What's New in EFS Survey 7.0

Increased Number of Variables per Survey

One of the most important changes in EFS 7.0 is the lifting of the limitation of variable numbers. While so far, up to 2.400 variables could be used per survey project, you can work almost without limits in EFS 7.0: technically, up to 120.000 variables are possible.

This considerable extension has been realized by a massive change of the underlying data base structure. Until EFS 6.0, one MySQL database table with up to 2.400 columns was created for each project.

From EFS 7.0 on, up to 61 of these tables can be created if required. The creation of new tables and the distribution of the data is handled automatically by the system.

Improved Questionnaire Accessibility

The accessability of EFS questionnaires has been improved significantly for EFS 7.0. In the past, conducting accessible questionnaires was possible, but it involved special programming. Now, “LABEL FOR” tags were added to the HTML code of EFS questionnaires.

These tags enable screen readers to connect form elements and labels (e.g. labels of answer options) in a sensible way, thus allowing visually-impaired persons with a screen reader to understand the questionnaire.

The change improves the usability of EFS questionnaires in general: For single response and multiple response questions in EFS 7.0, clicking the label of an answer option is sufficient for activating the corresponding radio button or checkbox. In the past, realizing such a behavior required special programming.

Message Set's

Survey messages are a fundamental element of online surveys. Buttons and login fields, plausibility check messages and central system messages as, for example, “This survey has already been closed” - all these texts need to be drafted, and maybe translated as well. In EFS 7.0, working with survey messages is considerably more comfortable:

• The set of default messages is available in 29 languages now. If you want to run a project in one or several of these languages, you can simply use the prepared default version.
• You can copy a set of survey messages and modify the copy according to your requirements.
• It is possible to export survey messages and import them into other EFS 7.0 installations.
• You can compare two selected sets of survey messages.

New Project Quota Module

EFS 7.0 includes a new quota tool which is considerably more flexible and dynamic than the old project quotas.

A variety of configuration options enables you to modify the quota process according to your requirements. E.g. you can decide if quota based on participant data should be checked at survey start or later, or you can assign participants to all matching open quota instead of only one quota.

The new quota feature can respond dynamically to the allocation numbers. Thus, you can optionally fill quota with low allocation numbers first (“low bucket fill”).

The following variables can be used for quota definitions: project variables, user-defined variables and GET parameters, various system data and depending of the project type participant data, address data of panelists, all master data and tracking variables in the panel.

A quota import is available.

Static start page

EFS recognizes features which are not supported by the static start page, and blocks if you try to make a page with such features "static". The static start page does not support:

• Question types requiring Javascript (Flash question types: 611, 621, 641, 661 and Slider: 341 ,342)
• Plausichecks and DACs
• Hiding conditions and randomization
• Conjoint block on first page

QR-Encoded Survey URLs for Print Communication

QR Code example

QR codes (QR = quick response) are two-dimensional codes which can, among other purposes, be used to communicate URLs: A QR-encoded URL can be printed on a poster or shown in a TV advertisement.

With a mobile device that contains a camera, an interested viewer can photograph the QR-encoded URL.

Various applications for Android, iPhone und Windows Mobile allow to decode the image and open the URL.

With EFS 7.0, it is easy to communicate the URL of your survey not only online and per e-mail, but QR-encoded e.g. via print media. In the survey menu of anonymous projects, you can find the new field “QR code”.

LUA Filters BETA

A new filter type is introduced in EFS 7.0: the LUA filter. LUA is a scripting language, which offers users with programming skills more freedom and comfort:

Many filters which need a lot effort when working with EFS standard filter definitions or alternative filter conditions can be realized more easily with LUA. E.g. a function is available which simplifies handling of system missings in filter conditions.

Really complex filter conditions can be mapped more easily.

For details on the scripting language LUA, please see the official homepage www.lua.org.

Webservices

EFS Web Services supports the automated synchronization of data in EFS with external applicatons. In version 7.0, various new services have been added, supporting powerful features both in EFS Survey and in EFS Panel.

The newly-added web services support central functions of EFS Survey which were not available per web service so far.

• Mail dispatch: You can trigger the dispatch of mails via web service, e.g. to send invitations.
• Display of data: You can access result data.
• Staff administration: Various functions of the staff administration are now available via web service.

For a list of all new web services in EFS Survey, please see the documentation „Web Service Changes between EFS Version 6.0 and 7.0“ in customer center.

Other small and BIG Features of the Current Release

There are a lot more features and improvements you can explore and make use of in your daily work. Please read the documentation for further explanation of these features.

• Statistics & EFS Survey Status
• Changed user interface in statistic menu
• Split of field report refactored
• New layout of EFS Survey Status
• Survey Variables
• Merge of External and Long Variable Names
• Improved Availability of output_mode, javascript and flash
• Questionaire
• Lists: Global Inclusion Conditions for Static Lists
• Changed preselection of Sliders
• Changed Behavior of Page History
• Formula Trigger Deleted
• Using a Wildcard to Retrieve the Currently-Selected Language
• Soliciting Answers without Making Questions Mandatory
• QR-Encoded Survey URLs for Print Communication
• Translator Interface
• Search & Replace added
• Participant Administration
• Redesigned Mail Form
• Define Automated Reminder and Field End Date for a Particular Respondent
• New Options for Searching the Participant List
• Limiting Export to Participant Groups in Personalized Projects
• Pretest Feature and Todo Marker limited to Participants with Tester Flag
• Mail Dispatch
• Overhaul of Mail Form and Templates
• Increased Effectivity of Mail Dispatch
• Redesign of the Mail Queue Menu
• Checking the Mail Queue in Anonymous Projects
• New Wildcard #code_complete_http# to enforce display of normal http URLs when sending Mails (in SSL environment)
• User and Right Management
• Enhanced Team Overview
• Overhauling the ACL Rights Menu
• Improving the Rights Templates User Interface
• Assigning a Rights Template to a Team Retroactively
• EFS Survey Webservices
• Mail dispatch: You can trigger the dispatch of mails via web service, e.g. to send invitations.
• Display of data: You can access result data.
• Staff administration: Various functions of the staff administration are now available via web service.