Repeat surveys and resuming

[challie]

Hello,

Each year we survey a specific group of individuals using the same survey. The survey is rather long, so we want to give respondents the option to "Save and Exit" and resume at a later time, rather than starting all over again.

My question is whether allowing respondents to resume will interfere or write over their responses that were collected in previous years? We only want respondents to be able to resume to their most recent incomplete survey. Does the invitation link provide a unique user ID that allows respondents to access only the most recent incomplete response?

Thanks,

[pwiesner]

The URL included in the save and exit option uniquely identifies a specific response. Using the link to resume a survey will not alter answers to other response.

Have you enabled the option to edit completed responses? If not, there is no way to make changes to previously completed responses.

[challie]

Thank you. I have only enabled users to resume but not edit completed responses.

Can the respondent resume using either the original email invitation link or the URL given after they've hit Save and Exit?

[pwiesner]

What version of the product are you using and what security options have been configured for the survey?

Another thought. Do you do all of your reporting in Checkbox or do you export the results and use a third party application? If you use a third party application you could make a copy of the survey for each new distribution. Because survey response are not copied when a survey is copied there would be no possible way to edit a previous years responses in this configuration.

[challie]

I am using Checkbox v4.4.1.14

The security is set to be restricted to an Access List.

I have thought about copying the survey for each distribution but decided not to, since we have not done that in the previous years (and it's too late to do that anyway, since the survey has already gone out). But will keep this in mind for other repeat surveys.

[challie]

Oh, and to answer your question - yes, we usually export the data to a third party application.

[pwiesner]

Because your survey is restricted to registered users all tracking of incomplete responses is manages server side by Checkbox. As a result respondents can use either link to resume their survey.