SURVEY SOFTWARE AND

RESEARCH: OUR EXPERIENCE AT

UALSarah Snihurowych & Laura HamonicApril 12, 2018

1

Outline

1. Software Selection

2. Setting up New Software

3. Conducting Survey Research

2

1.Software Selection

Assessing and Selecting

3

JULYSoftware evaluation starts

NOVEMBERNew software is up and running

MID-SEPTEMBERRecommendation for purchase is made

4TIMELINE

Background Info & Process

▹ Why?▹ How?

￭ Group was assembled￭ Desired criteria were

established￭ Potential software identified

5

6

A SNAPSHOT OF OUR SURVEY SOFTWARE EVALUATION SPREADSHEET

Software Evaluation Criteria

Platform

▹ Cloud-based/ installed

▹ Mobile?▹ Trial available?▹ Pricing▹ Open Source

Security

▹ Data centre/ Infrastructure

▹ Data location

Features

▹ Multilingual▹ Accessible▹ Discrete

Accounts▹ Skip logic▹ Question

branching▹ Custom survey

URL▹ Data analysis

tools▹ Email

distribution▹ Embeddable

surveys

Features

▹ Mobile survey▹ Offline

collection▹ Question library▹ Site intercept▹ Audio, images,

video▹ Templates▹ Sunsetting▹ Tech support▹ Manipulate via

code▹ Export formats▹ Other notes

7

Highlights & Challenges

8

Highlights▹ Working as a team▹ Division of labour▹ Stakeholders

invested in selection▹ Providing colleagues

the tools to positively impact users

Challenges▹ Consistency

between group members

▹ Specificity of workflow

▹ Being new to the organization

2.Setting up

New SoftwareBecoming the local “expert”

9

Setting Up New Software

▹ Migrating surveys￭ Support

▹ Learning to use the software￭ Tutorials, support

▹ Staff development & training￭ Tutorials & staff questions

10

Migrating surveys

11205 ERROR MESSAGES

Learning to use the software

12

Staff development & training

13

Next: Adding tutorials to internal staff web

3.Conducting

Survey Research

My experience as a newbie

14

Creating a Survey: Not as Simple as I Expected!

▹ Survey Questions:￭ Do the questions match the purpose of

the survey?￭ Is the wording clear?￭ What types of questions will work best?￭ Are the questions in a logical order?￭ Is the survey the right length?

▹ Survey Logic:￭ Which questions should each “stream” of

respondents answer?￭ Is the survey logic applied correctly?

15

16

Figuring out Survey Logic

Using Survey Software

▹ Dilemma: How much time should I spend learning how to use the software?

▹ Started with SurveyMonkey, then switched to Qualtrics

17

Dissemination, Analysis, & Findings

▹ Testing the survey ▹ When to disseminate▹ Adequate response rate?▹ Learning curve for analysis▹ Writing a report on the findings

18

THANKS!Any questions?Contact info:▹ Laura Hamonic

lhamonic@ualberta.ca▹ Sarah Snihurowych

ssnihuro@ualberta.ca

19

CREDITS

▹ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival

▹ Photographs by Unsplash20