To prepare a new survey, use the “New survey” option in the “Survey” section.
Importing a .zip file
If you have a ready-made survey in XSL format with graphics, you can import it using a zip file. Just select “Add zip file containing survey template” and browse the file on your disk. Then click “Import” and check whether the file meets the requirements of the SARE system. If everything is fine, the template will be imported correctly, and you can proceed to create the survey.
Specification of the zip file
When preparing the zip file for import, keep a few things in mind:
- The name of the .zip file should consist only of letters, numbers or the character “_”.
- The XSL file containing the survey template should be named “survey.xsl” (note the case).
- The survey.xsl file should not be in any directory.
- Graphics used in the survey should have extensions .jpg, .jpeg, .gif or .png (lowercase) and be in a directory named “_tmpl_img”.
To prepare a valid XSL file, refer to the technical documentation on creating survey templates.
Use of prepared templates
If you do not want to create surveys from scratch, you can use the available templates. Before selecting a particular template, you can preview it by clicking on the magnifying glass icon. After selecting a template, you will be asked for basic information about the survey, such as name, title and description. You can also customize your survey preferences.
Survey preferences
In the “Preferences” section, you can customize your survey settings before publishing it:
- Specify its validity – whether it should be valid all the time or end after a certain number of fills or on a specific day.
- Choose how to count responses – whether to count all responses, even if the survey has not been completed to the end.
- Decide whether to number the questions and pages in the survey.
- Define the messages that will be displayed when the survey is completed or in other situations.
- Select a survey template from the available options.
- Customize other settings, such as the limit for completing a survey from one computer or access for registered users only.
After defining your preferences, you can save the survey and proceed with further creation.
Question options
Each question in the survey has different options that can be customized:
- Set the response layout, required responses and add graphics.
- For multiple-choice questions, determine the minimum and maximum number of answers.
- Open text questions require a text box size and a minimum number of answers.
- Matrix questions allow you to create tables with the same questions and answers in different contexts.
- Email questions allow the collection of email addresses from respondents.
After adjusting the question options, you can save the question and continue creating the survey.
Structure of the survey
In the “Survey Structure” section you can see the order of the questions and their content. You can freely change the order by dragging the questions to the appropriate place. You can also test the survey by using the preview, which displays the appearance of the survey to respondents.
You can edit questions, delete them, create new questions based on existing ones, add page divisions or change the order.
Conditioning questions
Once you have entered all the questions, you can define the conditions for displaying the question. This allows you to control which questions will be visible depending on the answers you have previously provided. Question conditioning allows you to personalize and customize your survey even more. You can set conditions that decide which questions will be visible or hidden depending on the answers respondents have given to previous questions.
To set conditions for a question to be displayed, select the question you want to make conditional, and then click the “Conditions” button. Then you can configure different conditions that must be met for the question to be displayed. For example, if you want to display question B only if the answer to question A is “Yes,” you can set a condition: “If the answer to question A equals Yes, display question B.”
You can also configure conditions for groups of questions or survey pages. For example, you can set a condition that if the answer to question A is “No,” the entire question group B will be hidden or jump to a specific survey page.
Question conditioning gives you more control over how the survey is presented to respondents and allows you to tailor it to their specific answers and needs.
Once you’ve set up the conditions, save the survey and you can test it using the preview. Make sure all questions and conditions are set up correctly to ensure a smooth and personalized respondent experience.
Once you have finished creating the survey and testing it, you can publish the survey, making it available to respondents. You can copy the survey link and share it via email, social media or other communication channels. You can also embed the survey on your website or intranet to allow respondents to fill it out directly on your site.
Keep in mind that before publishing the survey, it is recommended to perform a final verification to ensure that all questions, conditions and preferences are configured as expected.