This presentation is about how on-line survey tools can be used for survey research.

1. Online Survey Tools: A Case Study
of Google Forms
Paper Presented at the National Conference on “Scientific , Computational and
Information Research Trends in Engineering”
January 30th, 2016 at GSSS Institute of Engineering & Technology for Women, Mysore
Vasantha Raju N.
Librarian
Government First Grade
College
Periyapatna
vasanthrz[at]gmail.com
N.S. Harinarayana
Associate Professor
Department of Library &
Information Science,
University of Mysore, Mysore
ns.harinarayana[at]gmail.com

2. Presentation Layout
• Introduction
• Evolution of Modes of Survey Research Tools
• How Online Survey is Useful Compared to
Other Modes of Survey Research
• Online Survey Tools and Their Salient
Features
• How Online Survey Can be Conducted on the
Web: A Case Study of Google Forms
• Issues Involved in Conducting Online Survey

3. Introduction
Online Surveys or Web-Based Surveys?
An online survey is a questionnaire that the target audience can
complete over the Internet. Online surveys are usually created
as Web forms with a database to store the answers and
statistical software to provide analytics
- Techopedia
Source: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/27866/online-survey

4. Evolution of Modes of Survey Research
Tools
E-mail Surveys
1980s
Web Based Surveys
2000 onwards
Face to Face
Interviews
Telephonic/Fax
Interviews
1970s

5. How Online Survey Tools Are Useful Compared
to Other Survey Research Tools

6. How Online Survey Tools Are Useful...
Conti...
Factor* Mail Fax Web-Based
Coverage High Low Low
Speed Low High High
Return cost Preaddressed/prestamped 800 return fax
number
No cost to the
respondent
Incentives Cash/Non-cash incentives
can be included
Coupons may be
included
Coupons may
be included
Wrong
address
Low Low High
Labour
needed
High Medium Low
Expertise to
construct
Low Medium High
Variable
cost/Each
survey**
About $1.00 About $0.50 No cost
**These were the estimated costs for a 4 page survey that has a population in the U.S.
*Adapted from “A comparison of mail, fax, and web based survey methods” by Cihan Cobanoglu, Bill Warde, and Patrick J.
Moreo, 2001, International Journal of Market Research, 43, p. 407.

7. A Few Online Survey Tools

8. A Few Online Survey Tools and their Salient Features
Survey
Monkey
TypeForm Google Forms Client
Heartbeat
Zoho Survey
Features
Well designed Unlimited questions Unlimited surveys Survey Follow-ups Unlimited survey
Easy to use Unlimited answers Unlimited
respondents
Automatic
remainders of non-
respondents
15 Survey questions
Embed surveys Data export Survey data
automatically
stored in Google
spreadsheet
Third party data
for benchmarking
150 responses
10 questions Basic reporting Add images or
videos
Cross-tab reports
100 respondents Custom design
themes
Imbed survey into
e-mails and
websites
Easy editor
15 question types 100% free Personalized survey
questions
Limitations
Free/Paid
$26/M
Free/Paid
$20/M
Data Privacy Free/Paid
$25/M
Free/Paid
$39/M

9. How Online Survey Can be Conducted on the
Web: A Case Study of Google Forms
• Google Forms is a component of Google Docs which provides
cloud based document file management service.
• Why Google Forms ?
– Freely available on the web
– Unlimited surveys
– Unlimited respondents
– Stability of the Service
– Survey data automatically stored in Google Spreadsheet and many
more

10. How Online Survey Can be Conducted on the Web: A
Case Study of Google Forms
Conti...
Steps Involved in Web Based Survey design, developing, hosting,
data collection, and data analysis in Google Forms
 Step-1: Designing and Developing Web Based Surveys
 Step-2: Hosting and Data Collection
 Step-3: Data Response and Data Coding Sheet
 Step-4: Data Analysis and Graphical Representation of Data

11. How Online Survey Can be Conducted on the Web: A Case Study
of Google Forms
Conti...
 Step-1: Design and Developing Web Based Survey
 Google Forms File menu New option was used to create a web
based questionnaire (see the Figure below)
Fig-1: Google Forms Web Survey Design Interface

12. • Step-1: Design and Developing Web Based Survey
Final version of the web survey questionnaire designed using New
option in Google Forms which was hosted on the web.
Fig-2: Final Version of Web Based Survey Which was Hosted on the Web

13. Step-2: Hosting and Data Collection
• Online Forums, Social networking sites and e-mail contacts are
the major means for web based survey for data collection from
the sample
• A request for participating in our survey was sent via LIS forum
on 30th April 2015.
• Simultaneously same message was posted on the Facebook
wall. Some of the Friends of MyDLIS shared the post for wider
reach.

14. Web Survey Posted in LIS Forum and Facebook Wall
Dear Sir/Madam/Friends
I have taken up a small survey on “What Are They Now? A Survey of
University of Mysore Library and Information Science (MyDLIS)
Graduates of 2000 to 2014” to understand the employability status of
graduates, usefulness of LISc skills in employment and also to obtain
on-field MyDLIS graduates feedback on MLISc Course and its future
perspective.
The University of Mysore MLISc graduates who have passed out from
2000 to 2014 can participate in this survey. Through this forum I kindly
request those who have completed their MLISc degree from the
University of Mysore from 2000 to 2014 to participate in this survey.
Participation in this survey is anonymous.
Following link will lead you to the
survey: http://goo.gl/forms/RrwO9gQU9j
This survey is very brief and takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete. If you
have any questions about the survey, please contact me at:
vasanthrz@gmail.com
Please complete the survey by May 8, 2015. Your assistance in providing
invaluable information about this topic is much appreciated.
Fig-3: Web Survey Posted in LIS Forum and Facebook Wall

15. Step-3: Data Response and Data Coding Sheet
• Once request is sent for participation intended participation
click the web URL and fill the survey.
• After posting our web survey via LIS Forum and Facebook,
those who have graduated from DLISc, University of Mysore
from 2004-2014 participated in the survey.
• Almost 71 graduates filled the web survey.
• Figure 4 shows the day-wise data response for survey hosted
on the web.

16. Day-Wise Response for the Web Survey “What are they Know? A survey
of University of Mysore Library and Information Science (MyDLIS)
graduates of 2000-2014
2
13
8
4
10
13
5
4
5
2
1 1 1 1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
NumberofRespondents
Date
Day-Wise Data Response Rate

17. Step-3: Data Response and Data Coding Sheet
• One of the major advantage of online survey tools are storing
responses automatically in a database in anyzable format.
• Google Forms also allows automatic storage of response data
in its spreadsheet application.

18. Step-4: Data Analysis and Graphical Representation of Data
• Google Forms allows for analyzing the data that is
collected through the web survey.
• One can generate graphical presentation of data
easily along with descriptive analysis of the results.
• Users data stored in Spreadsheet can be saved and
downloadable in various formats (MS Excel, CSV, TSV
and PDF, etc.)

19. Graphical Presentation of Samples in Google Forms

20. Issues involved in Web Based Surveys
– Technological variations
– Computer literacy
– Internet penetration rate
– Low-response rate
– Privacy and security issues
– Sample selections...

21. References
• Cobanoglu, C., Warde, B., & Moreo, P.J. (2001). A comparison of mail, fax and web
based survey methods, International Journal of Market Research, 43, 405-10.
• Evans, J.R., & Mathur, A. (2005). The value of online surveys. Internet Research, 15 (2),
195-219.
• Fleming, L.M., & Bowden, M. (2009). Web based surveys as an alternative methods
traditional mail methods, Journal of Environmental Management, 90, 284-292.
• Kaye B.K. & Johnson T.J. (1999). Research Methodology: Taming the Cyber Frontier.
Social Science Computer Review, 17, 323-337.
• Wright, K.B. (2006). Researching Internet based populations: Advantages and
disadvantages of online survey research, online questionnaire authoring software
packages, and web survey services. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication,
10(3). Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-
6101.2005.tb00259.x/full
• Zhang, Y. (1999). Using the Internet for survey research: A case study. Journal of the
American Society for Information Science and Technology, 51(1), 57-68.

22. Thank You
?
Image Courtesy: OCLC