Online Surveys
A Look at Cardiff-TeleForm
Denise H. Wells
Planning and Research
Central Piedmont Community College
A comprehensive look…
The software basically works as follows:
Setup survey in the Designer mode
Initiate the database you want to use (Excel,
SPSS, or CSV, DEL etc.)
Export the form to HTML
Retrieve data from the network drive
Store returned data in your favorite database
format
Analyze data
How it works…
Three different applications
Software is divided into three parts:
Designer view –where the preparation of survey
takes place
Reader view – where the scanning and
recognition of data takes place
Verifier view – confirms and verifies the data
Designer View
This application allows you to initiate paper
and HTML surveys
The grid is already set-up
Type in your text format and choose the
response you desire
Designer, cont’d
Various choices of responses
Open ended
Choice (bubble, T or F)
Entry field (ssn, codes)
Image zone (text)
Comb style print field (print option)
Constrained print field (print option)
Survey in Designer Set-Up
Exporting to HTML
Once the survey is complete and all your
corrections are made …
You then export the file to an .htm file using
the TeleForm export designator
Export process
Process
Once you export the survey then it
immediately opens in HTML+ format as an
.htm file
You can then look at the finished internet
survey for presentation purposes.
At this point you can open your “Notepad”
and make any changes or attributes to the
source code as needed.
HTML form
HTML format
Each form is exported to a single .htm file
regardless of the pages in the original
survey.
Any graphics are saved as separate files
and assigned sequential numbers.
The file produces your URL or whatever
submission method you have set up.
Collection and Retrieval
You can either set-up a drive on your network
or have responses emailed to you.
There are two test submit methods:
Mailto (Netscape only)- does not need CGI
script
Cardiff test script – CGI located at Cardiff and
can be used for test scripts.
ASP – requires specific operating system or
Web server software.
Collection and Retrieval
When a participant “clicks” on the URL, the survey
pops up and is ready to be accessed.
Once the survey is completed, the participant hits
“Submit”.
The data is then captured in the designated drive or
emailed via a TeleForm program.
The TeleForm program processes the data and
stores it on a subdirectory on the web server.
Retrieval
Downloading of data is permitted by using the
TeleForm Internet Server.
This process allows the TeleForm server to
go out in the directory where the files are
being stored, grab it and bring it down to the
file that you have designated for data
population (Excel, SPSS, etc).
Retrieval of Data
Pros of TeleForm
Software processing systems work well
Easy to manipulate
Data retrieval and exporting works fast and
efficiently
Can handle large HTML surveys with little
effort
Most graphic images can be used when
designing
Paper and HTML can be utilized with same
set-up
Cons of TeleForm
Software is unique – configuration can be a
problem
Manipulation of source code can be tricky for
users who do not have HTML background
Expensive
$3,500 for Elite version
Upgrades run about $1,500
Tech support runs about $900 a year
A copy of this presentation can be found
on the Planning and Research website
http://inside.cpcc.edu/planning
Click on “Studies and Reports”
TeleForm presentation 2/10/03