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WebSurvey@UW - Previewing a Survey

This document describes how to preview and test your survey prior to deploying it.

Survey testing and previewing is done by taking the actual survey to ensure that you are testing the exact same survey that your end users will be taking. We strongly recommend that you test your survey thoroughly before deploying it to your users. All surveys with one or more items can be previewed.

To preview your survey, it must be in an Open status. There are several ways to change the status of your survey from Design to Open.

1. In your “My Surveys” listing, click on the Design Icon to the right of your survey title. Click on the Launch Button in the upper right hand corner or bottom right hand corner of the Modify Survey screen.

OR

2. In your “My Surveys” listing click on the “Open” button to the left of the survey you wish to preview.

OR

3. In your “My Surveys” listing click on the “Options” icon to the right of the survey you wish to preview. In the General Information section of the “Survey Options” screen, select “Open” on the dropdown menu for” Status”.

Once your survey is “Open”, you are ready to test it.

There are two ways to "preview" a survey. When you preview a survey, across the top of the screen will be a reminder to delete your responses when you have completed the survey.

1. On the “My Surveys” list, click on the title of the survey.

OR

2. In the “Modify Survey” screen, click on the “Preview button” which is located in the upper right hand corner.

Your survey will open in a new window and you can walk through it just as your survey takers will. Notice the note in red across the top. This will appear anytime you preview your survey using one of the above methods.

Another testing option allows you to take the survey exactly as your survey takers will take it.

1. Click on the "Deploy" icon on the main list of surveys. You will be given a series of links (which are what your survey takers will use).
2. Copy and paste one of the links into a browser window and you will take the survey exactly the same way as your users.

In this example, there is no red note at the top of the screen. Either option will give you the survey taker experience, it is just a matter of personal preference in how you want to test your survey.

Regardless of the method you use to test your survey, while you are previewing it, your answers are being recorded. You can only make very limited modifications to a survey that has responses associated with it. So, once you have taken the preview survey you will need to clear your responses to do any further editing of the survey. To clear your responses, simply click the "clear" icon on the main list of surveys to delete you test responses. Once you have cleared your responses, you may continue modifying the survey as desired.