IN THIS ISSUE:

Five Ways to Speed Up Testing
Here are some ideas to help you speed up the testing process before you take a survey live. more

New Equation Multiple Value/Sort feature Available
SurveyWriter now allows you to combine the power of the Equation Multiple Value formula question with all the features of a Sort formula question. In this example, we use this feature to demonstrate some complex quota logic. more

Do-It-Yourself Invoicing
For all invoices generated after January 1st, 2006, SurveyWriter now enables you to view and save them yourself. more

Support Shorts
Determination Field in the Data Download
New IDR Tracking Number Available
Print Preview With Detail  more

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Five Ways to Speed Up Testing

Here are some ideas to help you speed up the testing process before you take a survey live.

Review data layout 

Download the Data Layout using the Delimited Data - Full Record Layout: CSV Format option to quickly check the accuracy of various items such as Random Set and Group numbers, filter definitions, and whether Merge Questions are referencing the correct questions.

Show results to Formula Question using Comment question

SurveyWriter uses a variable insert format |QuestionID| to insert information from previous questions into the text of another question. You can also use that feature to show you how the results of function questions. For example, if you are generating a random number in your survey to set up quota cells, you can see what number was selected by the function question by inserting that question ID in a comment question directly after the function question. If your Random Number Formula question is called FRANDOM, insert this variable in the question text of a comment question called ShowRandom:

You are cell |FRANDOM|.

Use this technique to determine if your filters or quotas are set up correctly for the various cells. After you test, make sure to delete the comment question.

Set up skip pattern to help jump through survey

If you have question logic set up at the end of the survey that is based on a few questions at the beginning, don't test the whole survey to determine whether the logic is set up correctly. Set up a skip pattern after the initial questions that jumps to the questions at the end of the survey. After you test, make sure to remove the skip.

Turn on Back button while testing

Turn on the Back button through Survey Options > Security while testing. This allows you to return quickly to the beginning of a question sequence and test it again with a new set of parameters.

Spell check your entire survey quickly in Word

Click Project Administration > Print/Preview question to view your entire survey. Save the survey to your PC as an HTML file. Open the HTML copy of your survey in Word. Find any spelling errors throughout your survey using Word's spell checker. Make the spelling changes in the SurveyWriter.

New Equation Multiple Value/Sort Feature Available

SurveyWriter now allows you to combine the power of the Equation Multiple Value formula question with all the features of a Sort formula question. In this example, we use this feature to demonstrate some complex quota logic.

This example shows you how to combine the Equation Multiple Value formula question with the Sort formula question to generate a random number and make sure that each number is assigned to respondents only 100 times. Once you have the random number selected, you can use this later on in your survey to show concepts that correspond to the random number.

The steps include creating a formula questions that looks at a quota to see if it's open and generating that number if it is. Finally, we will use a Sort formula question to select a random number from all the ones that were available.

Create Quotas for the Random Number

In this example, we plan to generate a random number through FSELECT. However, we do NOT set up this question first. Instead, we are going to assume we've already created it and build quotas as if this question were there.

Set up five quota groups that correspond to all possible random numbers that could be generated in FSELECT. The desired range is 1 to 5. The filters and quota limits will look as follows:

Generate Equation Multiple Value/Sort Question

Next, we will use the filter from the Equation Multiple Value formula question to create a filter that checks the quotas to make sure they are open. Then, we will change the formula type to a Sort question and select Random 1 from the Rank field so that SurveyWriter chooses one value from the available options depending on which of the quotas are open.

1. Create an Equation Multiple Value formula question. Call it FSELECT because it needs to correspond to the filter you used when setting up the quotas.
2. Build the first filter for formula question. Using the filter wizard, change to Select Quota Control.

3. Choose FSELECT1 as the quota on which to base the filter by clicking the down arrow on the right-hand side of the dropdown box.
4. Select < (less than) as your comparison operator.
5. Keep 100 as the numeric value for the quota.
6. Add :INF:1 to the end each statement. This filter sets the priority for each "true" statement. In this case, all statements are assigned the same priority. (We will discuss how to use this filter in the next newsletter.)
7. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for all five values.

8. Build your answer options as follows:

9. Change your formula question type to Sort.
10. Choose Random 1 from the Rank field.

11. Save the question.

12. The last step is to create a function question that checks whether any of the quotas are open. To do so, create a formula question named FTERM.

13. Select Boolean as your the formula question type. Boolean formula questions generate a 1 or a 0 depending on whether the filter in the formula question is evaluated as true or false. This Boolean formula question checks whether FSELECT is blank.

14. Create a quota to check whether FTERM for the respondent is equal to 1 or 0. If it is 1, set the control to terminate the respondent.

To summarize, we've created 5 values, 1 to 5. We have created 5 quotas that count the number of times a value has been seen by the respondents. Finally, our FSELECT function question checks the quotas to see if their open. For all the open quotas, FSELECT chooses one value from the options available. If no options are available, the respondent is terminated.

Once you have created this sequence, you can use it throughout your study to show or hide subsequent questions.

Do-It-Yourself Invoicing

For all invoices generated after January 1st, 2006, SurveyWriter now enables you to view and save them yourself. This feature is available from Account Administration menu. 

1. Click Account Administration > Invoice Project. 

2. Click on the project to review or print.

3. Choose to Print the file or Save it to your computer.

Support Shorts 

Determination Field in the Data Download

When you combine all records for download, you should be aware the following designations that appear in the Determination field:

0 = Incomplete
1 = Complete
4 = Terminate
5 = Overquota

These items also appear in when downloading only one type of data: completes, incompletes, terminates, and overquotas.

New IDR Tracking Number Available

IDR is a tracking number that you can append to the end of a URL in the following format:

http://www.surveylink.ASP?IDR=12s343

It works similar to and can replace the need for using cookie based security. The IDR Tracking Number enables respondents to exit and resume the survey. It also prevents respondents from taking the survey more than once. Finally, it enables you to match email addresses to data records in SurveyWriter.

Print Preview With Detail

This option allows you to preview a copy of the survey the way the respondent would see it. Any survey logic that applies to individual questions is displayed in red.

To use this option, click Project Administration > Print/Preview Questionnaire with Detail. 

You are receiving this newsletter because you either are a client of SurveyWriter or registered at the SurveyWriter.com, Web site.

Thank you for your continued support of SurveyWriter. If you have any topics that you would like see addressed in future editions, please email me.

Sincerely,


Vice President, Business Development
773-281-8490 / prv@surveywriter.com