Q_Survey plugin

The Q_Survey plugin for the Data Import has been designed to allow Q_Panel to integrate with Q_Survey's interviewing software capturing responses from live questionnaires.

Each Q_Survey customer will have been assigned an API token. This API token is used to identify the customer when making API calls.  When installing the Q_Survey plugin the user is prompted for this API token and the installer will write this to the configuration file.

Profilers are created using Q_Survey. Once a profiler questionnaire is finished it must be published and a URL generated for the questionnaire. In order to link the questionnaire to a Q_Panel panellist, the URL must include the query parameter altid which should be set to the Q_Panel external customer id. This is VERY important. If it is not done, the Data Import service will fail to process the record and as a consequence fail to process any further responses to the questionnaire until action is taken by QuenchTec support.

To enable processing of questionnaire responses by the Data Import, a Triple-S file must be saved in the schema drop folder. This Triple-S definition file should be exported from Q_Survey.  Some small changes may be needed – we recommend that you contact QuenchTec support for assistance with this process.

When the Data Import runs its scheduled loop (as defined in the Q_Survey plugin configuration file), the list of "live" (published and active) questionnaires will be requested. For each questionnaire in the list, it looks for matching Triple-S files in the schema drop folder. (The name of the Triple-S file must match the questionnaire name exactly).  For each matching Triple-S file the Data Import will request any records since the last request. These records are processed by the Data Import in the usual way.

The Q_Survey API is designed to allow the pull of data in a defined time window. This means the clock on the computer running the Data Import must be kept to within 20 seconds of UTC at all times, otherwise there is potential for data loss.  When a questionnaire has been successfully processed, the time of the original request is recorded in the Q_Panel database, so that Data Import can identify where to continue from next time, when processing that questionnaire.

If a record cannot be processed by the Data Import, the Data Import stops processing records from that questionnaire to prevent data loss. No further processing is possible for this questionnaire until the problem is resolved. Usually this will require assistance from QuenchTec support. Processing of other questionnaires is NOT affected by this, as an error in one questionnaire would not affect any other questionnaires.

Changes to Triple-S Generated by MI Pro

Any questions defined as type duration in Q_Survey must be changed to type quantity within the Triple-S definition as the value is stored as a number of minutes and standard Triple-S does not include duration type. The values clause must also be added with an appropriate range of values.

For example:

<variable ident="11" type="duration">
 <name>AFlightTimeD1</name>
 <label>
  <text>Length of flight taken</text>
 </label>
 <position start="11" />
</variable>

should be changed to:

<variable ident="11" type="quantity">
 <name>AFlightTimeD1</name>
 <label>
  <text>Length of flight taken</text>
 </label>
 <position start="11" />
 <values>   
  <range from="1" to="100000"/>
 </values>
</variable>