Using Microsoft Front Page to Create Web Surveys

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Using Microsoft Front Page to Create Web Surveys

• Quick. Cheap. Easy.

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Is this for you?

• Yes
• You have Front Page
• You have Access
• You can type
• You can write a survey
• You have a web site, a place to put the survey
• You dont have much web technical or other help

• No
• You have web resources you can turn this over to
• You have help of all kinds
• You have survey software
• You dont do surveys

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At SUNY Delhi

• Farrell Hall Use survey
• Survey of ESL students (in progress)
• Form to record FERPA responses (in progress)

• Front Page option attractive because we have it
  and have some expertise to consult
• Front Page slides data nicely into Access no
  data entry!

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What this presentation will not cover

• Survey creation
• Sample strategy

• Analysis of results in Access
• Moving results to some other package, like SPSS

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In Front Page

• Blank page
• Insert form
• Create a space above the submit and clear
  buttons by spacing down

• If bringing over a document from another
  application, paste it into the space
• If working in Front Page, create the document
• Save as .asp, not .htm

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First, create the survey/form

• Word/other word processing use no boxes,or
  tables, etc.
• Front Page then have to publish to the web
• Need a location

• Front Page on the web easier in many ways

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Duplicates

• If this is a survey, will have to figure out ways
  to eliminate duplicate entries.
• Could do with an identifier you then could not
  use to connect responses with ID (if anonymity is
  paramount)

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Front Page Survey Elements

• One line text box can enlarge, but no need to
  will scroll
• Scrolling text box for longer text
• Check box non-exclusive for all that apply

• Radio button mutually exclusive choice forced
  choice
• Drop down menu series of options in compact
  space forced choice

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Front Page Survey Elements

• Picture plant a static image in the form

• Will add time and day stamp
• Will add remote computer names, user name,
  browser type
• Way to eliminate dups

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Form Field Properties

• Name the column label in Access
• Value value in the data column that which
  will show up on confirmation page plain text or
  number/integer
• Can set initial value plus/minus

• Good idea to be as descriptive as possible
• Respondent cannot confirm what s/he cant
  understand
• No spaces in the labels use _

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Editing

• Respondent, upon seeing confirmation, can use
  back button and make changes, but will create a
  2nd record
• If use Return to Form line at the bottom,
  respondent will get a blank form.

• Can eliminate the confirmation page or customize
  it
• Can set the tab order so the respondent can use
  the tab key to move among items
• Can also take something out of the tab order if
  you dont want to see it

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Editing

• When setting the tab order, dont need to be
  sequential just higher and lower
• Can do clickable labels select insert form
  - label

• Validation capabilities
• Drop down menu can require respondents to
  respond
• Can disallow 1st choice if it contains
  instructions

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Editing

• Radio button validation work as a group
  mutually exclusive same name different value
• Text box data values (lt, gt, lt, gt,,not)
• Can use with numbers or text

• Check box validation data type (no constraints,
  text, integer, number)
• Text format letters, digits, white space, other
  (can specify)
• Data length can require and set min/max
• Check boxes dates

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Send to Database

• After survey/form completed, attach a database
• Form properties within space
• Send to database
• Options create database
• FPDB page name

• Save as asp (Active Server Page)
• If you make changes subsequent to the database
  step form properties options update
  database
• Preview in browser (on left hand column)

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Putting it someplace for respondents

• Go to folder list
• Default.htm or Index.htm or any web page
• Click on it and your page will open
• Type in the name of your survey or form

• Select it and right click
• Hyperlink and pick the survey off the list
• The survey/form will be in a web location that
  you can direct respondents to

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Seeing the data in Access

• Go folder list
• FPDB (Front Page database)

• See a list of database and click on it
• Results
• You can now do with it whatever you will export
  to SPSS, Excel, SAS, etc.

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Tips on surveying from Don Dillman

• Reliance on prizes will encourage different kind
  of responses
• Forced choice responses may encourage drop outs
  and respondent failure
• Mixed mode surveying Web/in person/phone, etc.
  - may improve response rates
• Use vertical layouts rather than horizontal

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Survey hints tips

• Size of answer space makes a difference even if
  its a scrolling box
• Check all that apply vs. y/n for each choice
  latter is better
• Keep visuals the same
• Instruct respondents to maximize the screen
• http//survey.sesrc.wsu.edu/dillman/papers.htm
• Dr. Dillman is Regents Professor and the Thomas
  S. Foley Distinguished Professor of Government
  and Public Policy in the Departments of Sociology
  and Community and Rural Sociology at Washington
  State University. He also serves as Deputy
  Director for Research and Development in the
  Social and Economic Sciences Research Center
  (SESRC).

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Go with data