2.Field checks confirm their responses are clean
3.Pipe-ins for that page execute to bring in additional data
4.Skips and branches execute using both respondent supplied and piped in data
5.The next page is sent to the respondent
What happens if the respondent answers a trigger question, but then decides to back up a few pages and
changes their answer? A big part of NetCollect’s development was making these events work “naturally” and
you should be conscious of what it’s doing so you can properly construct and test your surveys. With any
survey testing, it’s always good to ponder “How can a respondent misbehave?” and try everything they might
do incorrectly along with the things they should be doing. In our experience, respondents back up a lot.
If you pipe information into an editable field (as in the tutorial on page 225) the respondent may change the
data and then back up. Even if they go back past the page containing the piping trigger, NetCollect will keep
the changes they made to the information and will not re-do the piping as they go forward again.
However, if a respondent changes their answer to the trigger question, the piping or skip will re-execute
when they go forward. With piping, the new information will overwrite any original data brought in, including
respondent changes. But what if different fields were filled in based on different triggers? While a
respondent is going through a survey, all their answers are saved, including skip paths they abandon after
backing up. On the data commit, their session is tidied so that only answers to the pages of their final skip
path are saved. This may not clean up orphan values in hidden fields in certain piping setups, so check what
data comes in to your SP4 file if you’ve got multiple pipings to hidden fields. You may need to do some data
cleaning (Form Select based Mass Replaces) or add Form Selects to certain report figures.
If your survey has points where you really don’t want the respondent backing up, one tactic is to remove the
Back button from key pages. See Editing the HTML/ASP Pages on page 355.
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NetCollect’s Internal Data Format
Before you define embedded operations, it’s important to understand how
NetCollect works with data internally.
Each question is tied to a unique data field identified with a Q number,
such as Q59. If you have a single questionnaire document in your survey,
the Q numbers will probably be in the same order as the questions on the
page. With multiple questionnaire documents, Q numbers will increment
as you insert new questions, even though the additions may be in the middle of the questionnaire. In some cases, the Q numbers will display in the
HTML code with leading zeros, such as Q0059.
Scales set the data structure for each question. Data piping has an option
of mapping SurveyPro’s checkbox values to different values in your ASCII
files or SQL database (both piping tutorials go through this), but other
scales and the URL passes require native NetCollect formats.
Certain layout options like random and reverse will rearrange the box
labels in a survey (see page 127), so be sure you’re referencing the correct
underlying scale box numbers or values if you’re handing a data transfer
spec to your programmer.
Remember that the following categories are the underlying scale types,
and that any of these scales can be placed on a questionnaire in a hidden
or type-in format.
Single Answer Checkboxes
When you create a checkbox scale, you type a series of labels. The first
label is in row 1 (the gray number just to the left, not the Val column), the
second is row 2, and so forth. These box numbers are the internal value
stored for that checkbox label, and therefore are also the default value
used in embedded data transfers.
Multiple Answer Checkboxes As with single answer checkboxes, each label is identified with a box number starting from 1. You also have to watch whether the displayed order is
being modified.
Many databases treat multiple answer checkboxes as a series of data
fields, one per checkbox and each one either on or off. NetCollect, however, uses a single data field to hold all the boxes marked on a question.
When doing pipe ins and outs, you’ll have the option to map NetCollect’s
single field to multiple fields, but those multiple fields have to be in the
same order as the checkbox labels.
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When embedding multiple answer checkbox data in a URL, use the box
number separated by semicolons. The semicolons will need to be
encoded as %3B.
Ratings
Stores the numeric rating, whether -3 to 3, 1-5, etc.
Forced Rank
As with checkboxes, stores a number associated with the ranking label.
Again, be sure not to mix up the label number and the Pts column (which
is used for reporting in SurveyPro).
Numbers
These are stored as a straight number, with or without decimals. % and $
symbols are not stored.
Without answer checking, NetCollect will accept invalid answers such as
“~5” in a survey, and then catch them for a cleaning pass on import. However, if this question is part of an embedded operation, you’ll want to
enable the answer tests so a clean value is captured from the respondent
(see page 134). You can also apply patterns to number scales if you want
to limit entries to a range or to collect a consistent decimal format.
Dates
The scale defines the format, whether it’s mm/dd/yyyy; Month Day, Year;
or another format. As with number values, be sure to turn on answer tests
to pass a clean value. Note that certain close but unambiguous values will
generally work, such as Apr 13, 2006 for the above format. However, test
carefully any time you don’t have an exact pattern match for your piping.
Written Answers
There are a couple types of written answers in NetCollect.
Short written answers are limited to a single line and 200 characters. This
is the format used by the Other blanks associated with checkbox scales, as
well as for user-defined questions for names, cities, etc. Single answer
short writtens expect one value per field. Multiple answer short writtens
have the same total character limit, but will parse responses separated by
semicolons “CRM; project management”.
You can apply patterns on top of short written answers to enforce a format, such as a telephone number, ID, etc. Be sure to enable the server side
answer test (see page 134) to get a clean submission. Defining patterns is
covered in the main SurveyPro Help file.
In addition to the short format, NetCollect has long comments, often
referred to as “memo” fields in databases. These entries can have up to
10,000 characters per response, and may include line or paragraph
breaks.
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NetCollect generated fields
In addition to the questions you create, a couple additional fields are
saved with each survey response and available for embedded operations.
The abbreviation in parentheses after each one is how it would appear in
a URL string.
NetCollect Pages (FPAGES)
This field includes all the pages the respondent submitted in their final
path through the survey such as “1; 2; 3; 4; 5; Done”. It can be used to distinguish respondents who finished the survey from those who stopped
mid-way through, as well as for seeing whether there was a pattern in
where partial surveys stopped.
Form’s Questionnaire
Number (FDOC)
The questionnaire document number as it appears on the tabs in your SP4
file.
Form’s Origination Date
(FDT)
The date and time each respondent completed the survey, saved in the
format “Dec 23, 05 08:10”. If you open a CSV in Excel it will translate this
entry to its own default date/time format.
Form’s Unique ID (FID)
This is the session ID used by the Web server scripts to manage each survey response. It is designed to be unique to one submission, retired on
completion of a questionnaire and generated on each new survey start.
While the server engine uses these IDs heavily, you are unlikely to refer to
them. The occasional application for a survey manager is investigating
respondent problems by cross-checking individual responses against survey log entries (see page 362).
Session IDs are 11 digit values with two hyphens such as “2m7j-r8hx-v2x”
in your data files, and in a URL you may see the hyphens replaced with a
“%2D” encoding.
Data Piping
Whether you’re piping data in or out of your survey, the next section
ASCII vs. SQL is a useful summary of the strengths of each approach. Following that is Piping Information into a Survey on page 201 with an overview of Pipe Ins and then details on the ASCII and SQL dialog controls.
Or, if you’re piping out, see Piping Answers Out of a Survey on page 205,
again with general information and then specific dialog controls for each
format. The last section, Field Matchups for Piping on page 210, covers the
shared matchup dialog and its related scale value mapping.
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ASCII vs. SQL
There are two basic ways to pipe data in and out of a survey. You can
work with ASCII files, using a format such as a CSV file to read and write
information. Or you can connect respondents to a SQL compatible database such as Microsoft Access, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or Oracle.
Each technology has its strengths, and even if you have information in a
SQL database already, you may opt to use ASCII for a given project.
To compare the two options, let’s look at a customer service satisfaction
survey. We want to e-mail the customers for whom we have e-mail
addresses, send a postcard to the others, and have everyone confirm their
contact information within the survey.
If you’re conducting the survey quarterly, you go to your database administrator and have them export the names and addresses for all the customers who contacted you in the last quarter. In a spreadsheet or other
program, you sift through the data file checking for duplicates and cleaning entries where customers said their e-mail address was
“[email protected].” Once the master contact list is clean, you add a
unique ID (if there wasn’t one already), split the file, and send one part to
your e-mail list administrator and the other to your mailing house for the
postcards. For the survey, you put a copy of the address data in ASCII format on your local hard drive with your SurveyPro SP4 file. Then you create the embedded survey instructions and when you publish NetCollect
uploads your ASCII file along with the survey pages. As the data is collected, you pass the updated addresses to a data entry clerk to make corrections in your customer database.
But what if the satisfaction survey is conducted continuously instead of
quarterly? The easiest trigger for sending the invitation would be closing a
service ticket, which happens around the clock in many call centers. So
even if you had the spare time to do daily or weekly updates of the ASCII
file, that wouldn’t be fast enough for the invites going out via e-mail. In
this case, you’d sit down with your database administrator and Web server
administrator. You’d need to decide what fields will be accessed and written to by NetCollect, and sort out permissions between the two applications—or in some cases two servers. Once the data procedures are
designed and tested, you set up the embedded survey instructions to pull
the address data real-time from the customer database and then to update
changed addresses real-time as well.
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ASCII Files
Key advantages: Straightforward, QuestionWeb compatible
Most of us have experience working with CSV and other ASCII files, so
this isn’t completely new territory. The files are managed as part of the
NetCollect survey, so you don’t have to worry about special uploads and
permissions. Using ASCII pipes on a survey may add less than a day to
your setup and testing time. Generally there’s no need to involve server
administrators.
SQL Connections
Key advantage: Real-time
SQL requires more of an up-front investment, but is worth it any time you
want to give multiple parties—whether human or server—up to the
minute access to the same data set. Because there’s no opportunity for
data cleaning between the database and your survey, it’s critical to get the
data formatted properly on both sides. Not all IT setups will let a public
Web server speak to an in-house database such as a CRM program, so be
sure to involve your IT people early in the planning. Any time you get into
server permissions and live data updates, add at least a week to your
launch timeline for design and testing—more if it takes a few days to get
meetings with your IT staff. SQL connections are not supported in
QuestionWeb folders.
Piping Information into a Survey
In some ways, piping in acts like a skip. It executes as the respondent submits a particular page, and uses a “Key” question which is similar to the
test question in a skip. The key value may have appeared on the page
being submitted or earlier in the survey, including in hidden fields or via
the starting URL. This is very similar to SurveyPro’s keyed imports, so if
you’ve used that feature some of the controls will be familiar.
A pipe in may write the same source field into one or more questions in
your survey (the tutorial on page 225 does a double write). You can have
several pipe ins for a survey, such as pulling product descriptions from an
ASCII pipe in file while the survey also grabs contact information from a
SQL database. A pipe in may write to the next page being loaded, or it
may also seed questions on future pages.
Be very careful of your data formats.
Test thoroughly.
Start by double-checking the scale definitions for both the key and receiving questions. Make sure you’re enforcing server answer tests if the key
value is a type-in response. Then confirm your data source—whether
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ASCII or SQL—matches that structure. If it doesn’t, you either need to
manipulate the inbound data to make it match, or in the case of checkbox
scales, add a value map (see page 211).
To define Pipe Ins:
2. Edit Embedded Operation
3. Data Piping tab
4. Insert, Modify, Delete or Duplicate the Pipe Ins in the upper half of the dialog
Pipe ins execute first based on the trigger page, then based on the order
they appear in this dialog (top of the list first). The order of the Pipe Ins
only matters if they cascade, such as the respondent’s password acting as
the key to bring in a car buyer’s history, and then the model they purchased keying a second pipe to list the vehicle details.
Specific dialog controls for ASCII follow, SQL is covered on page 204, and
their shared Field Matchups tab is on page 210.
ASCII Pipe-In file format
While ASCII is a “standard” format, there are several common flavors to
the files. The first tab of ASCII Pipe-Ins lets you specify the attributes of
your source file. See also Field Matchups for Piping on page 210.
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Pipe Name
This is an internal name for reference in the piping dialog—as with other
internal labels, concise is best.
Source/Target
Specify ASCII and browse to the source file you’re using. During Publish,
NetCollect will copy this file and then upload it to the Web server with
your survey pages, so it doesn’t have to be in the same spot as your SP4
file.
Delimiter
Comma is the most frequent delimiter, the one used in CSV file created by
Excel and other programs. You can also select Tab, a pipe character “|” or
a semi-colon. Any time a record contains one of these delimiter characters, the field must be enclosed in straight double quotes, such as "Jane
Smith, PhD".
Multiple-answer
checkboxes are
If any of the fields you’re piping are multiple answer checkbox data, the
answers may be in a single field “1;2;5” or in a series of on/off fields
“1,1,0,0,1” or “T,T,F,F,T” or “Y,Y,N,N,Y”.
First record
Many ASCII files have field names in the first row, in which case NetCollect will ignore its information.
Pipe from Page
This is the page after which data needs to appear in your survey (see the
order of operations on page 196). These page numbers are the same ones
which appear in SurveyPro’s design screen, so in most cases Page 1 will
be a password/welcome page. If you are launching a survey with data in
the URL, you can execute a pipe before page 1 loads using the 0=EL
selection.
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SQL Pipe-In database settings
You’ll need some assistance from your database administrator to fill in
this dialog. See also Field Matchups for Piping on page 210.
Pipe Name
Source/Target Table
Specify SQL and type the name of the table you want to access. Each SQL
pipe-in will only look in a single database table, so if you need to bring in
data from several tables you’ll need to use multiple pipe-ins.
Connection String
This is the “handshake” between the NetCollect survey on your Web
server and the SQL database. Your database administrator will need to
provide the exact syntax, and errors in this string are the most common
problem in configuring SQL piping.
Multiple-answer
checkboxes are
If any of the fields you’re piping are multiple answer checkbox data, the
answers may be in a single field “1;2;5” or in a series of on/off fields
“1,1,0,0,1” or “T,T,F,F,T” or “Y,Y,N,N,Y”.
Pipe from Page
This is the page after which data needs to appear in your survey (see the
order of operations on page 196). These page numbers are the same ones
which appear in SurveyPro’s design screen, so in most cases Page 1 will
be a password/welcome page. If you are launching a survey with data in
the URL, you can execute a pipe before page 1 loads using the 0=EL
selection.
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Piping Answers Out of a Survey
Piping out to ASCII is an easy way to pass data files to people who don’t
have a copy of SurveyPro—without your having to import and export
every time they want an update. The files can be accessed from the server
via the survey’s Control Panel, direct FTP/LAN permissions, or downloaded by the SurveyPro user with Advanced Download (see page 337). If
you have a big survey, remember to stay within any limits of the receiving
software, such as 256 columns/fields for Microsoft Excel.
SQL piping, while also sending data to other users, has the advantage of
updating an individual’s record in real time. With SQL you can also pipe
out status information for a respondent (covered on page 224 under
Advanced Embedded Survey Topics).
Answers are “piped out” or saved from your survey when a respondent’s
data is committed. This happens just before a respondent is sent their
done/thanks page or directed to an outside exit URL. Prior to data commit, each respondent’s answers are saved in a temporary file and considered to be indefinite because the respondent may back up and make
changes. Partially completed surveys are committed when they expire
(see page 324) and when you change modes from Test to Live or Live to
Closed. Part of the Pipe-Out definition is whether or not you want to
include partials.
Each survey can have multiple pipe-outs defined, and they will execute in
the order they appear in the Data Piping tab of the Embedded NetCollect
dialog (top row first). Execution order doesn’t matter for ASCII, but could
be an issue when you have multiple SQL pipe-outs.
Except with the Key field in SQL you cannot “filter” the pipe-outs to only
save selected records. However, the tutorial Loading Data into a Survey on
page 225 shows one way to construct a survey with designated update
fields. Other options may exist by adding an transition table between the
two systems or via custom coding.
The tutorial Handing Data to Other Systems on page 241 is the best introduction to piping out. While it only covers ASCII, it does walk you
through the matchup process including scale value mappings.
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To define Pipe-Outs:
3. Data Piping tab
4. Insert, Modify, Delete or Duplicate the Pipe-Outs in the lower half of the
dialog
Piping out to ASCII data files
The first tab of ASCII Pipe-Outs lets you specify the attributes of the data
file you want to create. See also Field Matchups for Piping on page 210.
Pipe Name
Source/Target
ASCII is the most convenient option for most data exchanges. See ASCII
vs. SQL on page 200.
File Name
Type the name of the file you’d like created. If the file will be archived, this
will become a “base” file name and the actual data files on the server will
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be in the format MemberAddresses_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.csv as well
as including the “TEST” and “PARTIALS” flags like the SDH data files.
Do not archive this file
Mark this box if you want all responses from the entire run of the survey
to collect in one file of the exact name you type. This is typically done for
shorter-running surveys where you don’t have to worry about people
downloading and importing records more than once. It’s also used when
the pipe-out from one survey is being used as a pipe-in source on another,
or for similar real-time exchanges between applications.
Do not add partial
completions
Mark this option if you don’t want partials included in the data file when
they expire or at mode changes. You can always import the SDH files containing partials and export them later if needed.
Delimiter
Comma is the most frequent delimiter, the one used in CSV file created by
Excel and other programs. You can also select Tab, a pipe character “|” or
a semi-colon.
Multiple-answer
checkboxes are
If any of the questions you’re piping out are multiple answer checkbox
data, you have two formatting options for the data. You can save
responses in a single field “1;2;5” or in a series of on/off fields “1,1,0,0,1”.
Test this if you are uncertain what your receiving application(s) require.
First record
Many ASCII files have field names in the first row. Given survey data
tends to include a lot of indistinguishable ratings by respondents
“1,2,5,3,1,1,2,” including the field names greatly increases your chances
the data will end up in the right fields when it’s imported.
Checkbox and rating
answers export as
See NetCollect’s Internal Data Format on page 197 for a full explanation on
how data is stored in SurveyPro and NetCollect. Here you have the option
of saving responses as 1/2/3/4 or Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor. This is a
preference of the receiving individuals or applications. Choosing Label
text will also significantly increase the file sizes created, though ASCII of
any format is usually of modest size and unlikely to be an issue. In addition to this general setting for the file, you can also override the values
used on a question-by-question basis (see page 211).
Put quotes around answers
You can opt to enclose written answers with quotes only when they
include a delimiter, paragraph break, or other special character as with
"Jane Smith, PhD". This works well with Excel and many other applications. Some other programs are more rigid, and may not see text fields
properly without every one being enclosed in double quotes.
One blank character in
empty written answers
Many applications will treat a single space in a field as “empty” while
some will not see fields with absolutely no content. This is a critical setting to test if your written answers will be used to update fields in another
file.
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Piping out to SQL databases
As this function involves writing to a shared database, these settings will
likely require some detailed conversations and careful testing with your
database administrator. Empty fields are very common with survey data,
so be sure that you are either requiring a response in every question piped
out or your database allows Nulls in those optional questions. See Answer
Tests on page 134 for details on requiring answers and specific response
formats.
The settings for this dialog tend to be update or skip with no option to
error out. This is designed to minimize respondent confusion by not presenting them with an error they cannot fix. In addition, a survey’s SDH
data files are always saved to before any pipe-outs, so if there is a problem
writing to the SQL the respondent’s data is still captured in full.
See also Field Matchups for Piping on page 210.
Pipe Name
Source/Target Table
Specify SQL and type the name of the table you want to access. Each SQL
pipe-out will only look in a single database table, so if you need to write
data to several tables you’ll need to use multiple pipe-outs.
Connection String
This is the “handshake” between the NetCollect survey on your Web
server and the SQL database. Your database administrator will need to
provide the exact syntax, and errors in this string are a common problem
in configuring SQL piping.
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Multiple-answer
checkboxes are
If any of the questions you’re piping out are multiple answer checkbox
data, you have two formatting options for the data. You can save
responses in a single field “1;2;5” or in a series of on/off fields “1,1,0,0,1”.
Checkbox and rating
answers export as
See NetCollect’s Internal Data Format on page 197 for a full explanation on
how data is stored in SurveyPro and NetCollect. Here you have the option
of saving responses as 1/2/3/4 or Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor. In addition
to this general setting for the file, you can also override the values used on
a question-by-question basis (see page 211).
If answer to key is missing
in SQL
Each respondent’s data will match up to a record in your database via a
key field such as a customer ID. If a respondent enters their ID as “1234”
but you have no entry for that ID in your SQL database, do you want to
Add a record for them or Skip output for that individual?
If answer to key is missing
in survey
If your survey is a mix of existing customers and prospects, you may be
keying off the Customer ID question but it may not be a required field. If
someone doesn’t enter a value, do you want to Add a record for the prospect, or for the system to Skip output for them as the tables only reflect
existing customers?
If key matches more than
one field in SQL target
If a customer enters the ID “1234” and your SQL table has three records
with that ID, do you want it to Update all the records or Skip the output?
Generally key fields for piping out are unique in the destination database,
so skipping is the conservative setting for an “improper” situation.
Replace target answer
In this setting you’re determining how information is written based on
conditions in the SQL database. Use Always if you know the respondent
will be providing the most recent data, such as an address update. Use
Only if empty in target [SQL database] when you are using the survey to
collect supplemental information.
Apply answers
Here you’re setting overwrite rules based on the data in the NetCollect
survey. Use Always if you want the NetCollect response used even if it’s
blank. Only if not empty in survey will only attempt to write in the SQL
database when a response is provided—a better fit if these fields are
skipped by some respondents.
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Field Matchups for Piping
The Field Matchups tab is almost identical for both ASCII and SQL piping
in both directions. In all cases, the Question and Scale columns provide a
reference to the contents of your survey, and you use the Field, Key and
Map columns to tell SurveyPro how to match data to your outside database or file.
Field Number (ASCII In)
Type the field (column) number where the data appears in your ASCII file.
You can bring data from the same field into multiple questions in your
SurveyPro file—see the tutorial on page 225 for an example.
Field Name (ASCII Out)
Type a field name for each question you want saved in the ASCII pipe out.
Fields are saved in the same order as the questions appearing here, and
only fields with a name will be saved. So, even if you’ve set First Record to
normal data on the first tab, you need to type something in the first column for the fields you want.
Field Name (SQL)
Type the field name exactly as it appears within the source SQL table next
to the question(s) into which you want to bring the data.
Key (ASCII In and SQL)
Specifies the question which will be used to match data between the
respondent’s answers (or prior pipe-ins) and this particular pipe-in. In
some cases the key will be a unique identifier such as a customer ID used
to pull in an individual’s address. In other cases, the key may be a product
code which would pull in details on a particular model for many respondents. Each key value must be unique within the ASCII or SQL data source.
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Question
The question which will receive the data, listed by internal Q number (see
also NetCollect’s Internal Data Format on page 197). If you’ve set multiple
answer checkboxes to separate fields on the first tab, you’ll see these
questions listed as one “question” for each answer option.
Its Scale
Lists the scale being used for that SurveyPro question. This must be a
direct match to the source data or have a Map which translates—otherwise the ASCII pipe-ins and SQL interfaces will fail.
Map
This column indicates whether you’ve defined a scale value map to translate inbound data to NetCollect’s format. Since mapping is only an option
on checkbox data, this column will be grayed out next to some of your
questions. See the next section.
Fill Next
When you click the Fill Next button, it will set the next question with the
next higher field number. This is very handy when saving all the data out
to ASCII.
Piping scale value mapping
While you’re in the Matchup screen of a Pipe In or Pipe Out, you’ll see a
drop-down list below the questions labeled Scale Mapping. The control
will be grayed out unless you’ve clicked on a checkbox or rating question—other scale types require a direct data match (see NetCollect’s Internal Data Format on page 197). What this control lets you do is select or
create a scale mapping that translates NetCollect’s scale box values into
the answers to be read from or written to your external sources.
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To create a scale mapping:
1. Select the question you want to map on the Field Matchups tab
2. Insert a mapping
3. Type the value which is used in your ASCII file or SQL database next to every
scale item (rows left blank will not save an answer)
4. Give the map a Name and click OK to save
As with all named objects in SurveyPro, once a scale map is created you
can apply it to other questions with the same scale. However, remember
that any edits will also ripple to all uses, so if you’re using a mapping that
was defined by someone else for an import, you may want to duplicate the
mapping as a copy to be preserved just for the data piping.
Creating Starting or Ending Handshakes
With NetCollect you can connect a survey to other programs, smoothly
handing a respondent from one Web application to another. This has
three advantages:
•
A better respondent experience as they don’t have to manually type in
log-ins
•
Passing data into the survey to seed visible or hidden information, or
handing it off to your Web application after they finish
•
Transferring data between different servers, such as from a Unix
server’s Perl shopping cart to your Windows based NetCollect survey
While the most common applications are creating starting and ending
URLs, you can also control the resume URL. See page 223.
Understanding URLs with data
Most often, these handshakes are done by embedding data in URLs—just
like the long URLs you may notice when you’re in shopping sites. A few
issues to be aware of with URLs:
•
Even if a survey is executing via SSL, the URL itself is not encrypted in
transit. Do not use this method to pass sensitive information such as
Social Security Numbers.
•
The maximum length of a URL is somewhat vague, though 2,000
characters is a reasonably safe upper bound in desktop browsers.
•
Many e-mail applications will insert line breaks at 70 or 80 characters
in plain text messages, which will break longer URLs. HTML
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messages should maintain long URLs if you’re coding the destination
with an <a href=...> tag.
•
Special characters in a URL must be encoded in hexadecimal, so a
hyphen becomes %2D, a space is %20, etc. If you’re using a standard email merge program to embed the respondent’s password in their
invitation, you’ll want to stick with passwords that contain no spaces
or special characters.
•
Every Web application has a particular syntax for its URLs, so you
may need to have a programmer code a small translator script to reformat the information between systems.
•
URLs can be hacked. If you’re offering a per-respondent
compensation, try to set up your hand-offs with some cross checks.
This can include checking the referrer page of the server passing the
URL, making sure a given password/order ID was issued for survey
completion, and checking whether a response was already received
for that ID.
Because of the limitations of URLs, many surveys will pass just a key
value in the URL, such as a password, order ID, or employee ID. Then you
can use that key value to pull additional information from an ASCII or
SQL pipe. For transient and sensitive hand-offs, you can also use temporary files to pass data behind the scenes (see page 220). Some of these
methods of passing data require a trusted relationship between the servers and applications (preferably encrypted) so you may need some help
from your server administrator as well as your Web developer—plan your
timeline accordingly.
Starting a Survey with Data
Most often this feature is used to embed a password in a starting URL,
which is also covered in the tutorial Loading Data into a Survey on page
225. If that’s all you plan to do with your embedded launch, that’s the best
place to start. If you plan to pass other information into the survey or
want to understand more of the inner workings, review these sections in
addition to the dialog controls:
•
NetCollect’s Internal Data Format on page 197
•
Creating Starting or Ending Handshakes on page 212
•
NetCollect’s URL Syntax on page 217
Unlike piping where you can define several pipe-ins and outs, you can
only have one embedded launch setup. You can, however, make the
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embedded launch optional so respondents have the ability to start the
survey manually. Just make sure you test both methods thoroughly so
they’re smooth for respondents, such as not putting important instructions only on a login page that embedded entrants would bypass.
To define an embedded
Launch:
3. Launch tab, set to Optional or Only
Launch with Preload
If you make this Optional, then respondents can come to the usual survey
start page to enter their password or just click Start depending on your
login settings. If you set this to Only, then any respondent attempting to
access the survey without the proper embedded URL will see a “No survey found” message.
Pass values via
In most cases, you’ll use URL query to pass the data. If you need to pass
sensitive values or more characters than a URL can accommodate, see
Using Temporary Files to Obscure URL Data on page 220.
Require EL1 for Resume
You can tell NetCollect to distinguish between URLs for launch (EL0) and
resume (EL1). If you’re going to use an embedded URL for an e-mail invitation, you’ll generally want to turn this option off, allowing respondents
to click the same EL0 link to start and resume their survey.
Process login
When NetCollect handles passwords, there are a series of checks it makes
to see if the value is OK and whether it has already been used to start or
finish a survey. If you select On launch, NetCollect will do those checks as
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soon as it receives the URL. If you select At page one submit, it will
receive the pre-loaded information and load page 1, but will wait until the
respondent clicks Start or Next to process the password.
Do page one skip…
Key Concept: Watch your Cause and Effect on page 196 lists the order of
operations on embedded surveys. You can set up a questionnaire so that
the embedded URL triggers a pipe-in which in turn triggers a skip. Leave
this option marked unless for some reason you have a page 1 skip defined
that you want to execute on a manual log-in, but not an embedded one.
If launch login ok…
When you embed the password in the starting URL and the first page of
the survey is just a Welcome/login page, it’s natural for the respondent to
skip ahead to the first “survey” page with is page 2 in your NetCollect file.
At other times, the first page of the survey may include questions other
than the login, in which case you want to pre-load the embedded data but
leave the respondents on Page 1 until they click Submit or Next.
Preload questions
For each of the fields you’re passing in at launch, specify whether the
value will be Opt (Optional), Rqd (Required) or Eq (Equal). Equal is essentially another authentication test, as every URL will be checked to ensure
it has exactly the value that you type in the last column. Required and
Equal are only enforced during an embedded launch, so if you want to
ensure these values are always present you need to set Launch with Preload to Only.
On Exit Completed — Sending Respondents to a URL
There are four options for finishing a survey:
•
One or more “Thanks” pages within the SurveyPro document (see
page 101)
•
A script-generated message confirming data was received, which is
enabled by default and will appear in the absence of other exit
instructions (but which has a plain layout).
•
A simple URL for respondents, such as a static page on your site
•
A dynamic URL with embedded data
You can combine in-survey Thanks pages with a static or dynamic URL in
the Embedded NetCollect dialog. The best introduction to this type of
setup—complete with skip for conditional exits—is Handing Data to Other
Systems on page 241. If you plan to pass data from your survey to another
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application or want to understand more of the inner workings, review
these sections in addition to the dialog controls:
To define an embedded
Launch:
•
•
Creating Starting or Ending Handshakes on page 212
•
NetCollect’s URL Syntax on page 217
3. On Exit Completed tab
4. Turn off Default survey done message, and if needed, turn on Pass back
answers
Default survey done
message
This is an extremely plain server message saying simply “The [YourSurveyName] is complete.” If you’re not sending the finished respondents
outside the NetCollect survey, you’re far better off adding a Thanks page
within your questionnaire document.
URL to your page
If the page you want to send respondents to is in the same folder as the
survey, you can just enter the name such as finished.html. If the page
resides elsewhere, use a full URL beginning with http:// or https://.
When you are just handing respondents off to a simple page, you can use
a root URL such as http://apian.com, but if you’re handing off data you
must include a specific script name as in the screen capture here. What-
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ever approach you take, it’s always best to explicitly tell respondents that
they successfully finished the survey.
Pass back answers
Turn on this option if you’re going to be handing the respondent and
some of their data off to another Web script. If you’re simply trying to
save data out to a file, use piping instead (see page 199).
Pass values via
In most cases you’ll use the URL. If this isn’t a fit due to security or length,
you may want to consider using pipe-outs for the bulk of the data (see
page 205) or passing values via a Temporary file (see page 220).
Question / Send
Check the Send column next to each of the questions whose data you
want to send to the receiving script.
Send as an embedded
launch
Use this option to loop within one survey or to chain multiple NetCollect
surveys together. This adds P1=EL0 to the query string, which is the command a NetCollect survey expects to launch with data embedded in the
starting URL. See Example 4: Looping the Respondent Through Questions on
page 194.
Include a fixed part in every This allows you to type a bit of code to include in every exit URL. In the
case of a looping NetCollect survey, you may have a hidden question
query
which identifies whether it’s the first time the respondent is going through
or the second (or fourth or eighth). In that case, you’d use the NetCollect
syntax for that question, something like Q0002=1 to mark a Yes/No scale
as a loop. NetCollect will add a leading & to whatever you type, but you’ll
need to include separators within your string if it includes multiple parameters.
NetCollect’s URL Syntax
Some of the following information is general URL syntax. A few of the
points are specific to building strings for a NetCollect embedded launch or
understanding the strings it will create in an exit URL. Let’s start by breaking apart a URL:
http://yoursite.com/surveys/survey.asp?P1=EL0&Q0001=1234&
Q0013=Jane+Doe&Q0015=janedoe%40domain%2Ecom
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survey.asp
In order to handle the inbound data, the basic Web
address (http://…) needs to end at a specific Web page
which is a script, not simply at a folder. The script could
be an ASP page, or it could be Perl, PHP, or another
language.
?
A question mark after a the script page indicates that
the rest of the URL is query data to be processed by the
script.
P1=EL0
This tells NetCollect that the string is to be handled as an
embedded survey launch. The last character is a zero.
&
URLs use ampersands to separate values within a string.
Q0001=1234
In this example, we’re sending the respondent’s password
“1234” as a value for Q1.
Q0013=Jane+Doe
In addition to the password, we’re sending the
respondent’s name for Q13. The plus symbol in a URL is
used to encode a space.
Q0015=janedoe%40domain%2Ecom
Jane’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Because
special characters are used as commands within a URL
(such as a plus and ampersand as you’ve seen), they
need to be encoded. In this case, @=%40 and .=%2E.
Field IDs
Within the URL, a data field is identified by its internal NetCollect Q number. Outbound URL strings will always use 4 digit field numbers, such as
Q0001 and will list all fields even ones left blank by the respondent.
Inbound URLs will accept either the 4 digit syntax or with the leading
zeros dropped as for Q1.
Field order
Outbound URLs will follow the embedded launch command with any
static URL text you set and then the questions in Q number order.
Inbound URLs will tolerate Q numbers being out of order.
Data values
Unlike data piping where you have the option of mapping checkbox values (such as saving out a state name rather than box number), URL and
temporary file hand-offs use only the native values. See NetCollect’s Internal Data Format on page 197 to understand how the values are stored for
each scale type. If your sending or receiving system requires a different
syntax, you’ll need to have a translator script coded.
Encoding special characters Special characters in any URL must be encoded in hexadecimal for proper
translation across the Internet. This includes some “standard” punctua-
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tion—not just extended or accented characters. One encoded character
translates to a two digit code preceded by a % in a URL. There are also a
few characters which may appear in a couple formats. For example,
spaces may be encoded as a + or %20 and hyphens may appear as a normal dash or %2D. When in doubt test thoroughly or you can always use
the hex. For a full list of values you can use the last two digits of the Unicode in Windows Character Map or see the Hx column at:
http://www.asciitable.com
Embedded launch indicator When creating an embedded launch, you must include P1=EL0 (zero)
immediately after the question mark in your string. If you’re creating a
looping survey or handing off a respondent between two surveys, you just
need to mark the Embedded Launch box on the dialog. When you want
the URL to resume a survey rather than start a new one, use P1=EL1 (one)
instead. If you want NetCollect to use the same link for both launch and
resume, then be sure to turn off Require EL1 for Resume in the Launch
tab.
Maximum length
There is no clear standard in URLs for a maximum number of characters.
Plain text e-mails will break lines at 70-80 characters, requiring very short
strings. Between servers, you may be safe at up to 2000 characters. If
you’re using longer strings, check the specs for all the servers and browsers involved. NetCollect does not have a maximum length.
Advanced Embedded Survey Topics
The following sections generally only apply to developers writing custom
applications around NetCollect surveys or tightly integrating them with
other Web software.
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Using Temporary Files to Obscure URL Data
Sometimes URLs aren’t the best option for passing data between systems,
either due to the need for security, quantity of data being handed-off, or
wanting to obscure the pass from respondents. In this case you can use
temporary files to pass the information. There are four scenarios:
•
Web application such as an e-commerce site or 360 survey portal
creates temporary files
•
Two NetCollect surveys pass data via temporary files
•
Looping within one NetCollect survey
•
NetCollect survey creates temporary files for use by an outside Web
application
The primary dialogs and settings are the same as for URL data passes (see
page 212). Because of how paths and folders are managed in QuestionWeb, only the looping scenario can be used with that service.
In the case of two NetCollect surveys exchanging information or a loop,
one survey would have an On Exit Completed defined with the fields
selected and Pass values via set to Temporary file. The second survey
(or same one for a loop) would then have a corresponding embedded
Launch again set to Temporary file.
Even if you plan to use an outside application, the easiest way to understand the hand-offs and syntax is to experiment with a pass between two
NetCollect surveys.
URL syntax
Where a URL pass would have a long query string with all the data
encoded (see page 217), the temporary file URLs only contain one value:
the name of the file to pull.
When a NetCollect survey generates the URL, it combines the base filename set during Publish with a unique value:
http://yoursite.com/surveys/survey.asp?SF0=basefilename-goto12345
When you send NetCollect a file from an outside application you can use
any names you like, so long as each file name is unique.
http://yoursite.com/surveys/survey.asp?SF0=individualfilename
The receiving survey does not have to know your naming system—it just
goes and pulls the exact file name you give it in the URL. If you are con-
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tinuing a survey instead of launching a new session, use SF1 instead of
SF0 (zero), paralleling the EL0-El1 system for URL launches.
File contents
The temporary file should contain the query just as if it had been sent
through the URL (see page 217) including strict compliance with NetCollect’s Internal Data Format on page 197. The only difference is you can
use extra white space to format the file contents as you wish. All white
space and line breaks will be removed before the file is processed.
File extension and path
Files must have a .tmp extension even though the URL does not show it.
By default, the temporary files are stored in a sub-folder of the Project
data folder called Embedded. You can change this location by editing the
.CFG file’s line:
Embedded_Path
c:\wherever you need\
As with other paths, this is any UNC or drive letter location relative to the
IIS server writing or reading the temp file. Make sure all involved applications have appropriate read/write/delete permissions. The .CFG is modified during New Project setup, so if you are going to tinker with it you’re
best off pulling the live copy from the server and making a backup. (See
page 361.)
As soon as a NetCollect survey receives the temporary file pass, the new
session incorporates the file’s contents and deletes it so the launch cannot
be mimicked or repeated. In the case of two NetCollect surveys passing
files or looping this means that temporary files will never accumulate on
the server. Configurations with outside applications may require a maintenance routine to remove stale files.
On Incomplete for a Custom Error Page
This is similar to On Exit Completed for finished respondents (see page
215), but instead of sending them to a success page it is used to direct
them to a special failure page for custom error handling. In addition to the
regular fields you can send out with completion, a few additional ones
appear at the end of the list.
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Not all of the values are present for every failure, so code your error page
accordingly. The fastest way to create a custom page is to publish a
project and start from the code NetCollect generates. All “normal” errors
such as invalid passwords and surveys off-line can be customized by the
SurveyPro user—see Notices, Errors and Buttons on page 81. Errors are
also logged in the main project log (see page 362) if your concern is a
review of problems.
If you use the fixed URL setting to encode a survey ID or name, you can
create a generic error handler for your site rather than re-creating it for
each questionnaire.
Item
URL Field ID
Details
Error code
ERR_NUM=
This is the internal NetCollect error code such as “106-0009.” Within
NetCollect’s standard error pages, these only appear in survey
failure situations, not normal operation.
Login error
ERR_LOGIN=
“T” when the problem is an invalid login due to the password being
invalid or already used.
Nested error code
ERR_NESTING=
Additional codes for callers.
Error description
ERR_DESCR=
A short description of the problem.
Error may be temp
ERR_TEMP=
“T” if the rejection may not be a permanent condition.
Time of exit
ERR_TIME=
Time the respondent was errored out.
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Item
URL Field ID
Details
Offline reason
OFFLINE=
“Maint,” “Before,” “After,” “Count,” or “Closed.” See Control Panel
Screens on page 319 for details about setting a survey to
Maintenance mode, Availability times for a survey, or limits on the
number of respondents.
Project is live
LIVE_MODE=
“T” if the survey is currently in Live mode; otherwise it is in Test
mode (best used in conjunction with Offline reason to cover the
other states).
Capacity limit
THROTTLED=
This is not in the dialog list, because checks on the survey capacity
(see page 49) happen before the remainder of the script engine
kicks in. In this case the only parameter that would appear in the
query is “THROTTLED=T” indicating the respondent had exceeded
the allowed number of slots that minute.
Resume URLs
In most cases, you’ll leave pause/resume up to NetCollect, letting it manage the resume process. This includes error handling for when the respondent tries a login which is invalid or has been completed.
However, if you want to create your own link for the resume, you can do
so in this format:
http://yoursite.com/surveys/survey.asp?P1=EL1&Q0001=1234&
UID=r65c-4rn3-8v6
This is very similar to the initiation URL we have on page 217. There are
two key differences:
•
Instead of P1=EL0 it’s EL1. This indicates a resume instead of an
initiation.
•
The only value other than the individual password (or server issued
resume code) is the session ID, the 11 digit UID code.
Any other survey data will result in an error—this command is only for
resuming a survey in progress. EL1 is also required for resume rather than
EL0, thus putting an EL0 in an email makes it a one-time entry only item.
The EL0-El1 system was designed for use from other applications. A combination launch suitable for email invitations may be available in a future
release; check the Knowledge Base. Extra parameters with names starting
with C are permitted for custom module coding. These are not checked
against the EL1 instructions as they’re outside the main NetCollect processes.
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If there is an open session underway the Welcome notice appears. However any exceptions, such as an invalid login, will cause an error exit
which you can handle if you wish. See page 217. Your resume script
should either monitor completion messages or check the PIN file for status so it only issues an EL1 when appropriate. See page 352.
Piping Status Out
As each survey page is sent to the respondent, you have the option of piping out the respondent status to a SQL database. This is done through the
Data Piping tab, by clicking Add on Pipe Status Out. The dialogs for piping status out are quite similar to those for other SQL pipes (see page
208).
On the Field Matchups tab, above the questions, you’ll see Page Status
Code. This is a number (positive or negative) indicating the respondent’s
position in the survey.
Value
Details
0 or NULL
Field’s default value before starting the survey
1+
Survey page number last sent to the respondent
-1
Pause page
-2
Returning page
-3
Done, data committed
-4,-5,-6
Reserved
-7
Error exit
Note the -7 will not appear for respondents told to “try back later” due to
survey capacity limits as those messages are processed long before any
SQL handling to minimize their use of server resources.
The Status Out function lets you know exactly where a respondent is at
any time. If instead all you need is whether they have started or finished
the survey and are using unique passwords, this information is also available in the .PIN file. In the first column of the PIN a “0” indicates not
started, a “1” means in progress, and a “2” means done. If you have an
external application querying the PIN, just be sure you code it to do a
non-exclusive read or you’ll create contention problems for respondents.
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Chapter 13
Loading Data into a Survey
TUTORIAL
One of the wonderful things about Web surveys is their ability to personalize a questionnaire for a respondent. This may be as simple as the skips
and branches covered earlier in this guide, or as complex as embedding a
questionnaire in a familiar intranet or shopping Web site. In this tutorial,
we’ll be applying some of NetCollect’s “embedded survey” features in a
member survey. The respondents will be asked to confirm their contact
information, and we’ll also set up a behind-the-scenes skip based on their
membership status.
Important: Read Understanding Embedded Surveys in NetCollect on page
188 before you dive into this tutorial.
Pipe data from a file into text strings
Pipe data from a file into questions
Add a hidden field
Skip based on hidden data
Embed a password in a starting URL
Editing questions and text
Skips and branches
Login dialog
Tutorial Notes
General
Tutorial Files
On Finishing
Chapter 13 - Loading Data into a Survey
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This tutorial has:
225
NC4 Tutorial - Piping.SP4.
YourName Piping Tutorial.SP4.
4. If needed, select the document tab 1: Questionnaire and adjust the Zoom to
your preference.
The first page of questions will probably be familiar, but the rest of this
survey is tailored to touching base with the Widget Association membership. Scroll through the survey. Note there’s a page where it provides the
current contact information, then a page where the member can update
that data. The last two pages are both set up as Thanks pages (Page List
dialog, Page Properties), and we’ll be sending respondents to one page or
the other based on the membership status in our data file.
Taking a look at our address data file
In most cases, you’ll be pulling survey data in from an ASCII file. Database connections can also be used, but they’re a bit more complex and
require assistance from your database administrator. Whenever possible,
you want the ASCII file to contain only the data you need. In our case the
sample is all ready, so we just need to take a peek to see what’s in it.
1. Start Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet program.
2. From the same folder as the other sample files, Open NC4 Tutorial Piping.csv. You may need to change the Files of type drop-down to All Files
(*.*) before it will appear in the Open dialog.
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In our file, we have basic information for 11 Widget Association members.
When you look at a data file, it’s important to note:
•
Whether the first row has field names or data
•
If data in each column directly matches the SurveyPro scale into
which it will be piped (if applicable)
•
Any partial or duplicate records which may need repair
•
Excess fields which could be deleted
•
The order of the fields
Some of this will make more sense as we map the file into our survey. In
this example, the first row does have field labels, there are no duplicates,
but the state data of 2-letter abbreviations doesn’t match SurveyPro’s
state scale which would automatically take either a box number or the full
state name label.
3. Close Excel and switch back to SurveyPro. Do not save changes if prompted.
Setting up our login method
In order to bring in the right information for each respondent, we need to
set the survey up to use the passwords in our data file.
1. Scroll up to the first page of the survey and double-click on the Start button.
2. Change the Survey Login to Unique Respondent ID File.
3. In the middle left of the dialog, turn off One-time use
Most of the time you do want unique passwords to restrict people to one
submission—we’re just turning it off to make the sample file easier to play
with.
4. Near that setting, click the Make File button.
NetCollect lets you generate new passwords for surveys, or convert values in an existing data file. In this case, the values we need are in the first
field of our address data file.
5. For PIN or Password Source select Comma-delimited file.
6. Click the Browse button
Piping.csv and click Open.
that just appeared. Select NC4 Tutorial -
That selected the source file for our passwords, but we need to tell NetCollect where in the file to find the values. It will then extract them from
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the .CSV, check for duplicates, sort, and output a .PIN file for use on your
Web server.
7. Set the Source Field to Field 1, and check Ignore record one so we don’t make
the column label “Password” a valid entry code
8. Leaving the folder path intact, set the Output PIN File Name to “Piping.pin”.
9. Click OK to create the PIN file. Click OK again on the confirmation that it
wrote 11 values.
One last step and we’ll be set with the password. We need to tell SurveyPro which question to use for collecting the logins.
10. In the lower-left corner, click the Link Question button.
11. Leaving all the defaults as they are, click OK in the Link Question dialog.
12. Check your screen against the one below, then click OK.
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Collecting the membership status
In addition to reflecting piped data back to respondents like we’ll do for
the address, we can also pull in and act on information which the respondents never see. In this case, we want to thank current members for their
support, and remind past members that their subscription has expired.
Because we had this data in our file, we can use this to drive a skip, just
like skips based on respondent-provided answers.
1. Scroll to Web Page 2 Ranking.
2. Click once on the instructions “When shopping for widgets…” and Insert a
Question above it.
3. Leave the Questionnaire Text blank so nothing shows on the page to the
respondent. Set the Label for Report Figures as “Member Status” and click
Next.
4. Select for the scale 7: Yes/No (Unordered).
5. On the right hand side of the dialog, set the Entry Style to No visible entry.
That’s the key piece to have NetCollect create a data field but not put a
checkbox or entry blank on the screen for the respondent.
6. Click Finish.
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Right now all it says is [HIDDEN] which lets you know there’s a question
there, but not which one. To find out what question it is, you can open up
the edit dialog or you can use the Object Tree to see where you are.
7. If the Object Tree isn’t showing on your screen, turn it on with the View menu.
8. Expand the Database Questions node.
9. Click on the Hidden question and note that a red outline appears around the
box for Q2: Member Status.
Adding hidden fields for the address data
Scroll to Web Page 3 of the survey. In the text for the respondent we have
placeholder text for their contact information. However, plain text doesn’t
give NetCollect any place to store the data we’re bringing in, so we need
to create some hidden questions to hold the information. Then the visible
text on this page becomes a reflection of those hidden questions. These
fields will always contain the original data from the ASCII file, as we’re not
giving the respondent the ability to change them. The next page of the
survey contains questions for the respondent to make corrections.
1. Scroll down to Web Page 4 where we have fields already set up for the address
updates.
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2. Click once on E-mail address and Shift+click on the Zip question.
3. All five questions should now be selected. Copy the questions using Ctrl+C or
the toolbar button (right-clicking to access that menu will de-select the
questions).
4. Scroll up to Web Page 3 and click once to select the instructions “Our records
currently show…”
5. Paste the questions above the instructions.
When working with hidden fields it’s important to remember that the
underlying scale structure is just as important as for anything a respondent answers. Because we picked up copies of questions which already
had the right assortment of address scales, we saved ourselves some time
versus adding new questions as the hidden ones. Now we just have to
remove the visible aspects of these questions.
6. Double-click on the E-mail address question.
7. Change the Label for Report Figures to “E-mail on file”
8. Delete the Questionnaire Text.
10. Change the Entry Style to No visible entry and click OK.
11. Repeat for the remaining questions.
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Don’t worry about the white space showing inside SurveyPro. As long as
the Questionnaire Text field is empty, NetCollect will truly hide the fields
when it publishes the HTML pages.
Mapping the data file into our questions
Now that we have all our questions ready to receive the data, we can tell
NetCollect how to bring in the information. This is very similar to database imports in SurveyPro, so some of the concepts and screens may be
familiar to you.
1. Bring up the Web survey setup dialog
.
2. Next to Embedded Operation click Edit.
In NetCollect, Embedded Operations are functions that hook into a standalone survey. This could include passing data via the starting URL (which
we’ll get to in a bit), saving data directly out to ASCII as well as NetCollect’s SDH format, or truly embedding the surveys as a module within
a larger Web application.
3. Select the Data Piping tab.
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This screen handles all data transfers into or out of a NetCollect survey.
The top half is Pipe Ins, data coming into the questionnaire from an outside source, while the lower portion is Pipe Outs for when you’re handing
data out of the survey to an ASCII file or database (see the tutorial on
page 241). You can have multiple Pipe Ins and Pipe Outs for a single questionnaire.
4. Insert a new Pipe In.
5. Type for the Pipe Name “Contact Info from File.”
6. Click the Browse button
next to the File Name field.
7. Select NC4 Tutorial - Piping.csv and click Open.
All the other defaults are just what we need, including the comma delimiter and that the first record has field names rather than data. Now that the
basics of the data file are set, we just need to map its fields to our questions.
8. Select the Field Matchups tab.
Look back on page 226 and note the order of the fields. The password is
the value which will be entered in the survey, and then be used to pull that
respondent’s value into the file. As with SurveyPro imports, that value is
referred to as the Key, and must be unique within the data file.
9. In the first row, next to Q1, set the Field Number to “1” and click the radio
button to make it the Key.
Part of why we defined the login earlier in this tutorial was so that SurveyPro would create the password question for us. In general, you’ll want to
define embedded operations after the rest of the survey is complete.
10. For Q2, set the Field Number to “7”—the membership status is the last column
in our data file.
11. Scroll down, and map the remaining fields to our hidden “on file” questions
Q15-19:
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Now if you look back again on page 226 at the contents of the CSV file,
you’ll see that it contains two letter state abbreviations. The scale we’re
using in SurveyPro has the full state names as labels. Now we could go
back and do a mass replace in our data to put in either the state names or
checkbox numbers, but we can also add a data map which NetCollect will
use to match up the values.
12. Click under the Map column for Q18: State on file.
13. This activated the Scale Mapping controls under the list of questions. Insert a
new mapping.
For the sake of this tutorial, we’re going to take a little shortcut here. Our
data file happens to only have data for Oregon and Washington so those
are the two mappings we’ll create. In your surveys, it’s very important to
have a perfect match or translation between the data and scale, because if
NetCollect can’t make a match it can’t bring in that answer.
14. Scroll down the list until you see Oregon.
15. Click in the Import-Export File column and type “OR” as the value NetCollect
should expect in the CSV file.
16. Set the value for Washington to “WA”.
17. Set the Map Name to “State Abbreviations” and check your screen against
the one below:
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18. Click OK to save the mapping.
We’ve now set the piping into our hidden fields, Q15-19, which will be
used to show respondents the address information we have on file. For the
respondents who say they need to update their information, we could give
them empty blanks to type into, but it’s nicer to pre-fill those questions
with the current data in case they only have to change one or two items.
19. Repeat the field matchups for the visible questions, including selecting from
the list the scale value mapping we just created for the states:
20. Click OK to save the Pipe In definition. Click OK to close the Embedded
NetCollect dialog, and Close the Web Survey Setup dialog.
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Showing the current address information in a text graphic
Right now, the address information will be copied into the hidden fields,
but we also want to reflect that data in text for the respondent to see. This
can be done with other information as well, such as piping forward the
product name a respondent indicated in a checkbox or text field.
1. If you closed your Object Tree, open it back up (View menu) and expand the
Database Questions node again.
The commands we’re about to type use the internal SurveyPro Q numbers, so having that tree open is a good quick reference about where we
are.
2. Scroll to Web Page 3 and double-click on our placeholder text tile beginning
with “E-mail.”
What we’re going to do is replace the five words currently in this tile with
their corresponding hidden question numbers, This means you’ll want to
leave the comma when you replace “City” with its piping command, as
well as the space between “State” and “Zip.” For the answer piping to
work, you need to get the underscores and Q numbers just right (see page
137).
3. Typing very carefully, set the Text Content for the tile as follows:
_ANSWER_Q15_
_ANSWER_Q16_
_ANSWER_Q17_, _ANSWER_Q18_ _ANSWER_Q19_
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When the NetCollect scripts run the survey on the server, they look for
the _ANSWER_Q_ strings and replace them with the data provided.
Because these commands are entered manually, it’s important to test
carefully, and you’ll need to update the Q numbers after any edits to the
survey.
4. Click OK to save the text.
Setting the skips for address updates and membership status
By default, respondents always go through every page of the survey. In
this case, we’re asking respondents if their address information is current,
and if it is, we want to skip them past the update fields.
Also, since we have the membership status in our hidden question, we can
skip respondents to the right Thanks page. Scroll down to the end of the
survey to take a look at the two versions.
As always when working with skips and branches, giving the Web Pages
names when you create them—rather than leaving them “Untitled”—
makes things much easier (Page List dialog, Properties).
2. Click on Page 3: Address - Current and click the Skip radio button.
3. Leave the question on Q20 and check Require Answer to question.
4. Under the Answers list, select 1 to Next on Yes and set its Goes to page to
Page 5: Comments.
This will send respondents with current information past the update page.
5. Click OK to save the skip.
Now we need to set the skip to the correct Thanks page. While the hidden
membership information was piped into Web Page 2, we need to set the
skip on the last page of questions in the survey.
6. Click on Page 5: Comments and click the Skip radio button.
7. Set On Answers to Question to Q2: Member Status.
We do not want to require this answer because there’s no way for respondents to correct the data in a hidden question. While our 11 record file is
pristine, it’s not uncommon for this type of data file to have missing or
incorrectly formatted values. If our file had missing values, we could add
to the survey a third Thanks page which didn’t mention a specific membership status.
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8. In the Answers list select 2 to Next on No and send those respondents ahead
to Page 7: Thanks - Non member.
9. Click OK to save the skip, and check your settings:
10. Click OK to close the Skips and Branches dialog.
Embedding the password in the starting URL
Our piping and skips are now complete! We could publish the survey as it
is and respondents could complete the survey by typing in their passwords. However, there’s one other nice trick you can use when sending
respondents e-mail invitations or providing customized hyperlinks within
a Web application. In addition to pulling data in from an ASCII file or
database like we did for the address, you can also pre-load data into a survey through the starting URL. Theoretically we could have embedded all
the address information in the URL, but that can get messy so we’re just
going to include the password (see page 212).
.
This is the same dialog we were in for the piping, but this time we’re working in the Launch tab.
3. Set Launch with Preload to Optional.
If we were passing more than just the password we might make it
required, but setting the launch to Optional lets us also have respondents
start the survey by entering their password manually. Most of the defaults
are perfect for a simple embedded password, since that’s most common
application.
4. Set Q1: Login Shared Password to Rqd (Required).
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5. Click OK to save the Launch settings and Close the Web Survey Setup dialog.
If you got lost along the way, you can open the End sample file for this
tutorial.
To see the piping in action see our sample live at:
http://apian.com/support/tutorials/.
In addition to clicking the link and manually entering the password, this
survey can be initiated with the password already in the URL. Type the
address below into your browser, replacing “PWD” with a number from 1020 (our passwords):
http://questionweb.com/11706/Piping.asp?P1=EL0&Q1=PWD
The end portion is P1 (one), EL0 (zero), and Q1 (one).
If you publish this to your own server, you’ll replace
http://questionweb.com/11706/
with the location to which you publish. “Piping” is the base filename set
during Publish, so either use the same name for your file or replace that
portion with your name. Full syntax for embedded URLs is on page 213.
As you go through the survey, note how changing the address information
doesn’t affect the page listing what’s currently on file. This is because we
piped the data into hidden fields specially for the current data. If instead
we’d only used one set of fields, changing the entries on Page 4 would rip-
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ple back to the values shown on Page 3 if a respondent backed up in the
survey.
Note: The live sample treats each login as a new session (shared passwords) rather than resuming any surveys in progress like your file does.
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TUTORIAL
Chapter 14
Handing Data to Other Systems
You can always bring your SDH files into SurveyPro and export the data
to a variety of formats, but sometimes a direct approach is better. Using
the embedded survey tools, you can have the NetCollect scripts save
responses to ASCII files on the Web server. You can also have the scripts
send data out in the final URL, handing the respondent off to another Web
application when they finish the survey. We’ll be setting up both these
functions in this tutorial.
Important: Read Understanding Embedded Surveys in NetCollect on page
188 before you dive into this tutorial.
Save selected fields to an ASCII file on the Web server
Set field names for the ASCII file
Map the SurveyPro scale values to custom values for the ASCII
Skip to an exit URL
Embed data in the exit URL
Skips and branches
Tutorial Notes
General
Tutorial Files
On Finishing
Chapter 14 - Handing Data to Other Systems
January 15, 2007
This tutorial has:
241
NC4 Tutorial - DataOut.SP4.
YourName DataOut Tutorial.SP4.
your preference.
Take a moment to scroll through the survey. It’s very brief, just one page
of survey questions and then a page of contact information. The questionnaire requires both the name and follow-up questions be answered as
they’re used to drive some of features we’re using in this tutorial.
Our Thanks page promises that respondents wanting follow-up will be
contacted within 24 hours. Importing and exporting the data every day
would become a tedious hassle for the SurveyPro user, especially since
the survey designer is generally more interested in the ranking questions
anyway. So instead, we’ll define a Pipe Out to ASCII of the contact information. This way, the customer service team can simply pull their file
every morning without bothering the survey designer.
Saving direct to ASCII on the Web server
.
In NetCollect, Embedded Operations are functions which hook into a
stand-alone survey. In this case, we’re dealing with the outbound data
functions.
3. Select the Data Piping tab.
If you completed the tutorial Loading Data into a Survey on page 225, you
worked with inbound data using the top half of the dialog, the Pipe Ins.
Now we’re going to add rules to the lower half for Pipe Outs. You could
have several pipe-outs, such as a data sub-set of contact information, as
well as the full question set if you were handing responses to an analyst
who didn’t have SurveyPro.
4. In the lower half of the dialog, Insert a Pipe Out.
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Setting the basic ASCII format
If you’ve done exports from SurveyPro, the next couple screens will be
somewhat familiar. Our first tab is setting properties of the ASCII file
we’re creating, independent of the fields we’re selecting.
1. Give it the Pipe Name “Contact Data Out”.
As you can see, you have an option of ASCII or SQL. Pros and cons of the
two methods are covered on page 200.
2. Type for the File Name “SurveyEntrants.csv”.
Our next two options are whether to archive the file or add partials. While
a survey is live on a Web server, it’s accumulating data in an active file
which you can see in the data file list, but which you can’t download. To
download data, you “archive” it and NetCollect gives it a unique name
with the date and time. Because we want the customer service team to
download the data files every day, we do want this file to archive.
Because these files will be used for the final survey drawing as well as follow-up, we do not want the partial responses because those are not qualified respondents.
3. Check Do not add partial completions.
Most of the defaults are fine, but a couple changes will make the file more
accessible.
4. Set Checkbox and ranking answers export as to Label Text.
5. Set Put quotes around answers to All written answers.
Now our basic ASCII settings are complete.
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Selecting fields and setting their names
1. Select the Field Matchups tab.
In this tab we tell NetCollect which fields to save, and type a field name
which will appear in the first row of the ASCII data files.
2. Scroll down until you have Q13: Name at the top of the dialog.
3. Click in the column to the left of Q13, type “Name” and press Enter.
4. Continue adding field names as shown here:
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In addition to the basic contact information, we’re including two other
fields to help the customer service representatives. The first is whether
the respondent is requesting follow-up, and the second is when the form
was submitted. A common error in this type of data hand-off is forgetting
a field someone needs, so it’s important to include all data recipients in
your testing cycle to make sure their needs are being met.
That’s it for the basic field selection. When the first record is field names,
NetCollect will only save named fields. If instead the file had data in the
first record, that first column would instead have been a series of checkboxes to select the fields. Note that the fields will always save in the same
order as the internal Q list, which is usually the same order as the questions on the survey.
Changing the checkbox values saved
Within SurveyPro, checkbox data is stored as box numbers beginning
from 1. When importing and exporting data, you can automatically match
and save data using either this box number or the checkbox labels. However, there are times when you may need something a little more customized. In this case, our State scale lists the long state names. Our fictional
customer service team, however, is using a database which expects the
two letter abbreviations. Using what SurveyPro calls a Scale Mapping, we
can set our Pipe Out to save with the abbreviations.
1. Click anywhere in the row for Q18: State.
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2. Below the field list, Insert a Scale Mapping.
3. Set the Map Name to “2 Letter States”.
All you have to do here is type a value for each scale label. Whenever you
use scale mappings, it’s important to type a value for every label, because
if you leave a row blank SurveyPro will save a blank for that
answer.
4. Click in the second column next to Alabama, type “AL” and press Enter.
5. Continue setting as many labels as you like (the “End” sample file for this
lesson has a full mapping if you plan to Publish this file to your server).
6. Click OK to save the scale map.
Now back in the field matchups screen, we can see that Q18 has a “1” in
the Map column, and shows a mapping in the drop-down list. Once a map
is defined for a scale in your SP4 file, you can use it repeatedly. While
you’re unlikely to ask State multiple times, this is handy if you’re using a
key like “SA” for every rating marked “Strongly Agree.”
Sending finished respondents to another Web site
1. Click OK to save the Pipe Out, and OK again to close the Embedded NetCollect
dialog, and Close the Web Survey Setup dialog.
That’s it for a basic Pipe Out. Right now, even with the Pipe Out our survey is a stand-alone application, with the respondent and scripts interacting only within the survey pages. However, we can also send respondents
out to another Web site when they finish, or better yet, hand a respondent
off to another Web application with some data.
2. Scroll down through the survey until you see the Thanks page.
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Right now, this page applies to all respondents. We’re going to send those
requesting contact to the Association’s site instead, so we can remove the
text about being contacted from the NetCollect Thanks page.
3. Double-click on the Thanks text, and delete the second paragraph “If…”.
Click OK to save the tile.
First we’re going to keep it simple. We’ll use a skip and send respondents
to a static Web page on the association’s site with the “you’ll be contacted” message.
.
6. Select the On Exit Completed tab.
7. Un-check Default survey done message.
If there is no Thanks page in a survey, the NetCollect scripts will generate
a generic “Thanks” message. We want something a little fancier, since
we’re keeping our in-survey Thanks page, as well as setting an exit URL.
8. Type for the URL “http://apian.com”
Always be sure this is a complete URL starting with “HTTP.” That’s all it
takes to send a respondent to a Web page.
9. Click OK to save the exit URL, and Close the Web Survey Setup dialog.
Using a skip to select who goes to the URL
Right now we have two “exits,” a Thanks page within the NetCollect document and a URL. When both are present, NetCollect will default to displaying the in-document Thanks. We could delete the Thanks page and
send everyone to the URL, but instead let’s use a skip to direct some of
our respondents to each destination. In this survey, we want to send the
respondents wanting follow-up to the outside Web site.
2. Select Page 3 and click Skip.
While there’s only one page after 3, the Thanks page, we actually have
two destinations in the right-hand side of the dialog. The second one is
our URL.
3. Leave the Question on Q20, and map 1 to Next on Yes to Exit survey
completed.
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4. Click OK to save the skip, and OK again to close the Skips and Branches
dialog.
Now our thanks URL can be tailored to include the follow-up message
because only those respondents requesting contact will see it.
Sending data out as part of the exit URL
Now imagine if we were sending respondents to a script instead of a static
HTML page. Instead of a generic “you’ll be contacted” message, we can
thank the respondent by name. If we wanted to, we could tailor the page
based on their contact request, but since we’ve already got that skip
defined we’ll leave that be.
.
7. Select the On Exit Completed tab.
8. Change the URL so it’s now
“http://apian.com/demos/widgetsurveyhandler.asp”
Before, we could send respondents to a URL without a specific page name
at the end. However, whenever you’re sending data out to a script, you
need to specify an actual page.
9. Select Pass back answers.
10. In the list, check the Send box for Q13: Name.
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While you could select more answers to send out in the URL, most servers have a limit on the length of the string. Also, anything in the URL is
sent via un-encrypted Web traffic, so even if the survey were running
under SSL you wouldn’t want to embed sensitive information such as a
Social Security Number in the URL. When you need to pass large
amounts of data or sensitive information, you can use one of the other
methods in Embedded Surveys on page 187.
In this case, we’re just passing a little bit of information through the URL,
enough for a Web developer to personalize the destination page with a
“Welcome Jane Doe!” message.
If you were running a survey with this type of one day follow-up promise,
you could have the customer service lead log into the Control Panel and
manually archive each morning. However, you could also set up an automatic archive for each morning at 8am or so. In the Control Panel, this
setting is under Advanced Options, Automatic Data Management.
Or, if you have a little more time with that Web developer, you could send
out the e-mail address and a couple other details in the URL, but instead
of sending them to a personalized page you could also run them through
an e-mail function which would alert customer service real-time. With
embedded surveys, you have many possibilities!
11. Click OK to save our settings, and Close the Web Survey Setup dialog.
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If you got lost along the way or didn’t complete the list of state abbreviations, open the End sample file for this tutorial.
To see the ASCII Pipe Out in action, publish the survey to your server and
give it a try.
To see the exit URL with the page customized to the data handshake, see
our sample live at: http://apian.com/support/tutorials/.
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Chapter 15
Real-Time Reporting
REFERENCE
In addition to the detailed reports you create in SurveyPro after downloading your data, NetCollect lets you generate reports on your Web
server with up to the minute results. You can group several reports under
one login page for easy access by managers or clients, as well as creating
a public report for respondents.
If you’re interested in publishing your SurveyPro reports to HTML, see
the SurveyPro Help file or just dive in to the Document menu, Publish
Report, Web HTML dialog.
Chapter Contents:
Understanding NetCollect Server Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
NetCollect Reports Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Report Login Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Login Rules Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Notices Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Report Definition Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Layout and Access Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Questions and Groups Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Report Login Pass Through URLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Chapter 15 - Real-Time Reporting
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Understanding NetCollect Server Reports
Within SurveyPro, you can create custom reports which delve into your
results with an array of figure types, Form Select Filters, Rescales,
Crosstabs, Banners, as well as commentary and headings. Your full set of
analysis options is available once you download and import your Web survey responses. (This takes a couple clicks using Get Latest data. See page
335.)
You may also have worked with the Executive Summary automatic report
within SurveyPro. With NetCollect, you can create reports very like the
Executive Summary which are updated every time a respondent finishes
the survey. These real-time server reports provide a great quick look at
the data while the survey is in progress.
As with custom reports in SurveyPro, you can have several server reports,
each with different settings:
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For the Executive Summary style server reports you have the following
options:
•
Which questions are visible
•
Reporting on grids as individual questions or a group
•
Counts, Percents, Mean, Replies, No Answers, and Other text
•
Layout including Table or Table+Bar, bar color, and left/center
alignment
•
Captions for each table
•
Minimum number of replies before results will display
You can also create reports with the Activity Log information. It’s just like
the log you see as a survey administrator through the Control Panel (see
page 321), simply with a different header and password.
Defining a report involves two pieces: the report itself and the login
method. The above images show an initial login page as well as the three
reports associated with it. This type of setup is a handy way to group
results for managers or clients who will see detailed information.
You can also create public reports which appear without the summary/login page. In this case you still have a login defined, but when it
has no password and only one report associated with it, viewers will go
straight to the results.
The tutorial Creating Server Reports on page 263 walks you through building both private detail reports and a public version.
By default the reports will show your survey header, footer, and title. You
can override the header and footer settings in the Page List dialog (see
page 104).
Note: Server reports must be defined and published with the rest of a survey’s features, just like answer tests or piping. You cannot add reports to a
live survey.
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NetCollect Reports Dialog
When you first bring up the NetCollect Reports dialog you’ll see a report
and login already defined. If you don’t plan to use the reports at all, you
can simply ignore this report—you don’t need to delete it.
The initial Activity Report is separate from the one in the Control Panel,
so changing or removing it will not impact your administrator logs.
To add an online report:
2. Edit Online Reports
3. Insert a new Report in the lower half of the dialog and set its contents
4. Select or Insert a report Login in the upper half of the dialog
Login pages to access
reports
This upper list contains all the login pages used to access your reports,
listing both the description you provide and the page name (file). Next to
the list is the usual set of Insert, Modify, Delete, and Duplicate buttons. If a
login page has only one report associated with it and no password, viewers will go straight to the report itself. See Report Login Dialog on page
255.
Reports
In the lower list are the individual reports. The first column is the Name of
the report, which will appear to viewers on the login summary page. The
Login column shows the access page to which the report is bound. Again,
the familiar Insert, Modify, Delete, and Duplicate buttons are next to the
list for managing the reports. See Report Definition Dialog on page 257
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NetCollect Reports Dialog
254
Report Login Dialog
The Report Login is very similar to that of surveys, but has a couple
unique elements. Because of the overlap, only the elements specific to
reports are covered here. The survey login chapter has additional details,
including:
•
Understanding Logins in NetCollect on page 153 for an overview of
different login configurations
•
Layout Tab on page 167 for details on button arrangements (identical
for reports)
•
Creating Password Files on page 170 if you’re going to be using
individual passwords for report viewers
Login Rules Tab
Report Logins are very similar to those of surveys, so if you skipped that
portion of the NetCollect documentation you may want to start with the
reference material on page 152 or tutorial on page 175.
Each of the password restricted options can be set to allow an embedded
launch for handy linking straight to the report. The setting is in the Report
Definition Dialog on page 257.
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Report Login Dialog
255
Report Login Method
You have several options for the report login:
Same as for taking
the survey
This is a great option for reports accessed by
respondents as it picks up the exact settings as your
survey.
No password
Use this for public reports. It’s also handy for ones
which are used as Thanks pages.
Shared
Password(s)
The most common choice for management access to
reports. See Shared Password(s) — Anonymous but
Restricted on page 160 for details on the access
settings.
Unique Viewer ID
file
If you want to provide report viewers with individual
passwords, you can use this option. See Unique
Respondent ID File on page 161 for a description
of the controls.
Viewer Name and
Password file
For even greater security you can issue user name
and password combinations to report viewers. See
Respondent Name and Password File on page 162.
Login Designer’s Name
This is an internal reference name for use in the Reports dialog. It does
not appear to report viewers.
File/URL Name
Type the name of the file you want to use as the report login gateway. This
will be placed in the same folder as the survey pages and given a .ASP
extension, so the final URL for accessing the associated reports becomes:
http://yoursite.com/yoursurveypath/reportname.asp
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256
Notices Tab
The notices for reports are unique to their purpose. These will appear in
the automatically generated report login page (see page 104).
Login Instructions -Single Report
When a login page only has one report associated with it, this is the message which will appear. Note that single report logins which do not require
a password will completely skip the access page.
Login Instructions -Report Selection
Login pages with multiple reports instruct the viewer to make a selection
from the list and then enter their password.
Message on Invalid Login
This will appear when the viewer provides an invalid password.
Message on too few
responses
In the report definition (see page 257) you can specify a minimum number
of responses before a report will appear. This is generally done to protect
anonymity and obscure the number of respondents.
Report Definition Dialog
For each report you can select the level of detail to include, whether it’s to
hide the response rate counts, show comments, or leave off 5,000 Zip
codes. As with SurveyPro reports, only the statistics applicable to a particular question will be displayed on the server.
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Layout and Access Tab
Name
This name will appear on a report login page, so make sure it’s friendly to
the end user.
Report Type
Set the report type as Instant Online, which is similar to the Executive
Summary in SurveyPro, or Activity Log which shows the timing of
responses just like the version in the Control Panel (see page 321).
Introductory Remark
Any comments you type here will appear below the page header (if you’re
displaying it) and above the first figure. You have access to the usual formatting overrides in the Text Palette.
Show Percent, Count…
statistics
As with SurveyPro reports, only statistics applicable to a particular question’s scale will appear in its figure. See the SurveyPro documentation for
descriptions of the statistics.
Show Other blank writtens
This will include the Other blank responses along with a count of the category. Note that these are not automatically tabulated in the server
reports, so you will probably want to turn this option off when you have
larger response rates.
Center figures
Aligns the figures in the center of the report page. Reports pick up the
same margin settings as your survey.
Line between figures
Draws a thin horizontal line between the figures.
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Figure Types
Select either straight tables or tables with bars at the ends. You can specify the bar color used for stand-alone questions with the drop-down. If
your report shows grids as a single table (set in the Questions and Groups
tab) then the bars for those figures will be red and blue.
Figure Text Style
Sets the style used within the tables.
Access Required responses
You can specify a minimum number of responses in order for the reports
to appear. This is enforced during Test mode as well as in Live mode.
Access Enable login pass
thru URL
Mark this box to have NetCollect accept a URL with the password embedded, bypassing the login page. This is an optional login method, and does
not lock out the normal manual login method. The syntax for these URLs
is on page 261.
Figure Captions
Select whether you want no captions, or to place them above or below the
figures. The captions themselves can be tailored in the Questions and
Groups tab.
Caption Text Style
Sets the style used for the captions and Introductory Remark.
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Questions and Groups Tab
When selecting which questions to display, keep in mind that the server
reports don’t include SurveyPro’s Autopostcode. This means that Other
blank responses, short written answers, dates, and numbers will be listed
individually instead of counted as they are in SurveyPro.
Show grid questions as
You can either show grids grouped into a single table or break them out as
separate figures for each question.
Show All
Marks all the checkboxes in the Show column.
Show Tabs
Marks all the checkboxes in the Show column except those for written
answers. This is a good choice for most reports.
Show None
Clears all the checkboxes in the Show column, giving you a blank slate to
pick just a couple questions.
Questions and Groups
Lists the questions in the survey, including hidden fields. Depending on
your setting for grid questions you’ll see either one line for each grid, or a
line for each question within it.
Show
Mark each question which you want to appear in this report.
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Fig
Indicates the figure number for the question or grid. This is based on the
order of the internal Q numbers and cannot be shuffled.
Figure Caption
Displays the current caption for the figure. To override this, select Customize in the Caption Edit controls below the list of questions.
Report Login Pass Through URLs
As we discussed on page 252, a particular server report is associated with
a login page. To create a URL which will launch a specific report, you
need to include:
•
Name of the report login page
•
Report login number
•
Password (if required)
•
Specific report number
Remember, if you have a login with no password and only one report
associated with it, viewers going to the login page will just go straight to
the report. These URLs are only needed when you want to create a link
which takes a viewer straight to a particular report without having to manually type their password. You also need to have configured the report to
allow these URLs (see page 258).
To make this a little more understandable, we’re going to use URLs which
work for the reporting tutorial example live on QuestionWeb.com. The
tutorial has an End file you can open to look at the SurveyPro side of this,
but is also a good introduction to building reports. See page 263.
This survey has three report versions associated with a login page at:
http://questionweb.com/29107/widgetdata.asp
They’re protected by the password “tutorial.”
When the survey was published, a configuration .CFG file was created in
the Project folder on your local drive. It includes these lines to describe
the two report logins and four reports:
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RptLogin_1
Name="Private Access tutorial",HtmlFile="widgetdata",Rpts=1|2|3,Pwd="tutorial"
Report_1
Name="Activity Report",Type=Activity,Login=1,URL_Ok=F,MinResp=0
Report_2
Name="Detail Report",Type=Instant,Login=1,URL_Ok=F,MinResp=0
Report_3
Name="Comments",Type=Instant,Login=1,URL_Ok=F,MinResp=0
RptLogin_2
Report_4
Name="Public access",HtmlFile="report",Rpts=4
Name="Widget Survey Results",Type=Instant,Login=2,URL_Ok=T,MinResp=20
The login we’re going to look at is the one called “Private Access.” We
need to note its login number and HTML page:
RptLogin_1
widgetdata
We also need to note the login’s password, or “PWD”:
tutorial
If we want to build a URL for the “Detail Report,” when we scan the list of
report numbers we can see that is:
Report_2
To create our full URL, we need to assemble all this with the address of
the survey itself:
http://yourdomain.com/surveyfolder/reportloginpage.asp?Login#,Rpt#,Pwd
For our sample project, this becomes:
http://questionweb.com/29107/widgetdata.asp?1,2,tutorial
If your project uses a user name and password PIN file to access the
reports, then the unique value goes first, then the non-unique value such
as “namepassword” in one field. Or if the combination is what you’ve set
as unique, then you will use the name first, then the password.
Important
When you peek at the configuration file to note the
values you need, do not make or save any changes!
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Chapter 16
Creating Server Reports
TUTORIAL
SurveyPro gives you great reporting flexibility to delve into your data.
However, sometimes you’ll want to give clients or managers a peek at the
results as the survey is live, which is what NetCollect’s real-time server
reports can provide.
Create multiple real-time server reports
Create an additional activity log (outside the control panel)
Password protect reports
Set a report as the Thanks page of a survey
Logins and passwords dialog
Tutorial Notes
General
Tutorial Files
On Finishing
This tutorial has:
If you are not yet familiar with the login controls you can complete this
tutorial, but you may find the section on restricting access to be short on
explanations. See the password reference chapter on page 152 and tutorial on page 175 for a better understanding.
Instant reports are maintained on your Web server, and their data is
updated every time a respondent completes the survey. They can include
some or all of the questions and basic statistics. For more sophisticated
Chapter 16 - Creating Server Reports
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reports you can also export any SurveyPro report to HTML, though those
reports are not managed with NetCollect’s upload and passwords.
First, we’re going to create a couple of detailed reports with restricted
access. These are typically used by the survey project managers and their
clients to monitor response rates, demographic splits, etc. Then we’ll add
a briefer report and set it as the Thanks page of the survey so respondents
can get a picture of their fellow respondents.
NC4 Tutorial - Reports.SP4.
YourName Reports Tutorial.SP4.
your preference.
This file is another variant of the Widget survey you’ve used in other tutorials. It has a variety of question types so we can see how they appear in
the reports. Take a skim through the document to see what it contains.
Setting up an activity log
1. On the toolbar, click the Web Survey Setup icon
.
2. In the middle of the dialog, next to Online Reports and their Login Pages,
click Edit.
For each NetCollect questionnaire in your SurveyPro file, you can have
multiple server reports which are accessed through one or more login
pages. The top half of the dialog lists the login pages, while the lower half
lists the reports you’ve defined and which login they’re using.
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NetCollect automatically generates an initial login page with a random
password and an activity log style report when a NetCollect document is
created. You can edit or delete these as needed.
1. In the lower half of the dialog click the Modify button (middle of the pencil).
Activity logs show the number of people who have completed the survey
at any time. While you can access this report through the Control Panel,
you often don’t want to give your colleagues and clients the full administrative access that comes with the Control Panel, so you can set up a separate login for them.
For a real report you’d probably want to add an introductory remark
explaining the completed and in progress portions of the table. However,
for now we’re set with the defaults.
2. Click Cancel.
Modifying the Default Login
We could leave the password with the random value NetCollect generated, but often you’ll want to set your own values.
1. In the upper half of the dialog click the Modify button (middle of the pencil)
to edit the report Login.
If you’ve set up a survey login, this dialog will be very familiar. The
options for report logins are just like the ones for questionnaires, it’s just
the resume aspects which differ.
2. Change the Password to “tutorial” and check Case Sensitive.
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3. We want to let users know this, so change the Shared Password Entry Label to
“Enter password (case sensitive).”
4. In the upper-right corner, change the Login Designer’s Name to “Private
access - tutorial.”
This name is for internal use within the dialogs only, and will not appear
on any documents.
For each report login, you need to set the name of the ASP page.
5. Set the File/URL Name for Login Web Page to “widgetdata”.
6. Check your screen against the one below and click OK.
Back in the report management screen, our activity log is now updated
with the new login name. It also indicates the name of the file it’s using for
the login as a reminder.
Creating a detailed report
In addition to the activity log, we want to be able to see all the answers
respondents have provided. The server reports are excellent for this type
of quick view, with SurveyPro’s off-line reporting for in-depth analysis.
Note that the off-line reporting can be very quickly updated once defined
with the Get Latest Data button.
1. In the lower half of the dialog click the Insert button (pencil point) for a new
report.
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2. Give the report the Name “Detail Report.”
3. Set the Report Type to Instant Online.
While you can certainly select all the statistics (SurveyPro will only show
valid calculations for each question), too many tend to clutter up a figure.
Also, with any kind of significant response rate, written answers will end
up dominating the report. Answers to Other blanks and comments are
most valuable after they’ve been cleaned, coded, and tabulated in SurveyPro.
4. In the center of the screen, un-check Percent, Replies, Sorted and Other
blank writtens.
That sets the general preferences, and now we need to select the questions. As this is our detailed report, we just want to leave out the written
answers.
5. Click the Questions and Groups tab.
By default, NetCollect picks up the report labels you defined when creating your questionnaire as the captions. While the current ones are a bit
terse, they make sense for an internal user of the report. We’ll modify
them on the version the respondent sees.
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To keep this particular report from growing to 50+ pages, we want to
leave off any written answers.
6. At the top of the dialog, click the Show Tabs button which selects only the
questions which it can tabulate (Tabs) and clears any typed-in answers.
7. Click OK.
Our new report is showing in the list, but needs to have the login set.
8. Next to Detail Report, click <pick a login page> and select the Private Access
page.
Whenever you have multiple reports referencing one login page, NetCollect will create a selection menu along with the password entry field.
Creating a comment report
While the comments are a distraction amid the tabulations, it can be nice
to peek at what people are saying as the survey goes along.
1. Again under Reports in the lower half of the dialog, Insert a new report (click
in the left column to un-gray the Insert button).
2. Give it the Name “Comments” and set it to Instant Online.
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Most of the other settings don’t apply because we’re just going to include
comments, so we don’t have to worry about tuning the statistics.
3. Select the Questions and Groups tab.
4. Click the Show None button to clear all the questions, then mark the box next
to Q19: Comments.
5. Click OK, then set the Login to our Private Access page again.
That’s it for our private reports. Now when clients or colleagues go to the
widgetdata.asp page, they’ll be prompted to enter a password and to
select which of these three reports they’d like to view.
Creating a brief public report
Now that our colleagues and clients are taken care of with the detail
reports, we want to add a report which is visible to respondents. This is a
nice no cost compensation to respondents when the data isn’t sensitive.
We could set up another login page, but it’s simpler to set this up as the
Thanks page to the survey.
1. In the lower half of the dialog, Insert another Report (click in the left column
again to un-gray the buttons).
2. Set the Name to “Widget Survey Results” and set the Report Type to Instant
Online.
Since this is our Thanks page, we want an introductory comment thanking the respondents.
3. For the Introductory Remark type “Thank you for completing the Widget User
Survey!”
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In this case, we want a very simple report as we want to give respondents
an idea of the results, but not reveal the number of respondents or their
identities.
4. Among the statistics, un-check Count, Mean, Replies, Sorted, and Other
blank writtens.
5. Under Access, set Required responses to “20.”
This is useful both for obscuring the number of respondents and for protecting individual anonymity. Respondents 1 through 19 will see a notice
asking them to check back later. (See page 104.)
6. Set Figure Captions to Above figures.
7. Click the Questions and Groups tab.
In this case, we just want to provide a peek at a few answers. Remember
for your surveys that by default all questions will display—including confidential information such as e-mail addresses.
8. At the top of the dialog click Show Tabs.
As before, that cleared all the type-in fields.
9. Click on the second row, the Ratings grid.
Below the questions, the gray caption box should now say QG1: Ratings.
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10. Change the Caption setting to Customize and type as the label “How people
pick their widgets.”
As you typed, the caption in the list of questions was also being updated
for your reference. For a real report we’d go through all the labels and customize them, but that gets a bit tedious in a tutorial.
11. Un-check the Age, Gender and Country questions.
12. Click OK to save the report.
Creating a second login page
We want to add second login method for the respondent report, which
will have no password. When you have an unrestricted login with only
one report behind it, viewers will completely bypass the login page and
just see the figures.
1. In the upper half of the dialog, Insert a new Login page.
2. Set the Report Login Method to No Password.
3. Type for the Login Designer’s Name “Public access”.
4. In this case the default URL is fine, so click OK.
5. Now that the login is defined, set the Widget Survey Results report to use it.
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And that’s it for defining our reports and logins. Now we just need to set
the public report as the Thanks page for the survey.
6. Click OK to close the NetCollect Reports dialog.
Setting a report as the thanks page
We’re now back in the Web Survey Setup dialog, which is where we can
set a Thanks URL for a survey, rather than the page within the document.
1. Under Embedded Operation, click Edit.
2. Click the On Exit Completed tab.
3. Un-check Default survey done message.
Now instead of a Thanks page within the NetCollect survey document, we
can send people to any location on the Internet. For some surveys, this
may be a page in an intranet or marketing Web site. In our case, we want
to send respondents to the public report we just defined. If you look back
in this tutorial, you’ll see the public report has the file name “report”. This
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means that when SurveyPro publishes the files for this survey, it will create one named “report.asp” in the same folder as the survey pages. Since
the survey and report are in the same folder, we don’t have to bother with
a full URL (http://…) in this field.
4. In the URL field, type “report.asp”
5. Click OK. Click Close in the Web Survey Setup dialog.
By default, when you set up a NetCollect document it will set up the last
page as a Thanks for respondents. We need to remove this page or the
scripts will have two ways to deal with the exit and will default to the
Thanks page rather than the URL. There are times you’ll have both
defined—see Handing Data to Other Systems on page 241 for an example.
or Ctrl+B.
7. Select P6 Thanks and click Delete page 6 and all of its tiles. Click OK to
confirm.
8. Select P5 Demographics and click Edit Properties.
9. Under Navigation set the page to Finished submit button.
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10. Click OK to save the page properties, and OK again to close the Page List
dialog.
And now we have a survey with two sets of reports: one password protected for administrators, and one public for interested respondents.
To see the reports in action, go to:
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Chapter 17
Publish Settings
REFERENCE
Now that your survey is complete—or at least drafted—you’ll need to
publish the pages and upload them to a Web server.
Note:
Sections that apply only to one server type will be
titled with “Your Server” or “QuestionWeb”. All other
sections apply to both setups.
Chapter Contents:
Understanding the Publish Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
How Surveys Run on a Web Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Publishing the First Time on Your Server . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Publishing the First Time on QuestionWeb . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Publish Steps in Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Accessing SP4 Files from Multiple Systems . . . . . . . . . . 279
Web Site Definitions for Your Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Checking Script Versions on Your Server . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Copying, Editing and Deleting Your Server Definitions . . 281
Servers Accessed via LAN Shares (Your Server) . . . . . . . 282
Servers Accessed via FTP (Your Server) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Web Site Definitions for QuestionWeb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Understanding QuestionWeb Uploads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Finding Your FTP password for QuestionWeb . . . . . . . . . 284
QuestionWeb Accounts with Multiple Folders . . . . . . . . 285
Setting Paths for a Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Sharing Survey Folders with Other Files on Your Server . . 288
Between Publish and Upload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Advanced Upload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Server Selection and Publish Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Survey Content and Project Data Files on Your Server . . 292
Uploading for the First Time to Your Server . . . . . . . . . . 293
Uploading to Live Surveys on Your Server . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Chapter 17 - Publish Settings
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Understanding the Publish Process
Publishing is simply the process of creating survey pages which will work
on your server and then getting them to that server. The first time you go
through the process can take a little time—especially when it’s part of
your server script installation—but after that it takes just a minute to publish a new or revised survey.
If you’re not certain what type of server you want to use, see Server
Options on page 4. The QuestionWeb one day trial accounts are also a
great option if you’re just playing around with a survey (see page 315).
How Surveys Run on a Web Server
Each survey you run expects to have two folders all to itself on your Web
server.
The “Content” folder is the one where your survey pages reside, and is the
place respondents will browse to on your site. Here, the Content folder is
“JunePoll”:
http://yoursite.com/surveys/JunePoll/
The “Project” folder is where your data will accumulate, as well as where
files like your passwords and logs reside. For security, Project folders are
usually in a different location from the Content folders, such as:
http://yoursite.com/surveydata/JunePoll/
The final folder name can be the same for a survey’s Content and Project
as long as they’re on different paths. You can also use friendly names for
Content, paired with a code such as client IDs for the Project folders.
Above the final Content and Project folders are locations called the Content Node or Root, and Project Node or Root. Those paths are set during
the initial script installation with your server administrator. See Recommended Folder Structures on page 29 for some common approaches.
Once those roots are sorted out and saved as part of a Web Site Definition
in SurveyPro, all you do for an individual project is say what you want the
final two Content and Project folders to be named. Developing that definition the first time requires the assistance of your server administrator, and
sometimes requires a few tries to get everything just right. The server
setup chapter on page 26 is what your server administrator will need to
do the initial setup, and that chapter is available as a separate PDF docu-
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ment either installed with SurveyPro or from
http://apian.com/downloads/.
QuestionWeb users skip the “sorting out” part of this and just use one of
the folders associated with their account.
You can re-use folders as surveys conclude, but having two active surveys
at the same location at the same time makes life much more complicated
(see page 288).
Publishing the First Time on Your Server
The good news is once you successfully publish a survey, every one after
that is very easy. Figuring it out the first time can involve a bit of a learning curve though.
1. Start your setup as soon as you get NetCollect, before you need to have your
first survey go live and while you still have support coverage.
2. Work with your server administrator to get the scripts installed and decide
where you want your Content and Project Roots located (see page 276).
Server Installation on page 26 is what your server administrator will need to
do the initial setup, and that chapter is available as a separate PDF
document either installed with SurveyPro or from
http://apian.com/downloads/.
3. Get a draft of the Server Crib Sheet (see page 38) from your server
administrator with all the paths SurveyPro needs to Publish.
4. As part of testing your server setup, use the tutorial on page 295 to create
your first Web Site definition and Publish a survey. For the first time, using
one of the NetCollect sample files is a good way to test the setup.
5. Revise the Server Crib Sheet and Web Site definition as needed until a survey
successfully goes all the way through downloading and importing data.
6. Take a screen capture (PrtScrn) of the final working Web Site definition,
paste it into Word, and stash it somewhere safe!
After this first time, all you’ll do is pick that saved Web Site definition
within SurveyPro, set your Content and Project paths, and upload—just a
minute or two.
Resources while sorting all this out the first time:
Server Installation on page
26
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The best place for any problems related to folders/paths, permissions
errors, etc. If you start having problems, we highly recommend your
server administrator read from the very first page of the server installa-
277
tion chapter through Testing the Server Installation on page 41. Often the
information your server administrator needs is in there, just under a section heading they thought didn’t apply.
Web Site Definitions for
Your Server on page 280
Information about copying and modifying Web Site definitions, as well as
details about FTP and LAN uploads and downloads.
Setting Paths for a Survey
on page 285
Details about the fields which are specific to each survey, the final Content and Project folders.
Technical Support
If you get really stuck, Apian Technical Support has a troubleshooting
walk-through process. This requires both you, the SurveyPro user, and
your server administrator be on a conference call with support. During
the call, you’ll need to be able to log into the Web server to check settings
and make changes, as well as having a system with SurveyPro available
for Publishing surveys. These calls can take an hour, and must be scheduled in advance by contacting [email protected].
Publishing the First Time on QuestionWeb
With QuestionWeb you’ll have an account which manages one or more
“folders”. You can change surveys within a folder as often as you like, but
each folder can contain only one active survey at a time. The folders
under your account can have a mix of expiration dates and special services such as encrypted survey submissions and high capacity.
1. Sign up for a QuestionWeb account at http://www.QuestionWeb.com at
least one business day before you need it for a survey.
2. Use the tutorial on page 308 to go through the Publish process the first time,
including saving your account information and doing a test download and
import.
QuestionWeb account information comes from [email protected]. To
avoid delays, add that address to your Contacts or approved senders list.
On rare occasion, there may be a problem connecting to the QuestionWeb servers for uploads. If your IT department tends to have very restrictive settings on the firewall and applications, we recommend setting up
your QuestionWeb account a week before you need it.
Resources while sorting all this out the first time:
Web Site Definitions for
QuestionWeb on page 284
Information about finding your FTP password and working with multiple
folders.
on page 285
Details about the fields which are specific to each survey, the final Content and Project folders.
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Technical Support
QuestionWeb accounts include support on the Publish process, even if
you don’t have a support contract for SurveyPro itself. Contact
[email protected].
Publish Steps in Detail
You may want to refresh your memory of the big picture view on page 7.
When you publish your NetCollect surveys, the software goes through a
few steps:
1. Checking the survey is ready for publish (no missing login definitions or
piping files)
2. Checking your server definition and survey paths are complete
3. Creating a local copy of your survey’s ASP pages, configuration and other
files as they will appear on the server
4. Generating a Publish log
5. Prompting you to upload the pages
6. Uploading those survey files to the server
7. Prompting you to launch the Web-based Control Panel
8. Opening a browser and loading the Control Panel
If you’re going to be modifying the survey pages in an HTML editor (see
page 355), then you can halt the process by clicking Later at step 5. If it’s
just a quick change you’re making yourself, you can leave SurveyPro at
the prompt, edit the pages, and then return to SurveyPro. If you’re going
to be passing the files to a designer for the changes, you can cancel the
process at that point and use the advanced upload later (see page 290).
Accessing SP4 Files from Multiple Systems
If you share SP4 files with co-workers or access them yourself from both a
laptop and desktop, this information will make your life easier.
Sharing Web site definitions
While the details of a Web Site are saved as part of your user account on
just one computer, what SurveyPro stores in the SP4 file is the name of
the definition. If all the users in your company use identical names to refer
to the same server settings, then you’ll never see warning notices about
server definitions being missing.
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Saving SP4 files to common shares
Often one user will Publish the survey, but another person will be downloading data. When SurveyPro Publishes, you give it a location on your
local system or LAN share where it will be creating copies of your Web
pages (see page 279). Later, when you use Get Latest Data (see page 335)
it looks for that same set of folders to download the files.
When you e-mail SP4 files around and everyone is saving them to a different location, Get Latest Data can’t find its local folders and will give an
error. However, if the SP4 file and those Publish sub-folders are stored on
a LAN data share that everyone accesses with the same drive letter,
everything will work beautifully.
Likewise on a desktop/laptop setup, be sure you’re using the same drive
and path locations for your files, and synchronize not just the SP4 files but
also the sub-folders created during Publish.
Web Site Definitions for Your Server
If you don’t have your Server Crib Sheet (see page 38), now is the time to
track it down from your server administrator.
To define a Web Site:
2. Edit Server Configuration
3. Define New Site button
The fields in the Web Site Definition dialog are covered on page 38 as
they’re tightly intertwined with the folders your server administrator creates. Therefore, this section is less about determining the specific paths
you’ll type than about working with Web Site definitions in general.
Checking Script Versions on Your Server
When publishing, you have to have a script match between your version
of SurveyPro and the scripts on the server. Any “old” script versions must
be left on your server until you’re absolutely certain there are no surveys
referencing them. Likewise you should keep Web Site definitions on your
system as long as you’re pulling data for projects published under them.
Updated server scripts can be installed in parallel on a server and are a
quick update if your administrator followed our installation recommendations (see page 28).
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To check for a script version without looking on the server itself:
3. Define New Site button, or Edit All Sites button to check an existing definition
4. Fill in the fields for a new site or select your site from the list
5. Click Test URLs
Copying, Editing and Deleting Your Server Definitions
To edit Web Site definitions:
3. Edit All Sites button
4. Select a Site from the list and Modify
, Delete
or Duplicate
First, remember that the Web Sites are named objects that multiple surveys will reference. Unlike your Rescales and Text Styles which are saved
within one SP4 file and only used by its documents, Web Sites are saved in
your computer’s registry and used by multiple SP4 files. While it is possible to re-create a Web Site definition after it’s been removed, it’s more of a
hassle than being conservative with your edits and deletions.
There are a few common situations for editing and copying sites:
Debugging your initial
definition
It’s not uncommon for one to spend a couple rounds fixing typos or
adjusting a server configuration when doing the initial installation. In this
case, there are no real surveys using the Web Site definitions yet, so modify
freely.
Updating script versions
If you update your SurveyPro, it may now want a newer version of the
scripts for new projects. At the same time, live surveys will be referencing
older script generations. In this case, duplicate
your current definition
and then change the Revision in the copy to match the notice “This NetCollect is.” Use the Test URLs button to confirm your server administrator
properly updated the server side.
Creating a similar site with
new Project or Content
roots
In most cases, a server will have one Project and one Content root which
all SurveyPro users to post their surveys. However, some firms may create multiple roots for different departments, such as marketing and
human resources. In this case, you may end up duplicating
one
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department’s settings and updating a few fields for the additional department.
Other than these situations, you’ll rarely need to modify your definitions.
If you find yourself making changes regularly, there may be a way to
change your base definition so the frequently changed portions are in
your survey paths instead.
Renaming a server
definition
Server definitions are saved centrally on your computer and referenced
by name from a SP4 file. If you rename the settings while in one survey,
other SP4 files sharing that definition will not be able to find their server
any more and will generate errors when you try to upload or download. If
you attempt to rename a server definition, you’ll see a warning dialog with
the options to cancel, create a copy of the server definition with the new
name, or rename the original version.
Housecleaning
When you no longer need a server definition for Publishing or data
downloads, you can delete it from your system.
Servers Accessed via LAN Shares (Your Server)
When you’re working with intranet servers, local test systems, or production servers accessed through a VPN, the drives of the Web servers may
be accessible through Windows Explorer just like your C:\ drive or a
shared network data drive. There are two types of paths:
UNC paths
A universal (or uniform) naming convention path which
consists of:
\\servername\sharename
\\serverIPaddress\sharename
A share name may be something like Marketing or Clients or
simply C$ for that server’s C drive. Whenever you see a share
with a $ at the end, that means it’s a hidden share—you can
connect to it if you know the exact name, but it won’t appear
when you browse the system.
Drive letter
mappings
All a drive letter mapping does is make an entry in your
computer that says:
\\servername\sharename\subfolders\ = W:\
In some organizations, there are standardized drive mappings so you can
tell anyone in the company to use the “W drive” to access a Web server,
or “S drive” to get to shared data files. Not all companies have these standards, though, so while the UNC paths appear messier, using them can be
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a lot simpler than figuring out that your W drive is different from someone
else’s.
Whenever a Windows system tries to connect to another computer, the
first thing it does is pass along your network username and password. If it
finds a match on the other system, it will let you access the share with no
notices. However, if it doesn’t find a match to your username, then Windows will pop up a dialog box for you to enter other credentials.
If your Web server shares require that separate authentication box, you
need to establish the connection and authenticate yourself before uploading from SurveyPro (going to Windows Start, Run and putting the share in
works). Once a connection is established, SurveyPro can upload and
download with no problems.
Servers Accessed via FTP (Your Server)
SurveyPro’s FTP function works for the majority of server configurations,
but it does make a couple assumptions:
•
You’re connecting via port 21 (the FTP default)
•
Both the Content and Project roots are available as sub-folders after
you connect via FTP
If either of those is not true for you, or if you require an encrypted FTP
connection, you’ll need to use a third-party FTP utility for uploads. (In
some cases a simple port change can be specified with ftp://yoursite.com:portnumber.)
If you are using a separate FTP application, you’ll need to define a Web
Site with false upload connection information (SurveyPro won’t let you
save a definition with missing fields), and only go partially through the
steps on page 279. If you cancel at step 5, then SurveyPro will have generated the survey pages and configuration files on your local drive, but
not yet attempted to upload them. At this point you can open up your
FTP program and do the upload.
Similarly, you will not be able to use SurveyPro’s integrated data download. Use the Control Panel’s data page (see page 328) to archive the work
in progress WIP file, and then download either from the Control Panel or
using your FTP application.
Next section for Your Server: Setting Paths for a Survey on page 285.
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Web Site Definitions for QuestionWeb
QuestionWeb takes care of script versions and server paths for you, so all
you need is your account information to Publish.
To define a Web Site:
3. Define New Site button
In addition to the regular paid QuestionWeb accounts, Apian now offers
one day trial accounts. To sign up for a regular account, go to
www.QuestionWeb.com and click the Order Now link—accounts are activated within 1 business day. To request a demo folder, select that server
type within SurveyPro and click the Get Demo Folder button.
Both types of accounts are covered in the QuestionWeb publish tutorial
on page 308.
Understanding QuestionWeb Uploads
QuestionWeb’s folder upload and file check-in process is slightly different
from on your own server. While an upload to your own server places files
in the location respondents go to, uploads to QuestionWeb go to a temporary holding location.
Once you upload your survey to a folder and log in to the Control Panel,
you need to tell QuestionWeb to check for your new files. For the folder
you used, click the Set Up New Project button, then click Set Up Project
on the next screen. This tells the server to go check the files you
uploaded, insert the QuestionWeb server paths, and copy them to their
final location.
Finding Your FTP password for QuestionWeb
If you have a one-day demo account, all the information you need is in the
automated e-mail you received on sign-up.
If you have a regular QuestionWeb account, log in to your account Control Panel at:
https://questionweb.com/controlpanel/
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On the first page, QuestionWeb displays a list of the folders in your
account. In the pale blue banner across the top of the page you’ll see your
FTP password, which is different from your Control Panel password.
QuestionWeb Accounts with Multiple Folders
When publishing to QuestionWeb, SurveyPro will let you browse to a
folder within your account and will warn you if you’re uploading to a
folder which already has content. What it won’t tell you from within
SurveyPro is which survey is in that folder. Because of this, it’s helpful to
be logged into the QuestionWeb Control Panel during Publish so you can
confirm you’ve picked the right destination.
Web Sites definitions let you enter all the information which is generic to
your Web server, so after that you only need to enter the subfolders and
file names specific to one survey.
To enter fields for a survey:
3. Select a Site from the list and click Use Site
The fields in the Survey Project dialog depend on whether you’re using
your own server or QuestionWeb. Both versions are documented together
here, so skip any field names you don’t see on your screen.
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Edit All Sites
This button brings up the Web Site definition dialog, allowing you to
review the settings for a site, create a new site, or edit an existing site.
Local Directory
The Local Directory is where NetCollect will create your survey pages
before uploading them to the server. By default, it creates a subfolder
where your SP4 file is saved, and names that folder with the SP4 file name
plus the server definition name. Nobody but you will ever see that path, so
generally the default is fine. You do want to have a folder for each survey
though, so if you have multiple Web questionnaires in one SP4 file you
may need to modify the path.
Base Filename
Base Filename sets the name of the .ASP pages, and defaults to the SP4
file name. While you generally won’t include this in the link you send to
respondents (unless you’re using an embedded launch), it will be visible in
their browser’s address as soon as they start the survey. Good names are
short and either consistent with the survey or generic.
QuestionWeb Folder
Either type or Browse to select the 5 digit QuestionWeb folder which
you’re using for the survey. When you Publish, SurveyPro will warn you if
the folder has a survey in it, but won’t give any details, so it can help to log
into the QuestionWeb Control Panel to confirm you’ve got the right folder.
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Survey Content Sub-path
(Your Server)
This builds on top of paths in the Web Site definition, and is part of the
address you’ll ask respondents to go to. The Survey Content folder should
be unique to this project. Let’s say your Web Site definition included these
entries:
Web Root
http://www.yoursite.com
Survey Contents Node
surveys/
If you were conducting a survey on widgets, you could use as your Survey
Content Sub-path “widget,” which would combine with your Web Root
and Survey Contents Node to make this URL for respondents:
http://www.yoursite.com/surveys/widget/
Some Web site definitions don’t have a specific Survey Contents Node, in
which case your Survey Content Sub-Path might be “widgetsurvey”
instead to distinguish it from other widget information on the site. As with
the base filename, shorter folder names are best. While spaces are
allowed, they’ll often appear in a browser as “%20” so try hyphens or
underscores in their place.
Project Data Sub-path
(Your Server)
Like the Survey Content Sub-path, this should be a unique folder for this
survey. Unlike the Content folder, this location is hidden from respondents
though it is visible to anyone else with file access to your server. In most
cases, your survey data will be going to a folder path specifically for NetCollect projects—the Project Data Node in the Web Site definition. If
you’re the only one posting surveys, you can use any naming scheme
which makes sense to you. However, if there are multiple NetCollect users
posting many surveys, you may want to work out a system where the path
includes your department, name, date, or other information which would
short-cut conversations about “Who the heck posted this?” Because the
files within the Content and Project folders refer to each other, you don’t
have to worry about embedding this sort of information in the path visible
to respondents.
Control Panel Password
(Your Server)
Enter at least 8 characters using at least one number or special character.
This is used to access the Control Panel published with your survey in the
Content folder as “basefilename-cp.asp.” If you forget your password, it’s
always here in the SP4 file for your reference.
Custom Script (Your Server) This is a very rarely used field—most users will leave it blank. Part of the
NetCollect script engine is a file called “NC_Custom.” When answers are
submitted by respondents, the data runs through this script along with the
normal processors for skips, etc. In the version of the script Apian ships
with NetCollect, the data just does a U-turn through the NC_Custom
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script, with no actions taken. On rare occasion, an organization will
require a special function which cannot be handled with custom JavaScript or ASP code in the survey pages, so they will add server-side code
to this module. Unless your server administrator has given you an entry
for this field, ignore it.
Sharing Survey Folders with Other Files on Your Server
We strongly recommend against this practice, as SurveyPro’s automatic
publish and upload systems assume each survey resides in its own folder
(directory) on the server. If you want to place multiple surveys in a Web
Site folder or place a survey in a folder with general Web pages, you’ll
need to:
•
Use the Advanced Upload in SurveyPro or a separate file transfer
mechanism to copy the published files up to your Web server
•
Keep track of your base filenames and image names to make sure
they’re distinct among your different surveys
•
Replace the index.htm redirect page with other content
•
Rename the index.asp survey initiation page for each questionnaire,
and link directly to that renamed page to initiate the survey (not to the
basefilename.asp page)
QuestionWeb does not allow multiple surveys at one time in a folder.
See also Files in the Content Folder on page 348.
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Between Publish and Upload
Publishing your survey consists of creating all the survey pages, generating a configuration to drive your skips and answer tests, and copying relevant files such as graphics and PINs into one central spot. Once these files
are created on your local system, you’ll see a confirmation dialog:
At this point, no files have been placed on your server. In most cases,
you’ll upload immediately, but on occasion you may need to alter some
files first.
Upload Now
Copies the files in your local publish directories up to your server. NetCollect will not notice if you leave this dialog open, make a quick adjustment to an HTML page in an editor such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage,
and then click the Now button to upload the modified page.
Upload Later
Defers the upload to another time, allowing you to pass the files to a
graphic designer. Even if you know you’ll be editing the layouts, you may
want to upload your surveys Now to ensure basic functionality, and then
copy the modified survey pages up later. See Advanced Upload on page
290.
Upload Advanced
Launches the Advanced Upload dialog for selective file placement. See
page 290.
Copy to Clipboard
Copies the Publish Log to the clipboard for printing. A copy of this log is
also created in the local publish folders for your reference.
Lock Questionnaire Designs If the questionnaire designs are currently unlocked, this option will appear
at the bottom of the screen. Please leave it marked—see The Best Way to
Mangle Survey Data on page 14 for why.
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Advanced Upload
Most of the time, SurveyPro’s simple “Upload Now” is what you’ll use
right after Publish. Sometimes, though, you’ll need a little more control for
uploading:
•
Survey pages after your designer gives them a tweak
•
An updated logo file (make sure it’s the same pixel dimensions)
•
A password file to replace your test version
•
An expanded pipe-in file
The Advanced Upload dialog has three tabs. The first is a summary page
which shows the most recent Publish and lets you launch the Control
Panel, the second is used to access the survey’s Content folder, and the
third is used to access the Project folder. Both the Content and Project
tabs have two views, with the left list showing your local system’s files,
and the right showing your Web server.
In these views, you cannot browse to other folders on your system or
change your mind about where surveys will reside on the server—if you
need to adjust those paths, you’ll have to re-publish.
Important
If you revise your survey and re-publish, you need to re-upload all the survey pages and the CFG file together. NetCollect checks that the publish
date and time matches within all these files (not the file modified time
stamp).
QuestionWeb users
The Server view of Advanced Uploads is the upload area, not the final file
locations. Any time you upload files you’ll need to click Set Up New
Project in the Control Panel to check in the revised files. Every time you
use Set Up New Project, it copies all the files from your FTP folder, not
just updated ones, and also re-sets all your data files and logs. Because of
this, the function is not available while a survey is in Live mode.
To access Advanced Upload
2. Advanced Upload button
You can also reach the dialog right after publishing your files by clicking
the Advanced button at the screen with the publish log.
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Server Selection and Publish Log
The first tab shows a summary of the most recent Publish (the only one
that ever matters). In addition to this information, there are a few controls
you can use.
Local and Server times
In the upper-right corner are times for your local system and the Web
server, which are often set to different time zones. Keep these in mind as
you’re trying to determine which files are more “recent” between the two
locations.
Archive Now
This sends a command to the Control Panel to Archive the current work
in progress data file. You’ll rarely use it when doing Uploads—it’s mostly
there because this screen is also used in the Advanced Download dialog.
Launch
Opens a browser window with the survey’s Control Panel.
Lock Questionnaire Designs If the questionnaire designs are currently unlocked, this option will appear
at the bottom of the screen. Please leave it marked—see The Best Way to
Mangle Survey Data on page 14 for why.
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Survey Content and Project Data Files on Your Server
When you select the Survey Content or Project Data tabs, SurveyPro displays your local system’s files on the left side and your Web server’s on
the right side.
Understanding the “Extra” Files
On both the Content and Project sides you’ll probably see far more files
than you expected. Every file has a purpose, so don’t skip uploading one
or two that you think is superfluous. See also Files on the Server on page
348 and Closing and Archiving Surveys on page 344.
On the Content side
In addition to the survey pages themselves you’ll see index pages which
are used to direct respondents to the survey and initiate sessions. Graphic
files starting with “nc” are used either for survey buttons, progress bars, or
within the Control Panel. Certain ASP pages are created to manage the
survey via the Control Panel and SurveyPro. Within the Content folder,
your local system and the Web server should always match.
On the Project side
In this case, your local system will only show a handful of files, but the
Web Site side will show a proliferation of files. Some of these are data,
others are logs, and others are control files for managing respondent traffic. Again, every file exists for a reason, and while some will re-generate if
removed, you really don’t want to “tidy” an active survey—ever.
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Uploading for the First Time to Your Server
If you’ve never uploaded after publishing, the folders won’t exist yet on
your Web server (assuming you’re not sharing the folder with other content). In this case, all the files on the left side will be selected for upload,
but the Upload button itself will be grayed out.
1. Click the Make Folder button to create it on the Web server
2. Click the Upload button to copy the files to the server
3. Select the Server tab and Launch the Control Panel to set up your survey
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Uploading to Live Surveys on Your Server
Sometimes long-running surveys may require an update to their pipe-in
files, or a quick fix needs to be made. Updating live surveys is always
risky, so even if you’re an experienced NetCollect user, take a lot of care
through this process and watch your survey for errors afterward.
1. Using the Control Panel, set the survey to Maintenance Mode (see page 328)
2. Once respondents are locked out, download any copies of files you’re
modifying (see page 337)
3. Upload just the modified files back up to the server
4. Using the Control Panel switch Maintenance Mode back off
SurveyPro won’t let you upload unless a survey is in Test mode or Maintenance mode, so you can’t just sneak files in from within its system. This is
to prevent “file in use” errors which you may see in copying and a respondent may see in clicking Submit.
The most common reason for doing this is updating a password file,
which is covered on page 173.
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TUTORIAL
Chapter 18
Publishing and Uploading
to Your Server
QuestionWeb users go to the tutorial on page 308.
This tutorial is a little different from all the rest. In addition to walking you
through your own survey files to publish, it is also often used during testing of the initial script installation. Because you’ll be filling in dialogs with
your server’s unique information there are times we’ll provide examples,
but we cannot provide exactly what to type at each stage. This means
the explanations between numbered steps are much more important in this tutorial than in other lessons.
If this is part of your initial
server installation
At this point you’ll need to have completed at least steps 1-3 on page 277.
If you have problems along the way, the two most common culprits are
paths and permissions. For the paths, check for typos and have your
server administrator check that the paths patch the three server perspectives in Server Paths for the SurveyPro User on page 38. For permissions,
have your server administrator check both the IIS and NTFS permissions
in the section starting on page 33.
If you have a working Web
Site Definition
If you have a reliable Server Crib Sheet (see page 38) then you’ll follow all
the sections, simply typing in your values as you go. If instead you already
have a tested Web Site defined, the tutorial skips you past that portion.
Everyone
You can use this lesson to post a real project in its “live” location on your
server. Or you can use a sample file to post a survey for learning the process or testing your server. Any of the NetCollect tutorial files with “End”
in the name are ready for Publish, though you may want to pick a lesson
you’ve completed for familiarity during testing.
If at any point you get an error instead of a success notice, you’ll need to
stop the tutorial and work with your server administrator to either correct
the path or fix the server setup.
Chapter 18 - Publishing and Uploading to Your Server
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Define a Web Server in NetCollect
Set paths for a survey on that server
Upload your survey pages to the server
Run the Web-based Control Panel to set up and manage the survey
Download data
No specific NetCollect features
Tutorial Notes
General
1. Start SurveyPro, enter your initials, and Open either your survey file or any
sample file with “End” in the name.
2. If you opened a sample file, click Yes to open a copy, and save as
YourName Publish Tutorial.SP4.
4. Make sure the questionnaire you’re publishing is the active document tab.
Defining a Web Site
What we’re going to do is define a Web Site for your server and then
select it for this particular survey. The Web Site definition is the part that
requires your crib sheet and may require a “debugging” round with your
server administrator the first time you publish. However, the good news is
that once it’s defined, it’s saved to your computer and you can use it for all
your NetCollect surveys.
2. In the last section, Server Configuration, click the Edit button.
If you already have a Web Site defined, jump ahead to Setting this survey’s paths on page 298.
3. Click the Define New Site button.
4. Give the Web Site a descriptive Name, such as “Intranet,” “Test Server,” etc.
When SurveyPro lists the site it will include the type of connection and
script version, so you don’t need to put them in the name.
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5. Select either Local/LAN Disk or Remote FTP according to your crib sheet.
6. Fill in the paths according to your crib sheet, being careful of the
punctuation (/ vs. \) and matching each path to the right blank.
Remote FTP sites
7. Click the Set FTP Connect button and complete those fields as well. When the
fields are entered, click the Connect button to verify they work, and then
Close (don’t disconnect).
The Web Site definitions are tied to your personal profile (your Windows
login) on this one computer. So, even if you save your FTP password it
can’t be revealed to someone else when you send them the SP4 file.
Your finished dialog should look something like this:
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8. Click the Test URLs button.
This checks the URLs you entered and that the server scripts match your
version of NetCollect. You should see a success message:
9. Click OK to close the test notice.
10. Your definition is now complete, so click OK to save it.
Setting this survey’s paths
Now that we’ve defined the Web Site—the piece we’ll use for many surveys—we’re ready to define the paths for this particular project. Because
we just defined a site, NetCollect assumed we wanted to use it.
Everyone who already had a Web Site defined, select your saved
server from the drop-down list at the top of the dialog and click Use Site.
Once you select a Web Site for a survey, NetCollect fills in a few defaults:
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1. If needed, edit the Local Directory field.
Next we have two fields which will be visible to respondents on the server.
The Base Filename sets the name of the .ASP pages, and defaults to the
SP4 file name. The Survey Content Sub-path is the folder where this survey will reside. Both of these reside on top of the Web Site’s Web Root and
Survey Contents Node Sub-URL, which in this tutorial’s screen captures
are http://alien/polls/.
2. Change the Base Filename to something which is short, has no spaces, and
will not confuse respondents who notice it in their browser address bar.
3. Type a folder name in the Survey Content Sub-path which respondents will use
to browse to the questionnaire.
You want this Content folder to be reserved for just this survey, with no
other Web pages or surveys in it. You can type a new folder name here
and NetCollect will take care of creating it during Publish. Note this entry
can be more than one level deep, such as “marketing/survey/”. (See
Sharing Survey Folders with Other Files on Your Server on page 288 for why
we recommend a folder just for this survey.)
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In the example we’re showing here, the respondents would be asked to go
to this intranet address:
http://alien/polls/december05/
As soon as they load that address, they will be immediately redirected to
the main survey page complete with Base Filename:
http://alien/polls/december05/survey.asp
The next field isn’t visible to respondents, but is visible to anyone else
with file access to your server. In most cases, your survey data will be
going to a folder path specifically for NetCollect projects—the Project
Data Node in the Web Site definition. If you’re the only one posting surveys, you can use any naming scheme which makes sense to you. However, if there are multiple NetCollect users posting many surveys, you
may want to work out a system where the path includes your department,
name, date, or other information which would short-cut conversations
about “Who the heck posted this?” As long as someone can figure out
who the Project folder belongs to, they can use the configuration file it
contains to locate the associated Content folder.
4. Type a Project Data Sub-path with no spaces (hyphens and underscores are
OK).
5. Type a Control Panel Password which you’ll use to manage the survey on-line.
You have to mix in at least one number or special character with the letters.
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Don’t worry if you forget the password; it’s always here for your reference.
The Custom Script field is very rarely used. Don’t worry about it unless
your server administrator has done custom development on top of the
NetCollect scripts and told you to put something there.
Your completed screen should look something like this:
6. Click OK to save your survey’s publish settings.
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Publishing the survey
We’re back in the Web Survey Setup dialog, now with a note in the Server
Configuration about our settings:
1. Click the Publish to Server button.
2. You should see a prompt to create the local publish folder; click Yes.
3. The next prompt is to save your SP4 file. Click Yes again.
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NetCollect just created all the local pages, complete with the filenames
and paths you entered in the Web Site definition. All of this is summarized
in the Publish log:
At this point, we haven’t uploaded anything to the server. If you were
going to have a graphic designer modify the pages you could click the
Later button to stop the process at this point. However, in most cases,
you’ll upload right now.
At the bottom of this dialog is an option to “Lock” the questionnaires. This
prevents anyone from accidentally modifying your questionnaires (you
can unlock via the Edit menu). See The Best Way to Mangle Survey Data on
page 14 to understand why we recommend leaving that box marked.
Local/LAN Disk sites
Some LAN paths will automatically pick up your network ID and authenticate you to the receiving server. Other LAN shares pop up a “connect as”
dialog when you try to access them. If the upload paths you set in the Web
Site require separate authentication, take care of that outside of SurveyPro now.
Everyone
4. Under Server Upload, click the Now button.
5. You’ll see two prompts to create the Content and Project folders. Click Yes for
both.
If instead you saw warnings about the folders already having content, you
should double-check what’s in those locations and/or back up and change
your selections before proceeding.
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After NetCollect copies the files to your server, it tells you it succeeded
and asks if you want to launch the Control Panel. At this point, while the
files are present on the server, the survey itself won’t run—you need to
check in the files first.
6. Click Yes to launch the Control Panel (leave SurveyPro open).
At this point, even though you successfully tested your paths and
uploaded, you may get an error on opening the Control Panel. The most
common cause for this is that your Web server doesn’t have permission to
write in your data folder. (Check the “IIS User” columns on page 36.)
You may want to bookmark the Control Panel page if this is a real project.
7. Type the survey administrator password you set in the dialog with the Content
and Project paths and click Log In.
The Control Panel knows you just did a new upload, so it’s prompting you
to check in the files.
8. Click Set Up New Project.
Now the survey is ready to run.
Testing your survey
When you set up a survey, it starts off in Test mode. As you go through
the survey, the only difference between Test and Live is the footer that
appears—otherwise all the passwords, skips, piping, etc. are working.
While the survey is in Test mode, you will be able to upload revised questionnaires (this is locked out in Live mode) and all data you entered is
flagged as “TEST” in the file name. When you switch to Live mode, the
passwords you used are made available once again and the activity logs
and report counts are cleared.
1. Click on the Survey URL link at the top of the Control Panel.
This opens the survey in a separate browser window. Leave the Control
Panel open—we’ll be returning to it in just a minute.
2. Go through the survey a couple times to generate a little data.
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Your survey probably ends with a SurveyPro generated “Thanks” page.
To restart the survey from there, just wipe out everything below the folder
name from the URL, removing the page name and session ID such as:
survey.asp?P1=3pv1%2D7rv3%2Dyfd
A common error is copying the full link including a session ID and using
that as the hyperlink to send respondents to a survey. Make sure you only
use the folder path!
3. Once you have a couple forms entered, switch back to the Control Panel
window.
4. Under Basic Survey Administration, select Activity Log and click Go.
This is a handy tool for seeing how many people have completed the survey and how many partial responses you’re accumulating. If you want to
make this information visible to clients or colleagues without giving them
full administrative access, just use an Online Report (see page 251).
5. Click the Back to Home link that appears at the top and bottom of the page.
Downloading and importing data
A survey which works beautifully on the server is useless if there’s a flaw
in the data. Never skip the full testing loop of pulling and checking data.
There’s also one last permissions gotcha that hides until this point.
1. Under Advanced Options, select Data Files and click Go.
The only file listed is a “work in progress” WIP file that is actively collecting data. To prevent overlap in data files, NetCollect requires you Archive
your files to download them, which will rename the current WIP file with
the current date and time, and create a new working file. While we can
archive and download straight from the Control Panel (handy for ASCII
Pipe Outs), we’re going to use SurveyPro instead.
2. Switch back to SurveyPro, where the Web Survey Setup dialog is still open.
3. Click the Get Latest Data button.
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SurveyPro goes out and checks with the server, listing the current status
of your project in the top half of the dialog. You can see it relies some on
your Import Log History, so if you tend to purge that aggressively, you
may want to change your habits.
In our case, there are no archived files to download, so we need to create
one first.
4. Set the download option to The present, after doing a new archive.
Below that are options to import the completed surveys and partial
responses. The partial surveys mentioned here are ones which have
“expired” on the server, either because you set the partials to expire in the
Control Panel, or because you switched the survey from Test to Live or
Live to Closed modes. Right now, even though you may have created a
partial response or two, they’re still active on the server for respondents
to come back and finish.
5. Click OK to download and import the data.
6. Review the messages that appeared in the lower half of the dialog.
7. Close the Download and Import dialog and Close Web Survey Setup as well.
8. Click on the File History toolbar button
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9. Select the Imports tab.
Here you’ll see two logs. One is the general download and import log that
was displayed in the dialog we just used. The second log is a detailed
report for each SDH file you downloaded—it’s always a good idea to
check those.
10. Select the Publishing tab.
Here we have a copy of the Publish log. This is a handy reference for the
assorted survey and Control Panel paths, as well as your administrator
password.
Congratulations! You just published a survey. Once everyone is done
revising and testing the survey, you just need to switch the Control Panel
to Live mode and you’re ready to go.
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TUTORIAL
Chapter 19
Publishing and Uploading
to QuestionWeb
For publishing to your own server go to the tutorial on page 295.
This tutorial is a little different from the others. Unlike the layout or skips
tutorials which require you use our sample file, in this lesson you can use
any finished survey. You’ll also see places where we offer suggestions
about what to type, but where you’ll have to decide for your own situation
the best names and paths.
If you have a real project ready to go, this tutorial can be used to post it on
the server and walk you through the testing process for the first time.
If you don’t have your own survey ready yet, you can use any of the NetCollect tutorial files with “End” in the name.
Regular QuestionWeb
accounts
New accounts take one business day to process, so you’ll need to have
that taken care of before running the tutorial. In the meantime, the process of publishing to QuestionWeb demo folders is almost identical so you
can give that a try.
QuestionWeb demo folders
Jump ahead to Using QuestionWeb Demo Accounts on page 315 for your
tutorial.
Define a QuestionWeb Server in NetCollect
Upload your survey pages to the server
Run the Web-based Control Panel to set up and manage the survey
Download data
No specific NetCollect features
Chapter 19 - Publishing and Uploading to QuestionWeb
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Tutorial Notes
General
Publishing to a Regular Account
Defining a Web Site
What we’re going to do is define a Web Site for your QuestionWeb
account and then select it for this particular survey. Once the account is
defined, it’s saved to your computer and you can use it for all your NetCollect surveys.
2. In the last section, Server Configuration, click the Edit button.
3. Click the Define New Site button.
4. Give the site a Name, such as “QuestionWeb.”
In the list of Web Sites, SurveyPro will include the account’s user name for
your reference.
5. For the Web Server type select QuestionWeb.
6. At the bottom of the screen, enter the User ID which you selected when you
signed up (it will be in the confirmation message you received).
7. Next to it, enter your FTP password.
Your FTP password is different from the one you use to log into the
QuestionWeb Control Panel. You’ll find the password in the pale blue banner at the top of the Control Panel’s Folder List page.
8. If you like, click Save Password.
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Like the rest of your Web Site definition, this information is only saved to
your computer under your Windows login, so you don’t have to worry
about e-mailing someone the SP4 file and giving them access to your
account. In addition, the FTP password is only used for uploads, so it
can’t be used to access survey data.
9. Click the Test Connection button to verify your entries.
If your typing was correct, “Connection test successful” will appear to the
left of the button.
10. Click OK to save your Web Site definition.
Setting this survey’s information
Now back in the Survey Project dialog, the Web Site you just defined is
selected for the project. There are only a couple fields you need to fill out.
1. If needed, edit the Local Directory field.
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SP4 file name.
Our last field is the QuestionWeb Folder, where you type or select one of
the folders associated with your account.
3. Click the Browse button for SurveyPro to go look up your account.
4. Select one of your folders and click OK.
It’s always good to double-check what’s in a folder before publishing to it.
5. Leave SurveyPro where it is, launch your browser and go to
http://questionweb.com/controlpanel/
6. Enter your ID and password (the one you set, not the FTP password).
7. Check what’s listed in that folder and make sure you weren’t about to
overwrite something useful (the Control Panel won’t let you overwrite a Live
mode survey).
8. Switch back to SurveyPro and click OK to save your settings.
Publishing and uploading
The server settings are now saved on your computer and as part of the
Web questionnaire. If you still had more design work to do on the survey
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you could wrap that up now, but in our case we’re ready to publish and
upload to the server.
We’re now back in the Web Survey Setup dialog, but now under Server
Configuration it gives a summary of your settings.
1. Click the Publish To Server button.
2. If you’re prompted to create a folder for the local files, click Yes.
3. Click Yes again to approve saving your SP4 file.
This next screen shows the publish information for the survey. Now just
one more step to upload the files.
4. In the upper-right corner under Server Upload, click Now.
5. After the files are all uploaded you’ll see a confirmation screen. Click No
unless you closed your browser earlier.
Checking in your files
While the survey pages and configuration file are now uploaded to
QuestionWeb, we haven’t yet told the server to look for the new files.
1. Switch back to your browser with the Control Panel open and click the Set Up
New Project button for that folder.
2. We’ve already uploaded the files, so on the next screen click Set Up Project.
3. When QuestionWeb displays the Setup Results screen, scroll to the end of the
page and click the survey address link.
This opens the survey in another window—leave the Control Panel open
for a minute.
Testing your survey
When you set up a survey, it starts off in Test mode. When you go through
the survey, the only difference between Test and Live is the “Test Mode”
notice in the footer. Otherwise all the passwords, skips, piping, etc. are
working. While the survey is in Test mode, you will be able to upload
revised questionnaires (this is locked out in Live mode) and all data you
entered is flagged as “TEST” in the file name. When you switch to Live
mode, the passwords you used are made available once again and the
activity logs and report counts are cleared.
1. Go through the survey a couple times to generate a little data.
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Your survey probably ends with a SurveyPro generated “Thanks” page.
To restart the survey from there, just wipe out everything below the folder
name from the URL, removing the page name and session ID such as:
survey.asp?P1=3pv1%2D7rv3%2Dyfd
A common error is copying the full link including a session ID and using
that as the hyperlink to send respondents to a survey. Make sure you only
use the folder path!
2. Once you have a couple forms entered, switch back to the Control Panel
window.
3. Click the Folder List link at the top or bottom of the screen.
4. For the folder you’re using, click Manage Project.
5. Under Basic Survey Administration, select Activity Log and click Go.
This is a handy tool for seeing how many people have completed the survey and how many partial responses you’re accumulating. If you want to
make this information visible to clients or colleagues without giving them
full administrative access, just use an Online Report (see page 251).
6. Click the Project Home link that appears at the top and bottom of the page.
Downloading and importing data
A survey which works beautifully on the server is useless if there’s a flaw
in the data. Never skip the full testing loop of pulling and checking data.
1. Under Advanced Options, select Data Files and click Go.
The only file listed is a “work in progress” WIP file that is actively collecting data (unless you posted to a folder still containing a prior survey’s
data). To prevent overlap in data files, NetCollect requires you Archive
your files to download them, which will rename the current WIP file with
the current date and time, and create a new working file. While we can
archive and download straight from the Control Panel (handy for ASCII
Pipe Outs), we’re going to use SurveyPro instead.
2. Switch back to SurveyPro, where the Web Survey Setup dialog is still open.
3. Click the Get Latest Data button.
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SurveyPro goes out and checks with the server, listing the current status
of your project in the top half of the dialog. You can see it relies some on
your Import Log History, so if you tend to purge that aggressively, you
may want to change your habits.
In our case, there are no archived files to download, so we need to create
one first.
4. Set the download option to The present, after doing a new archive.
Below that are options to import the completed surveys and partial
responses. The partial surveys mentioned here are ones which have
“expired” on the server, either because you set the partials to expire in the
Control Panel, or because you switched the survey from Test to Live or
Live to Closed modes. Right now, even though you may have created a
partial response or two, they’re still active on the server for respondents
to come back and finish.
5. Click OK to download and import the data.
6. Review the messages that appeared in the lower half of the dialog.
7. Close the Download and Import dialog and Close Web Survey Setup as well.
8. Click on the File History toolbar button
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9. Select the Imports tab.
Here you’ll see two logs. One is the general download and import log that
was displayed in the dialog we just used. The second log is a detailed
report for each SDH file you downloaded—it’s always a good idea to
check those.
10. Select the Publishing tab.
Here we have a copy of the Publish log. This is a handy reference for the
assorted survey and Control Panel paths, as well as your administrator
password.
Congratulations! You just published and tested a survey. Once everyone is
done revising and testing the survey, you just need to switch the Control
Panel to Live mode and you’re ready to go.
Using QuestionWeb Demo Accounts
The QuestionWeb demo accounts are a great way to do a quick publish
when you don’t have a regular server or QuestionWeb account ready.
Demo accounts are live from the time you sign up to Midnight Pacific
time that night, and you’re limited to one account per day per e-mail
address.
Requesting a QuestionWeb demonstration folder
This dialog is used to define a number of Web survey functions, including
the password, answer tests for required fields and formatting, server
reports, and piping. In this case, we’re going to go straight to the server
settings, but you may want to revisit this screen in playing around with the
program.
2. Next to the Server Configuration section, click Edit.
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3. From the drop-down list at the top of the screen, select One-day Demo
QuestionWeb and click Use Site.
4. At the bottom of the screen, click Get Demo Folder.
This launched a browser with the sign-up form on QuestionWeb.com.
5. Complete the form, making sure you enter the right e-mail address so you
receive your sign-up information.
6. Check your e-mail for a message from [email protected] with the subject
“QuestionWeb demo folder information” and open the message.
Defining your folder settings
1. Leave the e-mail open and switch back to SurveyPro.
There are just three fields we need to set, and two of them are in the email from QuestionWeb.
2. Check the Local Directory which defaulted to a sub-folder of where you saved
the SurveyPro file. This is where the HTML pages are created before they’re
uploaded. If needed, adjust the path by typing or browsing .
SP4 file name.
4. From the e-mail, copy the QuestionWeb Demo Folder and paste it in that field
in SurveyPro.
5. Again from the e-mail, copy your Folder Password and paste it in SurveyPro.
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Your screen should look something like this:
6. Click OK to save your server settings.
Uploading the files
1. Back in the Web Survey Setup dialog, click the Publish To Server button.
2. If you’re prompted to create a folder for the local files, click Yes.
3. Click Yes if you’re prompted to save the file.
This next screen shows the publish information for the survey. Now just
one more step to upload the files.
4. In the upper-right corner under Server Upload, click Now.
5. After the files are all uploaded you’ll see a confirmation screen. Click Yes to
bring up the Web-based survey Control Panel.
Checking in your files
1. Using the same demo## folder ID and password you copied into SurveyPro,
log into the Control Panel.
2. In the table with the folder ID, click the Set Up New Project button.
3. We’ve already uploaded the files, so on the next screen click Set Up Project.
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4. When QuestionWeb displays the Setup Results screen, scroll to the end and
click the link for your survey.
That’s it!
For a walk-through of testing your survey and downloading data, go to
Testing your survey on page 312.
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Chapter 20
Control Panel Screens
REFERENCE
While SurveyPro and NetCollect allow you to design your survey, the
Control Panel lets you manage it once it’s on your Web server. Before diving into the Control Panel, you may want to review the flowcharts for survey management on page 7 and about respondent submissions on page 8.
When you’re logged into the Control Panel, you can also access its Help
screens for a review.
Chapter Contents:
Your Server vs. QuestionWeb Control Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Basic Survey Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Change Survey Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Activity Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Advanced Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Automatic Data Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Manage Partially Completed Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Survey and Report Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Data Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Maintenance Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Server Load Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Chapter 20 - Control Panel Screens
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Your Server vs. QuestionWeb Control Panels
For the most part, the Control Panel is identical between your server and
QuestionWeb. Once you get to the main menu of management options,
you’ll find the two screens are the same.
With NetCollect on your own server, a Control Panel is published with
each survey’s pages to the same folder and with the name
“basefilename-cp.asp.” You’ll go to that specific page to administer a survey, entering that survey’s administrative password.
With QuestionWeb, instead you go to a central Control Panel for your
account, and when you log in it displays a list of your folders. When you
click the Manage Project button for a folder, you’re dropped into the Control Panel screens specific to that survey.
Also, while the survey-specific NetCollect Control Panel automatically
prompts you to Set Up new uploads, the QuestionWeb version needs to
be told to check in new files with the Set Up New Project button.
Basic Survey Administration
The Control Panel is broken between Basic functions you’ll definitely use,
and Advanced functions which you can change or leave with the defaults.
Change Survey Mode
The current mode for your survey is listed in the table at the top of the
page. Normal survey projects progress from Test to Live to Closed mode
(see page 7). Even if you use the timed shut-down option (Survey and
Report Availability on page 326), it’s important to Close a survey to wrapup all the partial data files. SurveyPro will also not let you upload a new
survey to a folder unless you’ve Closed the prior survey.
Note: All mode changes (except Maintenance) create a fresh start in
terms of password files and reports.
Troubleshooting—Returning to Test after you switch to Live
Sometimes a survey is switched to Live mode before everybody has
reviewed it and signed off. In general, it’s better to prematurely switch to
Live mode than it is to launch a survey in Test mode, so this isn’t a problem unless you’ve gotten “real” responses already.
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If no real respondents have completed the survey yet:
1. Switch the survey back to Test mode
2. On the Data page, note any files which say “Live” but which are in fact test
data—delete if appropriate or download and rename
3. Get a final sign-off on the survey
4. Switch back to Live mode
If the survey is receiving submissions from real respondents:
1. When submitting test forms, use text fields or a pattern of answers (such as
all the first radio button) to unambiguously flag test records
2. If appropriate, notify parties that the on-server reports and activity logs now
include test submissions
3. Once data is imported into SurveyPro, locate and delete the test records
(Answer Entry, Form menu, Find Form Select)
Troubleshooting—Restarting a Closed survey
If the survey is truly in Closed mode, not just shut down from a time or
response limit, then you have a couple options:
•
On your own server, you can switch back to Live mode
•
On QuestionWeb, you will need to re-publish, set up the files, and
switch from Test to Live mode
Because a mode change re-sets the passwords, logs and reports, restoring
that information after switching to Closed requires some careful timing
and manual file shuffling. If this is important for your project, contact
Technical Support for a coaching/data recovery session. It is generally
not possible to restore the partial survey sessions unless you had opted to
save the raw files on the Partially Completed Surveys page.
Activity Log
Activity logs provide up-to-the moment status on your survey's response
rate. This is broken down into two tables:
Completed Survey Log
Shows the number of respondents who have finished the survey. This is
broken down for the prior 2 weeks, with a line for earlier weeks. If you
need to generate a breakdown of responses per day for the entire survey
duration, you can do so with a table in SurveyPro’s reports.
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Unfinished Survey Log
Not everyone who starts a survey finishes it, so this shows the number of
open sessions. To help you distinguish between people actively completing a survey and those who have paused or abandoned sessions, the table
is broken down by the last time a respondent clicked Next or Back on a
page. By default, partial sessions do not expire—see Manage Partially
Completed Surveys on page 324 for how to adjust the setting.
All log breakdowns are based on the server’s local time, which is displayed at the top of the page.
Understanding Expired empty starts
Even if the first page of your survey has no questions (such as a Welcome
page or password log-in) a session has already been initiated for the
respondent. It's not uncommon for respondents to see the first page and
decide to come back later or not to complete the survey. These “empty
starts” will be kept on the system and listed as an Open Session for 12
hours, after which the server removes them as abandoned.
Accessing activity logs without entering the Control Panel
At times you may want to let clients and other parties see the response
rate but not access all the management functions or data files in the Control Panel. In this case, you can configure an Online Report which is an
Activity Log instead of a tabulation. See page 251.
Online Reports will also allow you to create demographic counts or other
breakdowns which may be helpful in addition to the number of completions.
Advanced Options
You can run a survey without ever changing the Advanced Option
defaults, though it’s a good idea to know what the possibilities are. NetCollect always defaults to the more conservative settings, such as always
retaining partial survey sessions.
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Automatic Data Management
As each completed survey response is saved, it's placed in a work in
progress “WIP” SDH file along with any ASCII pipe outs you've defined.
These files are listed on the Data Files page, but are not available for
download. To make the files available for download, either use the automatic archive settings or prompt the server via SurveyPro's Get Latest
Data screen or the Data Files Control Panel page. During the archive process, the WIP files are renamed with the date and time they're archived.
Archiving data does not impact counts in either the server reports or
activity logs.
Using automatic archiving
If you have a routine for updating your SurveyPro reports, you can have
the server automatically archive your data files each week. Otherwise, you
can disable the feature and pull data whenever you need. If it's important
that you maintain one file per week, be sure to tell anyone with access to
the Control Panel or your SurveyPro file not to use the manual archive
features.
The time settings are based on the server local time (which is also used
for the time stamp within respondent records). If you don't know your
server's time zone, check the Activity Log page.
Setting up files that don't archive
Part of the reason for the archiving process is it makes non-overlapping
data files. When you define ASCII Pipe Outs, you can opt to have the files
not archive. This is handy if you want to pull SDH data periodically for
your SurveyPro reports, but are also generating a separate ASCII file for
the entire survey, such as for a drawing. The non-archiving file can be
accessed through SurveyPro's Advanced Download screen (on your
server only, see page 337) or after the project is switched to Closed mode.
When using non-archiving files, it's possible to end up with duplicate
records if you download and import the file more than once. To avoid this,
you’ll need to “key” any imports based on a unique ID in the file, updating
existing records instead of adding copies.
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Manage Partially Completed Surveys
If your survey is more than one page long, some of your respondents will
probably abandon their questionnaires partway through. This screen lets
you set rules about how those partially completed surveys are handled.
For your reference, the screen starts with a copy of the partial surveys
activity log—you may not decide until the survey has been running a
month to start expiring sessions.
When you switch modes from Test to Live to Closed, all partial sessions
are expired regardless of your expiration setting. If you need to temporarily suspend the survey without affecting any of the partial surveys, use
Maintenance Mode (see page 328).
Deciding whether to expire sessions
Leave Keep unfinished surveys on Always if your survey:
•
Is only running for a few weeks
•
Includes a pause/resume option
•
Has respondents who can be sent reminder notices
Consider changing the Keep setting to one of the time expiration options
if your survey:
•
Is long-running
•
Is high volume
•
Has respondents who are unlikely to return after a certain period
The shortest expiration period is 12 hours. While you may be accustomed
to sessions which expire more quickly, this is set so even respondents
interrupted by conference calls, meetings, and fire drills can return to
their open browser window and finish their survey. If for security reasons
you require a shorter period, contact Apian Technical Support for information on how to hand-edit the setting.
Discarding partial survey responses
By default, all expired partial sessions are saved in data files flagged with
_PARTIALS_. If you have no interest in the partial survey responses, there
are a couple things to do:
•
Define any ASCII Pipe Outs to exclude partials (see page 205)
•
When using the Get Latest Data command, make sure the Partial
results box is un-marked (see page 335).
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When the survey concludes, we recommend downloading or archiving
the _PARTIALS_ files just in case. Even if you don't include them in your
primary analysis, these respondents can provide clues about possible
non-response sampling errors, as well as possibly highlighting survey
design issues (such as everyone bailing when they see page 4). You can
use either SurveyPro's Advanced Download or the Control Panel Data
Files page to pull the files from the server without importing them into
SurveyPro. See Closing and Archiving Surveys on page 344.
Keep a copy of the raw RSP files
Generally you'll leave this option on No.
As a respondent goes through your survey, every move they make is
recorded in a RSP file named with their 11 digit session ID. For example,
in going through a survey, a respondent may take this page path:
1
2
skip
5
back up
2
pause
resume
2 (change answer)
different skip destination
3
4
skip
6…
When the respondent completes their survey or their partial session
expires, the individual RSP files are processed into SDH data files. Incomplete sessions are saved separate _PARTIALS_ files, just as test records
are flagged. Whether finished or not, part of this file save involves tidying
up the respondent's path through the survey, leaving only their final route.
When the above RSP is saved to a SDH data file, it wouldn’t save any
answers the respondent put on page 5 because when they backed up they
changed their skip trigger answer and bypassed the page.
On occasion, you might want to preserve raw RSP files for usability analysis. Essentially it gives you a peek over the respondent's shoulder as they
went through the survey, showing how often they went forward and back
(likely more than you think). It also shows whether people clicked Pause
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before abandoning their session or just closed the browser and went away.
This setting only applies to the incomplete RSP files, not to ones which
were completed. RSP files cannot be imported—any analysis you would
do is by opening the files in Notepad and manually reviewing them.
Prompting to clean up expired sessions
The Clean Up Now function is primarily for when you shorten the expiration period. Otherwise, the server will check for expired partial survey
responses and sweep them to the working _PARTIALS_ data file whenever a respondent submits a survey page.
Survey and Report Availability
The Availability settings will not switch your survey from Test to Live
mode, so be sure to make that change yourself (see page 320).
Likewise, when the survey reaches the Off time or respondent limit, it
does not perform any of the Close functions. So if you decide to extend
the time, you can switch it back on with no interruption, including letting
respondents finish paused surveys. Once you are certain the survey is
done, switch it to Closed mode to pull the remaining data.
You can use both the timed shut-down and response limit together—the
server will shut off the survey based on the limit it reaches first.
Turning a survey or report On or Off at a specific time
Test a timed start/end just like you’d test a skip or password on your survey. Remember all times are based on the server local time, which is displayed on this page.
1. While still in Test mode, un-check No limit, set dates which would lock you
out today and click Change Settings
2. Start the survey or report and check the message you see
3. Repeat steps 1-2 for the start or end date if you're using both
4. If necessary, correct the message(s) in SurveyPro and re-publish (see page
327)
5. Disable the time limits and finish your survey testing
6. Switch the survey to Live mode using the Change Survey Mode page
7. Set your proper start/end dates and times in the Availability page and click
Change Settings
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Limiting the number of respondents
Generally this function is used when there is a per-respondent cost associated with the project, whether it's compensation to the respondent or a
handling charge for data cleaning. If you're wanting to manage the rate at
which respondents come through, see Server Load Protection (see page
329).
1. Un-check No limit
2. Type the number of respondents you want to allow
3. Click Change Settings
Hiding reports until enough respondents have answered
Depending on who will have access to the reports and the level of anonymity you’ve promised, you may want to hide the results until 5, 10, or
even 500 people have responded. This is done not in the Control Panel,
but in your Online Report definition (see page 251) so you’ll need to republish your survey to make the change.
Because this will also lock you out of the report, you may want to make a
copy your report without the minimum and put it under a separate password-protected login.
Customizing the notices to respondents
You can customize this message in SurveyPro before you Publish:
1. Bring up the Page List dialog
2. Select in the list Auto Page: Errors
3. Click Edit Properties
4. There are several messages related to availability which you may want to
modify
In the default messages, the scripts replace
“_SERVER_SET_SVY_TITLE” with the title you gave in Document Properties. You can either work around the wildcard or remove it and completely tailor the message.
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Data Files
Most of the time, you’ll pull data from within SurveyPro. The Get Latest
Data button inside the program takes just a couple clicks to download
and import responses (see page 335). Where the Control Panel download
is helpful is for letting other users pull ASCII Pipe Out files that are being
used outside of SurveyPro. You can also download the ASCII Pipe Outs
with SurveyPro’s Advanced Download (own server only, see page 337).
Changing your automatic archiving settings
Automatic Archiving simply creates a new data file at a certain time. It
does not restrict your ability to archive the file and pull up-to-the-minute
data between times. See page 323.
Changing settings for partially completed surveys
By default, partially completed surveys are kept active on the server until
the survey is switched from Test to Live or Live to Closed mode. See page
324.
Downloading multiple data files at once
Use the SurveyPro Advanced Download function to select several files to
download at once (own server only, see page 337).
Maintenance Mode
This is a rarely used function. It takes a Live mode survey and provides a
“temporarily offline” message. This can be used for updates such as
expanding a password file (see page 173), though in general surveys
should not be modified while they’re live. If you’re trying to repair a problem on the survey, Apian Technical Support may be able to help you find
the safest approach.
Making a graceful shut-down
Whenever possible, we recommend a two-stage shutdown. This will first
restrict new entrants (either new respondents or people resuming a
paused survey) and then close out all activity.
1. Select Close survey to new logins only and click Change Offline Status.
2. On the Activity Log page, watch the Partially Completed Surveys table to see
when the <20 minute section (or longer) contains 0 sessions. You can use F5
to refresh the log periodically.
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3. When you're comfortable that people actively completing the survey are
done, switch the Maintenance Mode to Close survey to all activity.
Immediately pulling the plug
If something truly disastrous is going on, go straight to Close survey to
all activity. This will restrict not only new entrants to the survey, but also
the person on page 2 from clicking Next to submit their answers and
move ahead to page 3.
Testing after you make changes
Certain modification require testing after they're done, and the only way
to do so is by turning the survey back on. Do so quickly yet thoroughly,
and be sure to identify the records you submit in some way so you can
delete them after import (“TEST” in comments, or marking all the first
radio button). The test records will become part of the Activity Log and
any Online Reports, just like the other responses.
Server Load Protection
NetCollect surveys have capacity set on the number of respondents starting each minute. This is done to protect servers, for example if someone
accidentally sends 100,000 e-mails at once for another survey, that traffic
can’t flood the server and hurt the performance of your surveys. There
are no overall limits on the number of respondents to a survey.
The default limit on your own server is 500 pages per minute. On
QuestionWeb the limits are either 250 pages per minute for a standard
folder, or 500 per minute for a high capacity folder. The pages per minute
is divided by the number of pages in your survey to produce the number
of new respondents allowed per minute.
At first glance this often appears to be a low number, but if you multiply it
by 60 you'll see the possible throughput in an hour. If your survey had 10
pages and the folder a 500 page limit, then 50 new respondents would be
allowed to start in any minute (resuming respondents are always allowed
in). This translates to 3,000 possible respondents per hour. So, if you
expect a 10% response rate, this would mean you could send 30,000 emails out per hour—though 20,000 might be better as it would give you a
safety cushion.
In this example, if a 51st person attempted to access the survey in a
minute, they would receive a “Try back later” message.
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Customizing the Survey Busy Message
You can customize this message in SurveyPro before you Publish:
1. Bring up the Page List dialog
2. Select in the list Auto Page: Errors
3. Click Edit Properties
4. The very first message is the one respondents would see
In the default messages, the scripts replace
“_SERVER_SET_SVY_TITLE” with the title you gave in Document Properties. You can either work around the wildcard or remove it and completely tailor the message.
Adjusting the limits on Your Server
To determine the best pages per minute limit, you and your server administrator should review Server Load for High Volume Surveys on page 49.
If your survey has a lot of skips and branches, you may want to adjust the
Typical Survey Pages setting. For example, in a 40 page survey, respondents may diverge at several points, and on average respondents may
only complete 15 pages each.
Upgrading a folder's capacity on QuestionWeb
Standard QuestionWeb folders have a 250 pages per minute capacity. You
can double this by upgrading a folder to high capacity.
Important: This increases the capacity for new survey setups in the
folder. If you have an urgent need to increase capacity on a live survey,
call Support at (206) 547-8392.
1. Use the link at the top of the page to return to the main Folder List
2. Note the folder ID(s) you'd like to modify
3. Click the Extend Time/Add Folders button
4. The order form will allow you to change the settings on selected folders
5. You'll receive an e-mail confirmation that the change was made (typically
one business day)
6. Upload a new survey and click Set Up New Project to take advantage of the
new limit
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Chapter 21
Managing Data
REFERENCE
NetCollect makes routine data downloads very easy—most of this chapter deals with the occasional exceptions.
The two Publish tutorials, Publishing and Uploading to Your Server on page
295 and Publishing and Uploading to QuestionWeb on page 308 include
data downloads and imports as part of the upload and test process.
In addition to this chapter, your SurveyPro documentation covers the full
set of import controls, data cleaning, and mass deleting forms—all of
which may be needed for NetCollect projects.
Chapter Contents:
Understanding the Download and Import Process . . . . . . . . 332
Managing Data Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Data Download Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Best Practices for a Clean Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Get Latest Data Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Advanced Download Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Server Selection and Publish Log tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Archived Data, Backup, and Project tabs . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Manual Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Import Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Deleting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Closing and Archiving Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Chapter 21 - Managing Data
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Understanding the Download and Import Process
While your survey is running on your Web server, it’s accumulating data
and log files on that server. Those files include:
•
Individual respondent RSP files (one per survey in progress)
•
SDH data files, the native NetCollect format for import into SurveyPro
•
Any ASCII pipe-outs you’ve defined (see page 187)
•
A unique password PIN file if used (see page 153)
•
Detailed project log (see page 362)
As a respondent goes through their survey, their individual answers are
saved to their RSP file—including all the forward and back and skip path
changes they may make. When they finish the survey, that RSP is cleaned
up to only their final path through the survey and saved to a “work in
progress” SDH file with “WIP” in the name. This WIP file is locked from
download access, so to pull the responses you’ll need to Archive the files.
All Archiving does is rename the WIP file(s) to include the current date
and time and create a new empty WIP file. The reason NetCollect handles
data this way is to prevent you from repeatedly downloading the same
active data file, which would involve importing responses from the same
respondents multiple times.
SDH files have a few special characteristics:
Important
January 15, 2007
•
Each response embeds the Q numbers and scale IDs, so SurveyPro
can automatically match up the fields and balk at import if it finds
inconsistencies (see The Best Way to Mangle Survey Data on page 14)
•
They include the questionnaire number so answers go into the correct
document in your SP4 file
•
The unique session ID is included for each form (different from any
passwords you set) which is used to ensure each response only shows
up in the database once—even if you accidentally double-import a
SDH file
Even if you’re bypassing the SurveyPro reporting, saving ASCII or SQL
pipe-outs for use in SPSS or another program, do not discard the SDH
files! There’s a reason you have no option to turn them off—it’s because
they’re a fail-safe. If your ASCII pipe-out was incorrectly configured or
your SQL server went down at some point, those SDH files will always be
there, complete and reliable. Even if you fully tested and everything was
fine, the files take too few bytes to throw away your safety net.
332
Managing Data Preferences
In the Control Panel on your Web server, there are a couple options for
managing your data files:
•
Automatic archiving of the WIP data file(s), which defaults to 2am
every Monday. You can adjust the schedule or turn off the automatic
archive and just pull data on demand. See page 323.
•
Managing partially completed responses, which defaults to the most
conservative setting of leaving respondent sessions open for the
entire survey duration. See page 324.
Both these settings can be changed while a survey is Live.
Data Download Options
There are four routes to your data depending on your needs and server
configuration.
Get Latest Data
This button in the Web Survey Setup dialog is perfect for at least 99.9% of
SDH downloads. It goes out to the server, grabs the latest data, and
imports the files in just a couple clicks. See page 335.
Advanced Download
If you need to pull a particular SDH file, want to access supporting files
such as the PIN or log, you can use the Advanced Download to selectively
pull files. This is also useful for archiving survey projects after they close.
Advanced Download can be used for QuestionWeb projects to view status, but not to access project files. See page 337.
Control Panel Data Files
screen
In the Control Panel, you can download both SDH files and any ASCII
pipe-outs. This is very handy for colleagues who need the ASCII data or a
quick peek at a file while you’re on the road. See page 328.
Direct server access
When you’re running surveys on your own server, you can browse to the
file locations via your LAN shares or a FTP program. If you’re grabbing a
data file, remember to go through the Archive process either in SurveyPro
of the Control Panel first—do not pull files flagged as WIP for anything
but a peek in Notepad.
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Best Practices for a Clean Database
The last thing you want to discover is that a test record was left in the
database or that you missed some responses. To avoid costly problems,
take the following steps before launch and after close with your surveys.
Toss test data from pre-launch drafts
It’s common while in Test mode to adjust the survey and publish a new
versions as you check the questionnaire or receive feedback. Sometimes
these changes don’t impact the questionnaire structure (Q numbers and
scale IDs), but often they do. Unless you are absolutely certain you didn’t
change the structure and need the older test files for some reason, delete
the data files from prior survey drafts. Generally don’t even keep archive
copies of those draft data files as it just gets confusing later figuring out
what’s “final.” See Deleting Data on page 342.
Delete test data from the SP4 file
After you make sure your test data is compatible with your SurveyPro file,
you want to get rid of it again. Within SurveyPro, go to Database, Answer
Entry and use either Mass Delete or delete individual forms. Just be sure
you’re only removing test forms! See the SurveyPro Help system for
details.
Tidy the import and publish logs from testing
While you’re developing a survey and testing, you may publish and
import numerous times. In Tools, File History there are tabs for Imports
and Publishing which list every time you’ve done either action. If this is a
bit cluttered, you may want to remove the pre-launch import logs or the
publish logs before the final version.
Important
Only remove test import logs, not those from real respondent data.
NetCollect references the import logs when you click Get Latest Data to
determine which files to download. Likewise, leave the final Publish log as
it’s a handy reference when you forget your Control Panel URL or administrator’s password.
Audit your imports when a survey closes
It’s a good idea to check for gaps in the imports, just in case! Print the
Data Files screen from your Control Panel—assuming you haven’t deleted
from the server—and compare that list to the import logs in Tools, File
History. For ongoing surveys you may want to check quarterly.
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334
Get Latest Data Dialog
For most projects, you’ll be able to use this dialog exclusively. When you
use Get Latest Data, NetCollect will download and import any new SDH
data files in the current Test or Live mode. To determine which files to
import, NetCollect looks at:
•
What answers were collected since the most recent switch to Test or
Live mode
•
Which of those files have already been imported (according to the
import logs in File History)
•
The preferences you set in this dialog about archiving and partials
This means that once you switch your survey to Live mode, you don’t
have to worry about NetCollect downloading any test data files.
If you got a little too tidy and deleted all your Import logs, NetCollect will
re-import responses you already have in your SP4 file. However, during
the import process NetCollect uses the unique session ID for each
response as a “key,” so you won’t end up with multiple copies of records
to the database. Remember the session ID is the identifier for that survey
submission, and is separate from any passwords you’re using. If you
already coded some responses or made other changes which you don’t
want overwritten by a re-import of the original response, you can use the
Advanced Download to selectively pull new data files instead (see page
337) as well as modify the keyed import settings (SurveyPro Help).
Get Latest Data also downloads any new files it finds in the DataArchive
and Backup folders, so you have copies of them on your local system.
To download and import
responses:
2. Get Latest Data button
Most of this dialog is providing you information about your project status.
There are only a couple preferences to set for the download.
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Status on server
To generate this status information, NetCollect goes out on the server,
looking at the data files and your current configuration file. Be sure to
read this before proceeding with the import so you know what to expect.
For this download and
import use all files…
For a description of “archiving” see Understanding the Download and
Import Process on page 332. Leave the setting on The last archive operation if you’re managing your data files on a specific schedule. Change it to
The present if you want to pull up-to-the-minute responses.
Survey Data Import
While a survey is in Live mode, you’ll generally be importing the
Archived data from completed surveys. Once a survey Closes (or midsurvey if you’re expiring partial responses) you may want to download
and import the Partial Results from abandoned surveys.
Results log
Once you make your selections and click OK, SurveyPro downloads and
imports your data files. The lower portion of the dialog shows real-time
status, but also summarizes the results. Read this log. Make sure all the
files you expected imported (and only the ones you expected). A copy will
be stored in the File History dialog for later reference. Also check the individual SDH import logs in File History to make sure there were no errors.
See the SurveyPro Help system for more on reading import logs.
Copy to Clipboard
This copies the results log to your Windows clipboard. From there, you
can paste its contents into Notepad or a word processor.
View Online Log
Use this button to display the real-time page-by-page project log on the
server. See page 362.
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Advanced Download Dialog
Use the Advanced Download dialog to:
•
View the project’s activity log on the server (see page 362)
•
Selectively download data files
•
Selectively download other project files, including the current
password file and logs
The dialog is broken into four tabs, each one a different view of the
project.
On the first tab, Server Selection and Publish Log, you can see the current status of the project, as well as accessing logs of recent activity. You
can also jump to the Control Panel if you need to make adjustments to
your settings there. See page 337.
The other three tabs are all for downloading files, with each one representing a specific folder on the server. Because they have the same controls, they’re documented together on page 339. These tabs are not
available for QuestionWeb projects.
Server Selection and Publish Log tab
The first tab of the NetCollect Download dialog provides you with information about the current project status.
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337
Archive Now
This button sends a command to the server to package up the current
work in progress data file for download. While you are able to download
WIP files through this dialog, it is not recommended as this can result in
file confusion (multiple files with the same name but different contents,
multiple imports of the same records, etc.). See Understanding the Download and Import Process on page 332.
Launch Control Panel
A handy button to bring up the Control Panel for this project (see page
319).
Current Times
It is very common for your local computer’s clock to be using a different
time and time zone from your Web server. When this dialog opens, NetCollect asks both systems what they think the current time is, and as long
as the dialog is open it will keep incrementing this notice. NetCollect’s
data files and project logs use the server’s local time for recording transactions, such as when a respondent finishes their survey or when you
archive a data file. If your local system and server are using different time
zones, be sure to keep that in mind on the download tabs when you’re
deciding whether the local or server file is more recently updated.
Server Status
This first view is the current project status, including its mode (Test, Live,
Closed), number of recent responses, and recent download and import
activity.
This Download Log
Any downloads from your current session will be displayed here.
Last Download Log
Brings up the most recent download log in your File History, either from
using Get Latest Data or Advanced Download.
Last Import Log
Displays the most recent import log from your File History. See the
SurveyPro Help for details on reading import logs.
Online NetCollect Log
Accesses your Web server to display the real-time page-by-page project
log. See page 362.
Copy to Clipboard
This copies the log currently on view to your Windows clipboard. From
there, you can paste its contents into Notepad or a word processor.
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Archived Data, Backup, and Project tabs
For projects on your own Web server, these tabs let you download all the
“back end” project and data files on the server. Unlike the Advanced
Upload dialog you don’t have access to the survey pages because they are
not updated as respondents go through the survey.
All three tabs have the same general view, with your computer’s local
view on the left, and your server’s files on the right. The only difference
between the tabs is which folders they’re accessing:
Project
Contains WIP data files (see page 332), logs, passwords and your configuration. This is the folder location you specified during Publish.
Archived Data Files
A sub-folder under your Project, and contains SDH and ASCII data files
which are ready for download and import.
Backup
Another sub-folder of Project, and contains copies of both data files and
logs—just in case. Unless you’re doing some sort of data recovery, you
should not need to access the files this tab.
For more details, see Files on the Server on page 348.
To download files:
2. Advanced Download button
3. Select the tab you need
4. Click the Copy column next to files you want to download
5. Optionally click the Completed or Partial import options
6. Click the Download button
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To directory on this
computer
For each of the three tabs, the left hand list is a folder on your computer
which corresponds to the Project, Archive or Backup folders on the
server. This is based on the local file location you specified during Publish.
Dates in this list are based on your local computer’s time.
From directory on the server The right hand list shows the files on your Web server—likely more than
you realized existed. Mark the Copy column next to any files you want to
download to your local system. Remember to keep in mind any time zone
differences between the two systems when you decide which computer
contains the more recent files.
Notice about files marked
When you click on a tab, you may see some files with their Copy box
already marked. Between the list of server files and the Download button
is a notice which will explain the rules used to select the files.
After download import new
If you want NetCollect to import the data files you’re downloading, mark
the options for Completed survey forms and/or Partial incomplete
forms.
Refresh Lists
Click this button to have NetCollect check with your local computer and
Web server to see if any files have been changed.
Download
Once you use the Copy button to select files and mark your import preferences, click the Download button to pull the files from the server.
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Manual Imports
The Get Latest Data dialog automatically imports any new SDH files it
finds, and the Advanced Download dialog also has an import option.
However, there are times when you might want to use the standard
SurveyPro import dialogs. These give you more control, including:
•
The questionnaire document into which you’re importing
•
Adjusting field matchups or not importing certain fields
•
Using a different “key” field for the import, such as a customer ID
instead of the response’s session ID
•
Data cleaning tools to code written answers (also available in Answer
Entry)
When using the full import wizard, SDH imports are very like those of
CSV and other standard data files.
To import data files:
1. Database menu
2. Import from, NetCollect
3. Select the file you’re importing
4. Set your file type, field, key, and data cleaning preferences
The SurveyPro User Guide includes an import tutorial, and its Help
screens cover details of the dialogs.
Import Logs
Every import, even those done for you through Get Latest Data, generates
an import log which is saved in your SP4 file. The log contains several
important pieces of information:
•
Number of forms added to the SP4 file
•
Number of forms already in the SP4 file which were updated by the
import
•
Mismatched answers (bad phone format, etc.) ignored during import
•
Forms rejected due to missing required answers
NetCollect data files generally enforce any required answers and formats
at the time data is collected, and they automatically match up fields, so
there are rarely problems with the imports. If you’re seeing mismatches,
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341
either the enforcement was turned off or your survey was modified after
Publish, which can be very dangerous (see page 14).
When the survey is a good match, reviewing the logs takes only a minute.
Go to the File History dialog
and the Imports tab. Remember that a
single Get Latest Data transaction can import several files at once, you be
sure you check all the new logs.
For more details on reading the logs, see the SurveyPro Help.
Deleting Data
Since a survey is a waste of effort if the data gets discarded, a little caution
is warranted even if you’re certain you know which files you want to
delete. See also Best Practices for a Clean Database on page 334 and Closing
and Archiving Surveys on page 344 for the complete picture.
•
Backup first
•
Make sure you have an archive copy stashed away
•
Check your results after deleting
Deleting forms from your SurveyPro database
After you import test records into your SurveyPro database, you’ll need to
delete them so they’re not in your final data set.
This is extremely simple if the test submissions are the only ones in your
database. In SurveyPro:
1. Database menu, Answer Entry
2. Database menu, Mass Delete
3. Remove All Forms in Database
If you also have real forms in the database, you’ll need to selective about
the deletions. All submissions from a single data file will be in a continuous range of forms, but be cautious if you had test imports interleaved
with real data files.
You can use the range of form numbers by looking at the log from your
test data imports—this lists the number of records in the database before
import, and the number added. Warning: This is not a safe method if
anyone has deleted forms before the test records in the database, as this
would have re-numbered the forms since the import (unless they used
Void instead of Delete when removing data).
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342
If the form number range doesn’t work, you may need to look at the individual records in Answer Entry to see whether they were test submissions. While the import files are flagged as “TEST” in the name, the file
source saved in the Form Created By field is truncated on import, so that
portion of the name is likely not in your file. In many cases, test answers
are glaringly obvious, with ratings in a pattern or gibberish in the text
fields.
If all else fails, open the test SDH data files in Notepad and look at the
portion beginning “FID=”. These are the unique IDs for each submission
of the survey (hyphens are encoded as “%2D”). This field is available for
searches inside Answer Entry, and is also displayed in the status bar at the
bottom of the screen.
As you can see, the best approach is to delete the test records as soon as
you’re certain the import worked! Mass Delete is covered in the SurveyPro Help file.
Deleting data files from your Web server
With the exception of test data from survey drafts that never launched, we
strongly recommend you keep the original test and live SDH files in an
archive—even after successful import. The Apian staff has pulled files
more than once from client archives when SP4 files were lost, or it was
discovered a couple test forms were in fact real data, or someone got a little creative with a mass replace or delete, etc.
When you do a Get Latest Data download, NetCollect automatically copies the raw data files down to sub-folders on your computer, labeled
DataArchive and Backup. These folders are under the “Project” folder
where you told Publish to create the local files. The DataArchive folder
contains all the data files; Backup contains copies as well as snapshots of
assorted logs. Check your computer’s DataArchive folder to make sure
you have local copies of your SDH and/or ASCII files before removing
them from the Web server. If instead of Get Latest Data you’ve been using
Advanced Download or downloading manually from the Control Panel,
you may not have a complete set of files on your local system.
Never delete WIP files. These files have not been imported into your
database so you will be discarding respondent answers. Likewise there
are a number of other files necessary to your survey’s operation—see Files
on the Server on page 348.
Deleting files from a Web server is generally a permanent action. Even via
a Windows share, they generally do not go into any kind of Recycle bin,
they’re just gone.
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343
From Your Server — LAN
setups
Use Windows Explorer or Start, Run to browse to the folder with your survey data. If you’ve forgotten where this is, look in File History at your
Publish log. The path will be next to “Project data file upload destination.”
Go to the DataArchive sub-folder, and delete any SDH or ASCII data files
you need.
From Your Server — FTP
setups
Use a FTP program such as WS_FTP Pro to connect to your Web server.
Go to the folder where you told NetCollect to publish the Project files, and
to the DataArchive folder underneath it. Delete the data files you need.
From QuestionWeb
Log into the Control Panel, click Manage Project for the folder, and then
select Data Files. Mark the Delete column next to any files you want to
remove. This is the only place to access data files on QuestionWeb
because your FTP login uploads to a different location.
Closing and Archiving Surveys
When a survey has finished its run, you need to switch it to Closed mode
even if you had an automatic shut-off set for a particular day or number of
submissions. Apart from telling new respondents the survey is off-line, the
Closed setting will archive any remaining WIP files, packages up any partial survey responses, and clears your logs.
Once you Close a survey, take care of any final data downloads and
imports, and audit your file (Best Practices for a Clean Database on page
334).
After that final import, you can immediately remove the survey from the
server or you can leave it on the server for 30 days or so. The reason for
leaving the files on the server after Close is so that any laggards see a
“Survey Closed” notice rather than “404 Page not found.”
If you used Get Latest Data to download and import files throughout the
survey, your local system will already have a good archive snapshot,
including copies of the project log in the Backup folder.
If instead you used Advanced Download, the Control Panel data screen,
or outside FTP or file management programs to download data, make
sure you have a complete snapshot of the DataArchive and Backup folders from the server. The simplest approach is the Get Latest Data command, but first make sure you understand what it’s doing. See page 335.
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Once you have copies of everything locally and a full data set in your SP4
file, you no longer need the working files. At this point you can safely:
•
Delete the survey pages and Project files from your Web server (see
page 342)
•
Archive the local Content and Project folders on your local system
Do not delete the local Content and Project folders—much less the
DataArchive and Backup sub-folders. If you no longer want them on your
local system, just tuck them away on a backup drive or CD.
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Chapter 22
Files and Code
REFERENCE
This chapter details aspects of NetCollect which are of interest to a Web
designer, Web developer, or server administrator. Manipulating any of the
survey or script files requires an investment in time to understand what
can be safely changed, and mistakes can cause a survey to malfunction in
dramatic and—much worse—subtle ways. Be sure to adjust your
launch timeline to allow for extra testing! For projects involving
developing custom functions, you may want to consider SurveyHost,
whose staff is already up to speed with extending the system.
Chapter Contents:
A Note to Programmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Files on the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Files in the Content Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Files and Folders in the Project Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
DLLs and Script Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Editing the HTML/ASP Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Editing Hidden Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Understanding the NetCollect CSS File . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Creating New Button Sets and Progress Bars . . . . . . . . . 359
Understanding the CFG File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Reading the Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Main Project Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Throttle Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Chapter 22 - Files and Code
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A Note to Programmers
The core functions of NetCollect are designed to work as a “black box.”
The survey engine, consisting of both DLLs and shared ASP scripts, is a
complex layering of C, C++, Visual Basic and ASP which interacts with a
number of files within each survey project. Modifying (and then testing)
the thousands of lines of core code is unwise—even at Apian, custom client projects are executed without editing the core engine.
At the same time, Apian’s SurveyHost group routinely adds functionality
beyond what NetCollect provides. We do this by:
January 15, 2007
•
Tweaking layouts in Dreamweaver, Homesite or similar editors. See
page 355.
•
Adding JavaScript and custom ASP code to the survey pages
themselves.
•
Inserting hidden fields in SurveyPro for static values, piping or custom
scripting. See page 357.
•
Using the SQL pipe-in or pipe-out features, URL hand-offs, and other
Embedded NetCollect tools to develop a shell around one or more
surveys. See page 187.
•
Referencing the .ST3 file published with each survey to access
information about scale labels and question text. See page 350.
•
Modifying the NC_Custom ASP script. As shipped with the product,
this script is a series of commented stubs. When you replace those
stubs with your own functions, it allows you to intercept inbound and
outbound data. Rather than editing this module for all projects, the
best approach is to create a copy and instruct the NetCollect user to
reference the custom script name during Publish (see page 285). Note:
Embedded surveys will likely do what you need (see page 187).
•
Changing the values associated with fields. NetCollect expects certain
types of values with certain scale types so you need to be careful with
these edits—see NetCollect’s Internal Data Format on page 197. A
typical trick would be to create a question in SurveyPro as a type-in
blank, but then manually code a drop-down list of answers which have
text values in the HTML.
•
Hand editing the .CFG configuration file which tells the survey engine
how to handle this particular project. This includes putting answer
tests and skips on questions within grids, or changing the destination
of data saves. See page 361.
A Note to Programmers
347
It is always faster and more reliable to work within the core NetCollect
functionality when possible. Most SurveyPro/NetCollect users are not
aware of the full scope of the built-in features, so if you have any questions
about how to achieve a particular effect, contact Apian Technical Support
or try the Survey Talk discussion list http://apian.com/lists/.
Files on the Server
Each survey project works with three main folders:
Content
This is the folder with the survey pages themselves, the address to
which respondents will browse. It also contains any real-time
reports for the survey. See the next section.
Project
Configuration settings for the survey, passwords, and data files are
stored in this folder. The system will also create a few sub-folders
automatically. See page 350.
CGI
In addition to the DLLs referenced from the Windows registry,
NetCollect surveys use a set of shared ASP/VB6 library scripts. See
page 354.
During Publish, the Content and Project folders are created on the
SurveyPro user’s local system, with those generic folder names. When
using the integrated FTP or LAN uploads, the folders are automatically
renamed when copied up to the Web server.
Generally Content and Project folders will be placed under parent folders
which the server administrator configures during installation—see Setting
Up a NetCollect Survey Server on page 27.
The recommended setup is to have a Content and Project folder specific
to each project, with no other Web pages or data files in them. As you will
see in the following sections, there are a lot of files involved in a NetCollect survey, and surveys are much easier to manage when you have
one pair of folders dedicated to a survey. See Sharing Survey Folders with
Other Files on Your Server on page 288.
Files in the Content Folder
Because NetCollect assumes a Content folder will have one NetCollect
survey and only that survey, it creates and publishes a couple pages which
could over-write other content. See Sharing Survey Folders with Other Files
on Your Server on page 288 for how to work around this. The base file
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name, or “[bf]” as abbreviated here, is set during Publish and the scripts
reference it in many places—do not manually rename files.
In addition to the survey pages, there may be one or more reports. Those
files are named based on the report login page used to access each report
version (see page 252) and abbreviated here as “[report]”.
Content files are not modified by the Web scripts, so the copies on the
SurveyPro user’s system will always match those on the Web server. The
system will check that the Content and Project files contain the same Publish date/time, but they do this by looking at an internal marker, not at the
modified time stamp on the file.
In general, you will only modify the Content files to make layout adjustments (see page 355) or to add minor JavaScript or ASP functionality.
Files in …\Content\
index.htm
A simple meta redirect to index.asp, since the latter is not always in the default
pages list. Can be removed, but generally not worth the bother unless a survey is
in a folder with other content.
index.asp
This initiates the survey, so while you can rename this file, you cannot skip it. If
you link to a particular file rather than to the survey folder, this is the file you
should use (unless it’s an embedded launch).
[bf].asp
The main ASP page for the survey, it calls the library CGI scripts and individual
individual survey pages. This is the only page the respondent will see in the
address bar.
[bf]-1.asp
A series of numbered files will be in the folder. Each one represents a page in the
survey, as numbered within SurveyPro.
[bf]-error.asp
Displays any error messages which appear on a stand-alone page. Other errors,
such as missing responses, are displayed within the survey pages. Error
messages can be customized within SurveyPro (see page 81) and are also
contained in the CFG file (see page 361).
[bf]-resume.asp
Page seen by respondents when resuming a paused survey.
[bf]-index.asp
Used in some pause/resume scenarios. Does not contain visible layout
elements.
[bf]-cp.asp
The Control Panel for the survey, protected by the administrator password for
the survey. Do not modify this page. See page 319.
[bf]-cp-download.asp
A script used by the Control Panel during data downloads. This page shows no
visible or useful source content if browsed to. Do not modify this page.
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[bf]-sp-download.asp
A script used by SurveyPro to download data directly into the program. This
page shows a visible error and no useful source content if browsed to. Do not
modify this page.
[bf].css
CSS sheet for the survey and report pages, based on the styles used in
SurveyPro. See page 358.
[bf].js
JavaScript used within the survey. All NetCollect JavaScript is “icing” backed up
by server-side checks.
ncbtn_[bf]_[several].gif
Graphical Next/Back/Submit buttons for the survey—will not be present for
projects using browser buttons. See page 359.
nccp.css
CSS sheet for the Control Panel. No need to modify as it’s only used by the survey
administrator.
nccp_[several].gif
Graphics used in the Control Panel.
ncpb_[bf]_[several].gif
Progress bar graphics for the survey—will not be present for surveys with no
progress bar. See page 359.
ncspacer.gif
Transparent 1 x 1 pixel graphic used in the NetCollect page layouts.
[report].asp
The page to which report viewers will browse. Like the main [bf].asp page for
surveys, this script will include the login page and individual report pages so it is
the only page seen in the browser address bar.
[report]-rpt-1.asp
A specific report.
[report]-rpt-login-1.asp
Report selection and password entry page.
svr-local-to-utc.asp
Script used by SurveyPro and the Control Panel to check a server’s local time.
Displays non-sensitive information when browsed to. Do not modify this page.
[varies].gif / .jpg
Any graphics used within the survey layouts, such as logos and accent images.
These retain their original file names.
Files and Folders in the Project Folder
Project files are actively updated while a survey is running, so the files
published to the SurveyPro user’s local system are only a starting point for
what ends up on the server. Modifying any of the files in the Project folder
should only be done with extreme care, preferably after contacting support and allowing for an extended testing period. Modifying Project files
while a survey is live is a recipe for breakdowns.
While NetCollect assumes only one survey will be in a Project folder, you
can share folders if needed as long as you use different base file names
and are careful with other naming for PIN files and piping. However, only
do this if you need to be exchanging data between multiple surveys, such
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as the ASCII pipe out of one questionnaire being the data source for a
pipe in to another survey. Be extremely cautious with this sort of file sharing, as the scripts may be using the files in ways you don’t realize.
(QuestionWeb users are restricted to one survey per folder.)
Folders created on the server
When you first Publish on the local SurveyPro system, only a Project
folder will appear. However, on the server, three sub-folders will be created to help manage the project. (An “Embedded” folder will also appear
under some rare configurations—see page 220.)
…\Project\
Contains configuration files, passwords, and the active data files and logs.
…\Project\Backup\
Copies of data files and logs, with snapshots taken at mode changes (Test
to Live) and during Archive. If all goes well on a survey, these files can be
ignored. Files in this folder are downloaded to your local system when
you use Get Latest Data. This folder can be accessed using the Advanced
Download dialog (see page 337).
…\Project\DataArchive\
SDH and ASCII files which have been “Archived” or packaged up for
download. It will often contain files which have not yet been imported
into SurveyPro. Get Latest Data will pull all new files from this folder to
your local system. You can also access the folder using Advanced Download (see page 337).
…\Project\Respondents\
Files for respondents who are currently going through the survey, have
paused, or have abandoned the survey. Files are “housecleaned” regularly
based on your settings in the Control Panel (see page 324). Until these
respondent sessions expire or the survey Closes, they are not included in
any data files. Let NetCollect manage this folder to avoid generating
respondent errors.
File naming conventions
The base file name, or “[bf]” as abbreviated here, is set during Publish and
the scripts reference it in many places—do not manually rename files. In
addition, you’ll see the files named with these elements:
TEST
Indicates files were generated while the survey was in Test mode.
PARTIALS
Contains data from partially completed surveys.
WIP
A “work in progress” file to which the system is actively writing. WIP data
files are not available for download until they are Archived via the Control
Panel (see page 328), a SurveyPro download dialog (see page 332), or an
automated weekly Archive setting (see page 323).
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Date/Time
The server’s local date and time when the file was Archived or a snapshot
was taken for the Backup folder. Format is “YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.”
Session ID
An 11 digit value such as “58g6-18c8-ptv.” This is an individual survey
session ID, generated by the server with an algorithm that creates unique
values. It is used in URLs, PIN files, logs, active respondent data files, and
archived data files to track a particular response through the system.
Files in …\Project\
index.htm
“No survey found” page to prevent directory file listings.
[bf].cfg
Configuration file which tells the survey engine how to handle the skips, answer
tests, piping, and other functions of a particular survey. See page 361.
[bf].st3
Contains all the scale labels and structures, question text, and report labels in
the survey. This is in a format very like XML, including Hex encoding of special
characters, and can be referenced by custom script extensions. NetCollect uses
it for the real-time server reports.
[bf]_WIP.log
Active project log for the survey. There may also be one flagged “TEST” from the
last time the survey was in Test mode. See page 362.
[bf]_Throttle.log
A log used in managing inbound respondents. See page 363.
[bf]_HitsOnDone.log
Tally of completed surveys by day, used by the Activity Log in the Control Panel
or in a real-time server report.
[bf]_Project.lock
At various times in processing requests, the system needs to briefly “lock”
common files such as the PIN file while a single respondent session updates
them (others such as data files are managed with a simple append). This file is
used as part of the locking process.
[varies].pin
Password file for projects restricting access with a file of values. (Shared
passwords typed in the login dialog are listed in the CFG.) For one-time use
passwords, the first column indicates status, with 0=not started, 1=in progress,
and 2=finished. The third column is the session ID for that respondent. See also
Updating Live PIN Files on page 173.
[bf]_WIP.sdh
Active SDH data file. Its contents are made accessible by Archiving, at which
time a new empty WIP file will be created.
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[bf]_D.tab
Counts of answers to each question from completed surveys. Used by the realtime server reports.
[bf]_W.tab
Copies of the written answers from completed surveys, including Other entries.
Used by the real-time server reports.
[varies].csv /.tab /.txt
ASCII files used for piping in or piping out. Pipe out files may include WIP in their
name, in which case they will be time stamped for download after Archiving.
While these are the most common extensions, others may have been specified in
the piping setup.
Files in …\Project\Backup\
index.htm
[bf]_[Date/time].sdh.bak
Copy of an archived SDH data file.
[bf]_[Date/time].csv.bak
Copies of any Pipe out ASCII files (extension may vary).
[bf]_[Date/time].log.bak
Snapshot of the main project log file. These are sub-sets of the WIP log up one
level, as that file does not Archive but instead accumulates entries for as long
as the survey is in Test or Live mode.
[bf]_HitsOnDone_
[Date/time].log.bak
Snapshot of the log counting survey completions.
[bf]_RemovedRSPs_
[Date/time].log.bak
Snapshot of the log listing session IDs which have been completed or expired.
Files in …\Project\DataArchive\
index.htm
[bf]_[Date/time].sdh
SDH data file ready for import into SurveyPro. Each file contains a unique set of
responses, with no overlap or duplication between files.
[bf]_[Date/time].csv
ASCII Pipe Out data file ready for download via the Control Panel (see page 328)
or Advanced Download dialog (see page 337). Each file contains a unique set of
responses, with no overlap or duplication between files.
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Files in …\Project\Respondents\
index.htm
[SessionID].rsp
File containing all the answers submitted so far by a particular respondent. RSP
files with a size of 0 bytes have been created by someone loading the first page
of the survey, but not entering a password or submitting any answers (these are
removed after 12 hours). By default, these raw files are deleted when a
respondent finishes the survey and their answers are written to a SDH file. If you
want to preserve the session files complete with information about when
respondents paused or how often they backed up, see Manage Partially
Completed Surveys on page 324.
[bf]_RemovedRSPs.log
List of session IDs removed from the system. A “d” after an ID indicates it was
Done, an “a” indicates it was a partial response archived during a cleanup pass.
The date and time a cleanup pass was taken appears like “@20060125185158.”
The total number of expired 0 byte sessions is counted at the end of the log.
DLLs and Script Files
The DLLs are installed outside of IIS (Microsoft Internet Information Services Web server). By default the location is C:\Program Files\Apian
Software\NetCollectServer. This location is recorded in the server’s registry, which is how the ASP scripts find them.
Within the IIS site, a CGI folder is created during the server installation
which contains ASP utility scripts. These scripts are shared among all the
survey projects and their location determined by the server administrator.
Both the DLLs and ASP scripts are named with a version, such as “A2L.”
This version is referenced in the server definition (see page 280). Because
each file is identified by version, you can have multiple script generations
running on the same server, from the same CGI folder.
For more about the DLLs and CGI scripts, see Setting Up a NetCollect Survey Server on page 27.
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354
Editing the HTML/ASP Pages
For an overview of the basic page structure of NetCollect surveys, see
Understanding Margins and Backgrounds in NetCollect on page 58. The survey pages use tables for general positioning and an external CSS file for
text formatting. Before editing the pages:
•
Try to get the layouts and formatting as close as possible in
SurveyPro first. While this does involve a learning curve with
SurveyPro (versus your HTML editor which you already know) it is
much more efficient over the long run as you end up with fewer
elements to tweak.
•
Upload the survey pages and run a test pass straight from SurveyPro
first. This lets you ensure the survey functionality is right before
editing the pages, so after the modified pages are uploaded it’s easier
to isolate any problems.
•
Start a log for all the changes you make to the files. This way, if the
survey has to be published again, you have a crib sheet to re-do the
edits more efficiently the second (or third) time around.
Understanding the code structure
Before you start working with the ASP pages and CSS sheet, pick a couple
representative pages. Using a survey that is active on a server, look at the
HTML source as it is delivered to a browser by the server and compare
that to the ASP code as published from SurveyPro. For example, in the
locally published ASP pages, you’ll see code such as:
<%= NC_Notice( ) %>
This is a placeholder for error and information notices for the respondent.
When one of these messages is inserted in a page by the scripts, it
becomes significantly more code:
<div class="ncauto-noticeerr"><hr size="1" noshade
class="ncauto-noticeerr"><span class="ncauto-noticeerr">One or more of the answers below is not usable.
Scan down for one or more explanations in this same
color.</span><hr size="1" noshade class="ncauto-noticeerr"> <br></div>
In addition to the general notice inserted just below the Header on survey
pages, notices are also inserted above each question which had a problem, such as a missing response or improper format. All notice text can be
customized in SurveyPro (see page 81) and is also contained in the CFG
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file for last minute tweaks. The “ncauto-noticeerr” style used is in the
project’s CSS sheet, and can be edited as you need.
In addition to this sort of placeholder code, you’ll see a variety of comments about how to edit the pages. The comments with a tile number
refer to the question/text/graphic “tiles” which are the building blocks in
SurveyPro. When the project is open in SurveyPro, you can identify its tile
number by clicking on a question and looking for a red highlight in the
folder tree:
What to edit and what to leave alone
Within the pages, you are relatively safe editing visible elements such as:
•
Colors and fonts
•
Table widths, indentation, etc.
•
Sizes of entry blanks
•
Modest rearranging of questions/entry blanks, being sure to bring
any error notice placeholders along
While software generates less elegant code than a human can, we recommend you not start “tidying up” elements such as the nested tables.
Unless you’re working with a very short survey which is going to be
online for a very long time, your effort and risk are not worth whatever
satisfaction you achieve. The one exception to this is optimizing for
screen readers, in which case we recommend having two versions of the
survey, one for visual browsers and one for auditory.
While you can also edit visible text—an extra “the” or similar oversight—
be very cautious changing either question or scale text. If you change the
meaning of an element, such as the text on a checkbox, it will no longer
match the SP4 file into which data is being imported or the ST3 file driving the real-time server reports.
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Do not make any changes to:
•
Any form elements, whether it’s the action line, input field names, or
values
•
Any code containing “NC_”
•
File names
Changing functional elements of the survey tends to generate errors for
respondents or stop collecting key bits of data. We’ve seen truly catastrophic results from edited pages where field names were copied or
changed, and the survey failed to collect 3/4 of its data. While it is frustrating to realize a survey needs a question added or scale edited after a
couple hours of layout tweaks have been made, re-publishing and then redoing the layout changes is the safest approach to take.
Editing Hidden Fields
This applies to hidden questions added by the SurveyPro user. Do not
modify the hidden fields generated automatically by NetCollect. First, see:
•
Using Hidden Fields on page 137
•
Key Concept: Data is Data to NetCollect on page 192
•
You can set a hidden field to a static value, such as “French,” or use it to
hold an answer piped forward in the survey (see page 137). In either case,
the values that end up in the field need to match the scale type. Hidden
fields are identified with a Name such as “Q0014S003W.” This is the internal question number followed by the scale number and type:
January 15, 2007
W
=
Written
C
=
Checkbox (single or multiple answer)
CO
=
Checkbox Other entry blank
R
=
Rating (single answer)
K
=
Forced Ranking (single answer)
D
=
Date
N
=
Number
357
Some scales include pattern tests, such as an e-mail address, maximum
value, or date format, so check the specific scale’s definition in SurveyPro
and test carefully.
Understanding the NetCollect CSS File
NetCollect publishes a CSS style sheet with each survey, named with the
project’s base filename (ignore nccp.css which is the Control Panel’s
sheet). The appearance of any style may be changed, though if you can
get the SurveyPro file as close as possible you’ll find the editing goes
much more quickly.
Before making changes to the CSS sheet, see Editing the HTML/ASP Pages
on page 355.
The sheet is broken down into four sections:
Tag styles
While several standard HTML tags are defined in the first section, they’re
really not used in the page layouts. Unless you are re-tagging elements,
perhaps to add heading hierarchies for accessibility reasons, you can
ignore the settings for headings and paragraphs and just focus on the class
styles in the rest of the sheet. You may want to edit the link styles, though
most surveys will not contain any hyperlinks.
NetCollect function styles
The next section is s series of styles beginning with “ncauto.” You can edit
these styles as needed, but do not delete them as some are inserted by the
scripts on the server and are not present in the pages you’re able to edit.
.ncauto-input-text
Font face and size of browser button text.
.ncauto-input-select
Font face and size of a drop-down or multiple-select
list.
.ncauto-scale-space
Height of the spacing row between items in a radio
button or checkbox scale. Increase font-size to add
space between scale items.
.ncauto-rpt-colhdrcell Layout for column headers in a real-time server
report.
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.ncauto-rpt-rowcell
Layout for table cells in a server report.
.ncauto-activitytable
Layout for the table generated in the activity log
report.
.ncauto-activitycell-4
Font settings for the individual cells within the
activity log report table.
358
.ncauto-noticeinfo
Font and color definition for non-error notices such as
“Welcome back.” SurveyPro user has control over the
color in Document Properties (see page 61).
.ncauto-noticeerr
Style for error notices at the top of the page, such as a
missing answer. This color is also set in Document
Properties.
.ncauto-anserr
Settings for the error notices inserted immediately
above a particular question. The default top of page
message tells people to look for places to correct “in
this same color” so either make them match or change
the top of page error (see page 136).
.ncauto-pagenum
An optional page number which appears at the bottom
right of the survey pages (see page 67).
.ncauto-progress
Formatting for the progress bar label and graphic (see
page 67).
.ncauto-one-pixel
This is used throughout the ASP pages for spacing
purposes.
Color and layout styles
The next section lists a few color and spacing styles which are based on
the Document Properties page settings. See Understanding Margins and
Backgrounds in NetCollect on page 58.
SurveyPro styles
The final section of the style sheet is the one with the most impact on the
appearance of the survey pages. Each of the style names refers to a Text
Style in SurveyPro, and is used to format <p> and <td> tags within the
survey. Names of some styles will reflect their default usage, such as
“question” for the question text and “report-figure” for bar graph labels.
However, because SurveyPro does not dictate the usage of a style and
allows copying and modifying of styles, do not count on the name indicating how it was used in the survey.
Creating New Button Sets and Progress Bars
NetCollect has a very simple system for incorporating your own
Next/Back/Submit buttons and progress bars. If you create a set of
images with the right names and put them in the correct folder, then
they’ll appear in the SurveyPro dialogs where you can select them for
your survey. All images must be GIFs and have transparent backgrounds.
The default location of the buttons and progress bars is:
C:\Program Files\Apian Software\SurveyPro 40\Web Images\
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Button sets
You need to generate a complete set of images even though you may not
use all the buttons on your surveys. In the Document Properties dialog,
NetCollect will pick up the middle portion of the name you use, including
any underscores or hyphens you include (see page 64). The naming convention for buttons is:
ncbtn_[NameForDialogList]_[ButtonID].gif
Button ID
Default Text Label
Used on Pages
loginnew
New Survey Login
All login pages to start new surveys
loginresume
Continuing Login
Login pages where respondents have
an option of resuming with a server
issued ID
next
Next Page >>
Middle survey pages
midlast
<< Prior Page
Middle survey pages
endlast
<< Prior Page
Thanks page (rarely appears)
midpause
Finish Later
Middle survey pages
endpause
Finish Later
Thanks page (rarely appears)
finished
Finished Logout
To commit data on finishing page
contnow
Continue Now
Pause pages, to resume a survey
rtngnew
New Survey
Returning page, offering new blank
survey instead of resume
rtngcont
Continue
Returning page, to continue paused
survey
For a description of the different page types, see Key Concept: Types of
Pages on page 101.
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Progress bars
Progress bars are assembled on each survey page by combining several
image segments. For example, these are the images for the red_slider
style included with NetCollect:
start
done
slider
togo
end
In the middle of a survey, it would be assembled by scaling the done and
togo segments, while the other three images are used at 100%:
All the progress bar images in a set must be the same height and have a
transparent background. You can make each one any width you’d like.
The slider is optional, so your set may be either 4 or 5 images named as:
ncpb_[NameForDialogList]_[ImageSegment].gif
Understanding the CFG File
Modifying the CFG file qualifies as “hacking” a project and it’s one way to
modify the functionality of your NetCollect survey. It’s also a way to make
the survey fail in obvious and subtle ways—the latter often appearing
after the survey goes Live. If you are considering modifying the CFG file:
•
Contact Technical Support first—there may be a way to do what you
need in a SurveyPro dialog
•
Make backup copies and add lots of time to your testing schedule
•
Try the Survey Talk discussion list http://apian.com/lists/
•
Consider SurveyHost where they’ve been hacking NetCollect
configurations since 1997
The CFG is a plain text file, and we strongly recommend opening it only
in Notepad. While programs such as Microsoft Word have an option to
save in plain text, they are not as reliable about leaving the file untouched
as Notepad.
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361
As you look in the configuration, you’ll see it is broken down into several
sections. We do not recommend editing any of them, and in particular do
not make any changes below the “EndCfg” line. The sections you may
refer to are:
URLs and passwords
General information about the survey address, administrator password,
and respondent login settings. QuestionWeb configurations will show
“_QW_” entries in place of final paths as the address is inserted after you
upload the files.
Messages
These are the error and notice messages set by the user in SurveyPro (see
page 81).
Survey pages
The file names, skip instructions, and answer tests on each survey page.
Reports
Names of the report login pages and individual server reports (see page
261).
Piping
Descriptions of any ASCII and/or SQL piping.
Publish time
This must match the published time embedded in the survey pages. If
they don’t match, do not simply “fix” one or the other—find or re-publish
a full set of files instead.
Reading the Log Files
There are three log files maintained for each survey project. Each file has
a specific format which is optimized for how it’s used by the server scripts.
All are in a plain text format, so you can associate .LOG with Notepad for
easy review if needed. The two logs covered here are the main project log
and the throttle log. The log of removed RSP files is briefly covered on
page 354.
Main Project Log
This log records every transaction of the survey, from login attempts to
each page submitted as a respondent goes through the survey. It also captures survey failures (abnormal failures, not simply incorrect passwords)
including an internal error code for Apian diagnosis. The only transactions it does not record are respondents told to “Try back later” due to the
survey being over capacity (see page 363).
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You can access the log through the first tab of the Advanced Download
dialog (see page 337). This is a comma delimited file, where an entry for a
respondent starting a survey would be:
20060213,144144,44,192.168.15.100,0.063,"ppxc-68xg-fdx",
"Ok: Send P1",0.031,0.047,0.047,0.047,0.047,0.000,0.063,""
20060213
Date
144144
Time
44
Internal Apian code—ignore.
192.168.15.100
Internal IP of the server processing the request. Only of
interest in multiple server configurations.
0.063
Seconds to process the request and send out the next
survey page.
"ppxc-68xg-fdx" Session ID for the respondent. In the log, you’ll see a series
of entries for a given session ID as they go through the
pages. This is the same ID you’ll see appear in a PIN file
and used for naming RSP files. For admin functions, this
field will be empty.
"Ok: Send P1"
Action taken, such as sending the next page, re-sending a
page to the respondent for corrections, or performing an
admin function. Passwords attempted and used will
appear in this field.
0.031,0.047,0.04 Breakdown of time to process the request. Only used by
7,0.047,0.047,0. Apian developers.
000,0.063
Throttle Log
The throttle log contains a set number of “slots” which are used by
respondents as they begin the survey. Once a slot is more than 60 seconds old, it’s available for another respondent. The total number of slots is
determined by the number of pages allowed per minute on your project,
divided by the number of expected pages each respondent will complete.
See Server Load for High Volume Surveys on page 49 and Server Load Protection on page 329 for more information.
From a human perspective, the throttle log is good for just one thing. If
you’re sending e-mail drops, and aren’t sure whether you’re nearing your
January 15, 2007
363
survey’s capacity, you can peek in the log and see the number of slots
which were in use at the minute of highest load.
Use Advanced Download to download the throttle log (see page 339),
then open it in Notepad. You’ll see something like this:
00000000000000
00000000
00062
20060328101800
20060228095003
20060129162508
20060129162432
20060128114415
20060128114419
20060128114422
00000000000000
00000000000000
00000000000000
...
Ignore the first two lines.
The third line “00062” indicates this survey allows 62 people to start in a
60 second period.
What you want to do is look at the last line which doesn’t have zeroes in it.
In this snippet, it’s 20060128114422. This means that on January 28, 2006
at 11:44 server time, this survey reached its peak. If we count down the
number of slots used (after the 00062 capacity line), we can see that this
peak was at only 7 respondents. The next highest peak was at only 4
respondents on January 29th at 16:24.
Given this survey allows 62 people in at a time, a peak of 7 respondents
means you could be sending much larger e-mail drops. If instead the
throttle log showed all the slots had been issued at some point, you might
want to manage your traffic differently.
January 15, 2007
364
Index
Symbols
**** for passwords 168
Numerics
360 employee surveys 5, 193
403 permissions error 34, 41
404 page not found error 41
500 server execution error 41, 43
A
abandoned surveys 321, 324
access controls 8, 152–174, 175
for reports 255
active server pages 3
activity logs 252, 258, 263, 321
URLs 261, 272
address piping 226
Advanced Download dialog 333, 337
Advanced Options tab, Question dialog 131
Advanced Upload dialog 290
anonymous surveys 154–155, 159, 160, 175
Answer Entries tab, Question Grid dialog 133
answer piping 137, 141, 143, 236
Answer Tests dialog 134–137, 148
ANSWER_Q#_ 137, 236
API 157, 165, 187, 192, 212, 215, 246, 347
Arabic 5
Archived Data tab, Advanced Download dialog 339
archiving data files 291, 305, 313, 323, 333
ASCII data files 189, 200, 201, 205, 210, 225, 241
ASP 3, 347
Auto Pages 96, 101, 104, 175
Automatic Data Management screen 323
automatic start/end for survey 326
Autonumber tab, Document Properties 73
B
branches 57, 105–113, 114–125
breaks
pages 102
scale columns 131
browsers 8
buttons 64, 81, 82, 96, 167, 359
cookies 154
Firefox 43
layouts 54–57
previewing survey 25, 77
title bar 61
buttons on survey pages 64, 81, 82, 96, 359
layouts 167, 175
Buttons tab, Document Properties 64
C
capacity of server 12, 49–52, 329
capping number of respondents 326
case sensitive password 160, 162, 163, 173
CFG configuration file 8, 361
CGI folder 348, 354
changing surveys 14
Closed mode 320, 344
coaching 3
colors 58–59, 61, 67, 82, 95
completed date/time 199
completed pages 199
completed surveys 321
Content folder 285, 298, 348
Control Panel 7, 319–330
accessing 291
cookies 154, 170
CSS file 355, 358
custom features 347
D
data export 197, 199, 200, 205, 210, 241
Back button 64
backgrounds 58–59, 61, 67, 82, 95, 167, 175
Backup folder 350
Backup tab, Advanced Download dialog 339
bookmarks 169
Index
January 15, 2007
365
data files 328, 331–345, 348
archiving 291, 305, 313, 323, 333
deleting 342
downloading 305, 313, 333, 337
importing 341
test 334
data import 191, 197, 199, 200, 201, 210, 225, 335
data piping 241
DataArchive folder 350
databases 189, 197, 200, 201, 205, 210, 224, 225
date scales 135, 198
default documents in IIS 34
discussion list 2
DLLs 3, 354
installing 32
testing 41
DllTest_[version].asp 41
Document Properties dialog 57, 59–73
domains, multiple 31
downloading data 335, 337
downloading files 4, 7, 328, 332, 333
drop down lists 63, 85
duplicating questions 138–140, 194
E
e-commerce integration 157, 192, 212, 213
editing HTML in surveys 78, 289, 293, 355
editing surveys 14
EL0 218
EL0 launch code 217
EL1 223
e-mail invitations 12, 157, 158, 165, 170, 190, 212,
213, 225
e-mail links 78
embedded surveys 241
encryption 28, 212, 249
Error pages 101, 104
errors
403 permissions 34, 41
404 page not found 41
500 server execution 41, 43
data download 279
log for project 362
messages for respondents 81, 104, 136, 148,
168, 221, 257
Executive Summary 258
Executive Summary report 252
Exit pages 101, 103, 272
Exit URL 101, 215, 246
expired survey sessions 321, 324
export 197, 199, 200, 205, 210, 241
F
FDOC 199
FDT 199
FID 199
fields
hidden 137, 192, 230, 347, 357
requiring 10, 132, 134–137, 141, 148
values 197, 211, 232, 245
file flows 7, 8
files 348
ASCII data 189, 200, 201, 205, 210, 225, 241
ASP survey pages 355
CFG configuration 8, 361
CSS 355, 358
GIF graphics 56
index.asp 34
index.htm 34
JPEG graphics 56
PIN password 8, 153, 170–174, 351
RSP data 8, 324, 332, 351
SDH data 7, 8, 328, 332, 351
server installation 27
SP4 survey project 3
ST3 351
WIP 323, 332, 333, 351
Finish Later button 64
hiding 96, 104, 175
finished surveys 321
Finishing pages 101, 103
Firefox browser 43
folders
permissions 33–36
recommended hierarchy 29–31
fonts 56, 82, 88, 358
Footer tab, Document Properties 67
footers 103, 104
forced rank scales 135, 198
foreign language surveys 5
form date/time submitted 199
forums 2
FPAGES 199
FTP server connections 7, 40, 283
G
General tab, Document Properties 60
Get Latest Data dialog 305, 313, 333, 335
GIF files 56
GoTos 113
graphics 56, 94
grids 90, 133
hiding items 128, 133
layouts 83
randomizing 127, 133, 141, 145
row colors 61
Favorites 169
Index
January 15, 2007
366
H
Header tab, Document Properties 67
headers 56, 82, 85, 103, 104
hexadecimal encoding 217
hidden questions 137, 192, 230, 347, 357
hiding scale and grid items 128, 131, 133
hosting options 4–6
href links 78
HTML 3
editing 78, 289, 293
layouts 54–57
HTML editing 355
hyperlink 78
I
IDHH_MAKEPINFILE 172
IIS
anonymous user account 35, 37
default documents 34
permissions 34, 38
images 56, 94
import 191, 197, 199, 200, 201, 210, 225, 305,
313, 328, 332, 335, 341
log files 341
logs 334
inches 55
incomplete surveys 321, 324
indentation 55, 82, 90, 92
index.asp 34, 348
index.htm 34, 288, 348
installation
server scripts 26–42
testing scripts 41–42
InstallNetCollectServer[version].EXE 32
Instant Online reports 104, 251–262, 263
URLs 261, 272
instructions 12
J
Japanese 5
JavaScript 3, 347
JPEG files 56
K
knowledgebase 2
L
LAN server connections 40, 282
Layout and Access tab, Report Definition dialog 258
Layout tab, Login dialog 167
layout tips 10, 54–57, 82–98
length of surveys 9
Library Script Virtual Sub-URL 39
limiting number of respondents 326
Index
January 15, 2007
link password question 166
links 78
Live mode 320
live surveys
changing 294
load balanced servers 31, 51
LocalHost server 42–48
log files 51, 362, 363
accessing 291
import 334, 341
publish 334
Login dialog 158–170
Login Rules tab, Report Login dialog 255
logins 8, 152–174, 175
for reports 255
logos 56, 67, 94
M
mailto links 78
Maintenance Mode 173
Maintenance mode 328
Manage Partially Completed Surveys screen 324
margins 55, 58–59, 61, 67
Mass Delete 342
maximum number of respondents 326
memo fields 198
messages 136
messages for respondents 81, 104, 148, 168, 221,
257
monitor resolutions 55
Mozilla Firefox 43
multiple language surveys 5, 138–140
multiple questionnaire documents 130, 199
must answer questions 10, 132, 134–137, 141, 148
N
N/A 63, 132, 135, 141, 146
NetCollect
upgrading 16–17
version 2.0 17
version 3.0 16–17
NetCollect 3.0 2
Next button 64
no answer 63, 132, 135
No password required 159
none of the above 63, 132, 135, 141, 146
not applicable 11, 63, 132, 135, 141, 146
Notice Text tab, Login dialog 168
notices for respondents 81, 104, 148, 168, 221, 257
Notices tab, Report Login dialog 257
NTFS permissions 35, 37
Nulls 208
number scales 135, 198
367
numbering
pages 111
questions 73
O
order of operations 196
Other blanks 62, 131, 135, 143
pull down lists 63, 85
Q
Q numbers 197
query strings 157, 158, 165, 190, 212, 213, 225
syntax 217
Question and Groups tab, Report Definition dialog
260
P
page breaks 102
Page List dialog 57, 96, 101, 102–104, 117
page numbers 67, 70, 111
pages submitted 199
partially completed surveys 321, 324
passwords 8, 152–174, 175
files of values 153, 170–174
for reports 255
generating 171, 172, 175
importing 171, 172, 175
in URL 157, 158, 165, 190, 212, 213, 225
updating 173
patching SurveyPro 3
pattern scales 135, 136
Pause button 64, 153, 169–170
hiding 96, 104, 175
Pause pages 101, 104, 175
pausing surveys 153, 169–170
disabling 96, 104, 175
permissions 33–36, 37
IIS 34, 38
NTFS 35, 37
Personal Web Server 42–48
photographs 56, 94
PIN password files 8, 153, 170–174, 351
Pipe In 189, 191, 201, 210, 220, 225
Pipe Out 189, 205, 210, 220, 241
piping 189, 191, 197, 199, 201, 205, 210, 220, 225,
241
answers forward 137, 141, 143, 236
respondent status 224
pixels 55
Preview in browser 25, 77
processes 7, 8
programming 347
progress bars 9, 67, 70, 82, 103, 111, 359
Project Data Files tab, Advanced Upload dialog 292
Project Data Node 40
Project folder 285, 298, 348, 350
Project tab, Advanced Download dialog 339
Properties of pages 103
publishing reports 251–262
publishing surveys 4, 7, 38–41, 275–287
QuestionWeb 278, 284, 308
Your Server 277, 280, 295
Index
January 15, 2007
Question dialog 131
Question Grid dialog 133
question grids 90
hiding items 128, 133
layouts 83
randomizing 127, 133, 141, 145
row colors 61
questionnaire version 199
questions
hidden 137, 192, 230, 347, 357
must answer 10, 132, 134–137, 141, 148
numbering 73, 111
repeating 138–140, 194
resizing 82
QuestionWeb 2, 4
demo accounts 315
FTP password 284
publish 278, 284, 308
R
randomize 127, 133, 141, 145, 147
ranking grids 135, 198
redirect on exit 101, 215, 246
repeating questions 138–140, 194
Report Definition dialog 257–261
Report Login dialog 255–257
reports
publishing SurveyPro’s to HTML 251
real-time server 104, 251–262, 263
URLs 261, 272
Reports management dialog 254
required fields 10, 132, 134–137, 141, 148
Respondent EMailer 170
Respondent Management dialog 158–170
Respondent Name and Password file 162
respondent status 224
respondents 8, 9
limiting number 326
log of number see activity logs
Respondents folder 350
response rate 321
response rates 12, 49–52, 329
Resume pages 101, 104, 175
resuming saved surveys 153, 169–170
revision of server application 28, 39, 280
Rows tab, Question Grid dialog 133
368
RSP session files 8, 324, 332, 351
Russian 5
S
saving surveys 153, 169–170
scales 197, 211, 232, 245
column breaks 131
date 135, 198
forced rank 135, 198
hiding items 128, 131, 133
layouts 133
multiple answer checkbox 147
N/A 63, 132, 135, 141, 146
number 135, 198
Other blanks 62, 131, 135, 143
pattern 135, 136
randomizing 127, 141, 147
reordering 128, 132
reversing order 129
values 197, 211, 232, 245
written answer 198
screen resolutions 55
script 3, 347
script versions 28, 280
scripts 354
SDH data files 7, 8, 328, 332, 351
Select One label 63
Send Answers button 64
Server Crib Sheet 38
server errors
403 permissions 34, 41
404 page not found 41
500 server execution 41, 43
Server Load Protection screen 329
server reports 104, 251–262, 263
URLs 261, 272
Server Selection and Publish Log tab, Advanced
Download dialog 337
Server Selection and Publish Log tab, Advanced Upload dialog 291
SERVER_SET_RID 180
SERVER_SET_SVY_TITLE 104
servers
high load 12, 49–52, 329
hosting options 4–6
installing scripts 26–42
load balanced 31, 51
local test Web server 42–48
multiple domain 31
permissions 33–36, 37, 38
posting surveys see publishing surveys
service ticket integration 157, 192, 212, 213
session IDs 199, 362
setting up surveys 7
Index
January 15, 2007
Shared Password(s) 160
skips 57, 105–113, 114–125, 138–140
Skips and Branches dialog 111
SP4 project file 3
SQL databases 189, 197, 200, 201, 205, 210, 224,
225
SSL encryption 28, 212, 249
ST3 files 351
status of respondent 224
styles 358
Submit button 64
submitted date/time 199
submitted pages 199
support 2
Survey and Report Availability screen 326
Survey Content Files tab, Advanced Upload dialog
292
Survey Contents Node 39
SurveyHost 5
surveys
archiving 344
changing when live 294
editing 14
HTML edits 78, 289, 293, 355
instructions 12
layouts 10, 54–57, 58–59, 82–98, 130, 167
length 9
looping 194
multiple questionnaires 130, 199
numbering questions 73
publishing see publishing surveys
setup process 7
testing 11, 304, 312
SurveyTalk list 2
system requirements 28, 49–52
T
technical support 2
templates 68, 74
temporary piping files 220
temporary shut-down 328
Test mode 320
testing surveys 11, 304, 312
testing Web server 42–48
text fields 198
Text Styles 56, 82, 88
Thanks pages 101, 103, 272
Thanks URL 101, 215, 246
themes for layouts 19, 68, 74
throttle log 51, 363
tiles
resizing 82
timed start for surveys 326
title in browser 61
369
training 3
troubleshooting
server installation 41–42
typefaces 56, 82, 88
U
UNC paths 40, 282
unfinished surveys 321, 324
Unique Respondent ID file 161
Untitled pages 103
updating SurveyPro 3
upgrading NetCollect 16–17
uploading files 7, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293
to live surveys 294
URLs 285, 298
custom resume 223
password embedded 157, 158, 165, 190, 212,
213, 225
reports on server 261, 272
security 212
syntax 217
username+password 156, 162
V
values 197, 211, 232, 245
verbatims 198
versions 28, 280
W
Web anonymous user 35, 37
Web Page tab, Document Properties 61
Web Root 39
Web Site definitions
multiple SurveyPro users 279
QuestionWeb 284, 308
Your Server 280, 295
Web Site Definitions dialog 38–41
Web site links 78
Web Survey Setup dialog 57, 76
Web Survey Themes dialog 19, 57, 68, 74
Welcome pages 101
Windows permissions 35, 37
Windows users 35, 37
WIP files 323, 332, 333, 351
written answer scales 198
Index
January 15, 2007
370

NetCollect 4.0 User Guide

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