Uploading Samples to Surveys

If you wish to retrieve values of panel variables so you can use them in a survey, for example in conditions or in reporting,

1. Go to the Designer > Survey Designer menu command.
2. Double-click on the question you wish to use to open the Question Details page, and open the Properties page for that question.
3. Set Variable type to Panel variable ("hidden" or visible" as appropriate) - .

Figure 1 - Adding a Panel Variable to the Survey

Note: For surveys that you have sampled to/from Basic Panels, “Panel variable (hidden)” and “Panel variable (visible)” can both be used and will retrieve data from the panel database. However, neither of them will update the panel database with changed values. For surveys linked to a Professional Panel, both types can be used, and will retrieve data from the panel database. “Panel variable (visible)” will also update the panel database (provided that the panelist exists) when the respondent moves to the next page. “Panel variable (hidden)” will not update the panel database (go to General for more information).

Note: Forsta Plus does not support sampling from both Basic Panel and Professional Panel into the same survey.

The question must have the same question id as in the panel. This will function in the same way as "background variable": The question will not be displayed to the respondents, and the value will be fetched from the panel.

The survey can either be sent to the panelists by email or, as uploading the panelid and panelistids into the survey creates the links between the panel, panelist and the surveys, the panelists can access their panelist login pages .

To upload a sample:

1. Go to the Respondents > Sample Upload menu command.

The Sample Upload panel list opens, enabling you to select a panel to view its samples - .



Figure 2 - Example of the panel list from which you can select the panel to view its samples

2. Click on the radio button beside the desired panel, then click Next to view the list of samples for that panel - .



Figure 3 - Example of a sample list for a selected survey

3. Highlight the sample you want to upload to the survey, then click Next.

The Properties dialog opens - .



Figure 4 - The Properties dialog for the upload task

• Append - the uploaded data will be added to the already existing data, if any. If there is a match in the key field between the uploaded data and data already in the database, the uploaded data will not be added (the original data in the database will be kept).
• Overwrite - the entire respondent table is deleted and replaced by the new sample. Any existing survey data will also be deleted. A warning will be displayed when this option is selected.
4. Select whether you wish to append the selected sample to any existing samples in the survey, or overwrite any existing samples. Select also whether you want to run the task as soon as possible or schedule it to run later, possibly as a recurring task.
5. Click Finish.

If you have selected to run the task later, the task setup page opens where you can set the start time etc. Otherwise, the task will run.

Now you can email the survey to the new sample, and since the new respondents are panelists, they will be able to access the survey from their personal pages in addition to directly from a survey link