Packing Slip 
item |
Online Survey Vendors and Product Overview |
contact |
John Snelling (Estrella Mountain Community College) john.snelling@emcmail.maricopa.edu |
college(s) |
Estrella Mountain Community College |
discipline(s) |
Institutional Research, Planning. Any discipline that wishes to create an online survey. |
summary |
The purpose of this report is not to play up or down any one vendor, but to offer an objective overview of their key features, usability and cost. Survey vendors were researched during the Fall 2002 term and were scored based on functionality, ease-of-use, performance and cost. The following vendors were looked at: Zoomerang, Remark, Perception, and Web Surveyor. |
details |
Online survey vendors like cars come in many shapes, sizes and prices. I recently reviewed several vendors for functionality, ease-of-use, performance and cost. The key functionality pieces I am interested in are: Security, Question Branching, Multiple Page Forms and export capability of raw data to third-party software i.e. Excel or SPSS etc. In addition, the software must be intuitive to the user, perform well under multiple user environments and be cost effective with regards to the true cost of ownership. Functionality: 1. Web Surveyor - Grade A a. Multiple branching and skip pattern b. User Authentication - cookies and IP filtering c. Form customization -Yes d. Exports to many formats including: Excel, Access Tables, SPSS 2. Perception - Grade B+ a. Multiple branching and skip pattern b. User Authentication - cookies - can integrate with Blackboard c. Form customization - Yes d. Exports to many formats including: Excel, Access Tables, SPSS 3. Remark - Grade B a. Multiple branching and skip pattern b. User Authentication - limited c. Form customization -Yes d. Exports to many formats including: Excel, Access Tables, SPSS 4. Zoomerang - Grade C a. Multiple branching and skip pattern - None b. User Authentication - limited c. Form customization - Very limited d. Exports to many formats - None Ease of Use: 1.Web Surveyor - Grade A+ Objects and Interface work well - very easy to use and offers many powerful features using drag and drop capability. a. Drag and drop question object references - extensive formats b. Drag an drop navigation objects - extensive c. Expression builder d. Form / Question Templates e. Manual code of HTML for more custom look/feel 2. Perception - Grade A Easy to use, extensive use of wizards to create questions. a. Use of Wizards to build questions b. Import customized questions and animations - Flash etc... 3. Remark - Grade A Easy to use, takes advantage of object drag and drop capabilities. a. Drag and drop question objects b. Drag and drop navigation objects - limited c. HTML not required to build surveys 4. Zoomerang - Grade A Easy to use, all web based - cookie cutter development. a. Very template driven b. All web based interface c. Users choose from template of limited question types Performance: 1. Web Surveyor - Grade A a. Supports use of multiple surveys distributed simultaneously. b. Robust server allows many users - increased functionality depending on institution web server. 2. Perception - Grade B+ a. Supports use of multiple surveys 3. Remark - Grade B a. Can only run one survey at a time. b. Supports many users - performance based on Web Server 4. Zoomerang - Grade C+ a. Can only run one survey at a time b. Limited user - 25 users per survey - FREE version Cost: 1. Perception - Grade D a. Very hands-on with vender b. Additional equipment may need to be purchased - depending on solution c. Annual maintenance fee d. Total cost of ownership: $35,000+ plus maintenance fees (Site License: based on GCC information) 2. Web Surveyor - Grade D+ a. Can be very hands-on with vendor depending on hosted or self-supported solution. b. Additional equipment may need to be purchased - depending on solution c. Total cost of ownership: $15,000 to $20,000. plus maintenance fees -(Self supported solution) (Hosted solution price range depending on number of surveys: 5 pack roughly around $1,500 annually.) 3. Remark - Grade B- a. Out of box solution b. One year tech support - $500 c. Cost of ownership (assuming institution already has web server) $1,500 - $2,500 - One License 4. Zoomerang - Grade B a. Annual Fee $600 b. Export fees - unknown c. All information kept on Zoomerang server d. Cost: $600 - $$$$ depending on use. Note! As a professional courtesy to the owner of this package, if you use some aspect of this package or have some thoughts about it, please share your feedback via the comments form below. |
web links |
http://www.websurveyor.com http://www.questionmark.com http://www.remark.net/web/ http://www.zoomerang.com |
supplements |
Vendor Overview - Word Doc (document) Note! As a professional courtesy to the owner of this package, if you use some aspect of this package or have some thoughts about it, please share your feedback below. |
shareback |
A "Shareback" cites the places on the web that mention, reference, or use this MLX package, and "shares" that information back here (more about shareback...) Sharebacks can be generated automatically by weblog tools. |
extra |
Last modified: Feb-27-2003 Date created: Feb-27-2003 Visitor count: 5133 Dublin Core Metadata record  |
Maricopa Learning eXchange
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/mlx/slip.php?item=622
