Panelist Credits - Importing and Exporting

This menu command enables you to import and export panelist credits. The menu contains two options - :

Figure 1 - The Panelist Credit menu

Importing Panelist Credits

The panelist credits for a panel can be exported as a zipped .txt file, via email, or if you have the appropriate license, via FTP. Note that there are a number of information columns that must be included in the .txt file to be imported. These are "required fields" and must have the column headers as shown:

Field/column name	Description	Required/Optional
PanelistID	The unique panelist ID of the panelist. Maximum number of characters is 50.	Required
PanelistTransactionID	The ID of the particular credit entry.	Required
SurveyID	The survey ID of the survey for which the credit is being granted.	Required
Credit	The credit amount.	Required
Created	The date for the credit entry.	Required
Comments	A text string, up to 256 characters.	Optional
SectionID	A string used if credits are to be assigned multiple times for one survey. Up to 40 characters.	Optional

If the file has been exported via email, first save the file attachment to an appropriate folder in your network.

1. Open the Panel to which you wish to import the panelist credit file.
2. Go to the Panel Management > Panelist Credit menu command and select Import.

The Import Panelist Credits dialog opens - .



Figure 2 - The Import Panelist Credits dialog

3. If the file has been exported via email, select the Transfer Type to be Upload then browse to the file that is to be uploaded and select it. If the file has been exported to FTP, type the file name into the File Name field.

Note: FTP export requires your company to license an add-on. The FTP site details will then be specified automatically.

4. Select the Key Field that is to be used to identify the panelists to which each credit value is to be credited.

This list is populated automatically from the fields available in the panel.

5. Set the start time for the import task.

Note: If the file is to be exported at regular intervals (using a recurring task) then you can also set the import to occur at corresponding intervals, thereby updating the credits automatically. In this case, ensure you allow a delay between the times set for the exports and the imports to allow for possible queues in the task server.

6. Click OK.

The import will be performed at the specified time(s).

Exporting Panelist Credits

This procedure exports the panelist credits for all the panelists in the selected panel. To export panelist credits:

1. Go to the Panel Management > Panelist Credit menu command and select Export.

The Export Panelist Credits dialog opens - .



Figure 3 - The Export Panelist Credits dialog

2. Select the type of transfer you wish to perform; Email or via FTP.

Note: The FTP transfer option is a chargeable add-on. This option will only be available if your company has the appropriate license. If so, the FTP site details will be specified automatically.

3. If Email is selected, check the recipient email address is correct and edit as necessary.
4. Specify the start time for the transfer.

If you select Schedule for Later Execution, you can set the export to be a recurring task, that is, it will be performed automatically at specified time intervals.

5. Click OK.

The task runs at the specified time, and the panelist credits are exported as a zipped .txt file.