Online Surveys A Look at Cardiff-TeleForm Denise H. Wells Planning and Research Central Piedmont Community College

A comprehensive look… The software basically works as follows: Setup survey in the Designer mode Initiate the database you want to use (Excel, SPSS, or CSV, DEL etc.) Export the form to HTML Retrieve data from the network drive Store returned data in your favorite database format Analyze data

How it works…

Three different applications Software is divided into three parts: Designer view –where the preparation of survey takes place Reader view – where the scanning and recognition of data takes place Verifier view – confirms and verifies the data

Designer View This application allows you to initiate paper and HTML surveys The grid is already set-up Type in your text format and choose the response you desire

Designer, cont’d Various choices of responses Open ended Choice (bubble, T or F) Entry field (ssn, codes) Image zone (text) Comb style print field (print option) Constrained print field (print option)

Survey in Designer Set-Up

Exporting to HTML Once the survey is complete and all your corrections are made … You then export the file to an.htm file using the TeleForm export designator

Export process

Process Once you export the survey then it immediately opens in HTML+ format as an.htm file You can then look at the finished internet survey for presentation purposes. At this point you can open your “Notepad” and make any changes or attributes to the source code as needed.

HTML form

HTML format Each form is exported to a single.htm file regardless of the pages in the original survey. Any graphics are saved as separate files and assigned sequential numbers. The file produces your URL or whatever submission method you have set up.

Collection and Retrieval You can either set-up a drive on your network or have responses ed to you. There are two test submit methods: Mailto (Netscape only)- does not need CGI script Cardiff test script – CGI located at Cardiff and can be used for test scripts. ASP – requires specific operating system or Web server software.

Collection and Retrieval When a participant “clicks” on the URL, the survey pops up and is ready to be accessed. Once the survey is completed, the participant hits “Submit”. The data is then captured in the designated drive or ed via a TeleForm program. The TeleForm program processes the data and stores it on a subdirectory on the web server.

Retrieval Downloading of data is permitted by using the TeleForm Internet Server. This process allows the TeleForm server to go out in the directory where the files are being stored, grab it and bring it down to the file that you have designated for data population (Excel, SPSS, etc).

Retrieval of Data

Pros of TeleForm Software processing systems work well Easy to manipulate Data retrieval and exporting works fast and efficiently Can handle large HTML surveys with little effort Most graphic images can be used when designing Paper and HTML can be utilized with same set-up

Cons of TeleForm Software is unique – configuration can be a problem Manipulation of source code can be tricky for users who do not have HTML background Expensive $3,500 for Elite version Upgrades run about $1,500 Tech support runs about $900 a year

A copy of this presentation can be found on the Planning and Research website Click on “Studies and Reports” TeleForm presentation 2/10/03