Feedback across all channels: Hybrid surveys without media disruption with the QuestionPro survey software

Conduct platform-independent surveys with the QuestionPro survey software

Some time ago I received a call from a company that was planning a study in the area of ​​health and care. “Mr Wilde, we are facing a major challenge here. For a large survey with 26.000 sample sizes, we need to collect data across all media, i.e. using pen and paper and also online. Both." For me personally, this is not an unusual requirement, after all, this has been my profession for more than 20 years. But the lady on the phone was visibly upset. “Some survey software providers only want online, others can only do so online and others charge so much money for paper & pencil surveys that we simply cannot afford to purchase such systems for collecting data using scanners for paper & pencil surveys can, especially not if it is a one-off project.”

Paper & Pencil surveys are still relevant

In fact, we still receive a lot of requests for automated data collection in paper and pencil surveys. Paper & Pencil surveys are far from being a relic of days gone by. On the one hand, there are still legal challenges that cause companies, authorities and institutes to carry out paper and pencil surveys. Elsewhere, data collection with pen and paper is still used where people have to answer questions that are difficult or impossible to access online. This primarily includes older people who have little or no contact with online surveys. However, technology also often disrupts personal dialogue, for example between doctor and patient during surveys in the health and medical field. Many studies still do not use tablet PCs or other technical data entry devices for personal surveys, but prefer the classic version with pen and paper. And because manually collecting data from paper questionnaires can be extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive, there is the option of automatically collecting data using a scanner, i.e. data extraction from paper into the digital world.

Hybrid surveys: Surveys without media disruption

Equally common is the requirement of some customers who want to collect and analyse data via various media. Example: As part of a study, an institute would like to survey all people over 55 years of age using the paper and pencil method, but the age group between 30 and 55 would like to survey them using an online questionnaire. The challenge: The data from both survey methods should flow into one and the same database, without requiring a lot of time and personnel. This means: The paper questionnaires are not recorded by hand, but are automatically read in en masse using a feed scanner, while the data from the online questionnaires is sent directly to the database anyway. Here we are talking about the so-called hybrid survey. This means you can theoretically, and with QuestionPro also practically, carry out studies and surveys in all possible variations.

Opportunities for obtaining feedback with QuestionPro across all media and channels

• Paper & Pencil, manual entry of the questionnaires via data entry masks or automatically using a feed scanner and data capture system
• via tablet PC, i.e. the classic interviewer situation with technical aids, whereby the data collected is either fed directly into the database or it is recorded offline on site and then synchronized with the database on the server
• Online surveys, probably the most frequently carried out survey method today, in which a questionnaire opens in the browser and can be filled out
• Mobile surveys, which are similar to online surveys, but are designed specifically for mobile devices in terms of scope and design
• Speech recognition, i.e. the capture of evaluable free text via voice input
• Touchscreen surveys, i.e. answering questions via publicly accessible feedback terminals
• Email surveys that can be answered directly from the email
• SMS surveys, i.e. questions that are sent via SMS and can be answered directly from the SMS
• Last but not least, manual data entry using the DataEntry mask should not be missing
• QuestionPro's Enterprise Feedback Management System combines all recording methods

Combinations of data collection methods

All of these different survey variants can be easily combined in any form using modern survey technologies, without having to limit yourself to a specific method or a selection of methods. And that is one of the very important advantages that QuestionPro offers its customers. Because we see ourselves as a holistic solution provider in the area of ​​surveys, surveys and analyses.

QuestionPro – more than an online survey software!

Regarding the challenges our customer faced on the phone in the example described above: We were ultimately able to offer her a smart and cost-efficient solution to her problem by implementing a central scanning station for automated data collection for the Paper & Pencil survey project, which includes our web-based survey and Analysis platform fed with the data obtained. And since QuestionPro has a real-time evaluation and analysis unit, no additional software had to be purchased. The analysis output was carried out automatically at the push of a button using a PDF report previously configured by the company itself. And in order to be able to display the results in a conference on the projector, a PowerPoint was also generated automatically from the system.

1:1 live online demo:

Paper & Pencil and online surveys: Do you have questions about hybrid data collection without media disruption?

Would you like to find out more about QuestionPro and how you can create, conduct and evaluate surveys across all platforms? We would be happy to show you the features and question types of the QuestionPro survey software in a personal 1:1 live online demo. Arrange an individual appointment now.

Create surveys for free with the professional and web-based survey software QuestionPro

You have any questions or suggestions? We look forward to your inquiry! Simply use the contact formto get in touch. Register now for free and create your first online survey with QuestionPro.

KEYWORDS OF THIS BLOG POST

Survey | Online | Platform | Paper & Pencil | Media disruption