How Respondents Access Your Survey

Once you've uploaded your survey to your Internet server and verified that it is working properly, you need to decide how to invite respondents to complete it. The most common way to invite respondents is via email, with an embedded hyperlink. Other methods include linking from another survey or website, or directly typing an address within the browser.

1. Email URL links. Most (but not all) Email packages are "Web-enabled," meaning that they recognize URL addresses such as http://www.sawtoothsoftware.com as Internet sites. Whenever the Email package encounters an Internet address in the course of a message, it changes the text string to a hyperlink (underlines the text, changes its color, and makes it a clickable area). When Email recipients click hyperlinks, their computer automatically connects to the Web and their browser points them to your survey site referenced in the hyperlink. You can also include the password information (or other "pass through information") in the hyperlink for “one-click” access to the survey with password verification.

2. Link from Website or Other Survey. Respondents browsing a site on the Internet or taking another survey click a submit button or hyperlink (either text-based or clickable graphic) that connects them to your survey. You can also include the password information or other "pass through information" in the hyperlink. This provides “one-click” access to the survey with password verification.

3. Typed URL. Respondents connect to the Internet and type the URL into their browser (or cut and paste it from an Email message) to access your survey (the STUDYNAMElogn.htm page).