Distributing questionnaires

Once you create a questionnaire, there are several ways to distribute it.

• While remediating records to gather additional information about the data in a record.
• As a survey, sent from a survey table as an email or a link.
• As an event report, sent from an event report table as an anonymous link.
• As part of an assessment survey, control performance, or certification program.

Change what data recipients see

When you send a questionnaire from a record, or as part of control performance or a certification, data from the table's columns are displayed for the recipient as record details along with the questionnaire. All recipients (including people who do not use Diligent One) can view record data and download attachments. This includes:

• supporting files (labeled Related files for recipients)
• attachments in fields from the current record
• attachments in fields from other records (when one questionnaire is sent for multiple records at the same time)
• attachments from previous respondents to that questionnaire (including draft responses)

To change what data and attachments appear in the questionnaire, you need to change some settings on the questionnaire you are sending as well as the table it is sent from.

Step 1: Consider what data you want your recipients to see

Before you send questionnaires, consider what data you want recipients to see, and what data you do not. Pay particular mind to security or privacy concerns as well as context. Recipients need enough context that they understand what you are asking of them, but too much information might confuse them or expose information that is not meant for them.

Step 2: Change questionnaire settings

1. Open the Results app.
2. Open the collection that contains, or will contain, the questionnaire you want to change.
3. Add or edit the questionnaire you want to send.
4. While setting up the questionnaire, under Questionnaire details, choose Show select record fields for the Respondent View.
   

   Note

   You can also choose Hide all record fields. However, doing this removes context that the recipient might need to answer your questions effectively. As well, this does not necessarily prevent fields from appearing in the email that invites someone to do a questionnaire. You will change this in the next step.

5. Save the questionnaire.

Step 3: Change table settings

1. Return to the collection that contains the table you are sending the questionnaire from.
2. Change the settings for the table you want to send the questionnaire from.
3. While setting up the table, under Email and questionnaire record information, choose the fields you want to include in the questionnaire.
4. Click Save.

Step 4: Distribute the questionnaire

See Send a questionnaire from a record or Other ways to send questionnaires, below.

Send a questionnaire from a record

You can send a questionnaire from a record to gather additional information about the data in that record. You can do this for a single record or for multiple records at the same time.

For individual records

1. Open the Results app.
2. Navigate to the appropriate table in a collection.
3. In the table, click the record you want to send a questionnaire about. The Process Records panel opens on the right-hand side of the screen. You can scroll through records using the up and down arrows in the upper-right corner of the panel. However, if you have selected records using the column on the left, these arrows scroll through all visible records, not just the records you have selected.
4. At the bottom of the panel, click Process record #n.
5. Click Send Questionnaire. The Send a questionnaire panel opens.
6. In the Recipient section, specify the user you want to answer the questionnaire. If you select yourself, there is no email invitation and the questionnaire opens in a new tab.
7. From the Questionnaire list, select the questionnaire to send.

   Note

   If you are an Oversight Executive or Contributor User, you can only select questionnaires that are already linked to the table.

8. Optional. Under Add files to instructions, upload one or more supporting files to attach to the questionnaire submission. Files are included in a reserved column in the associated table.

   Note

   For security reasons, Diligent One does not accept file attachments with the following extensions: .bat, .com, .dmg, .exe, or .scr.

9. Optional. In the Questionnaire email section, customize the email message that the recipient receives when you send the questionnaire:
   1. In the Email subject field, enter the subject line text.
   2. In the Email message field, enter the email message text.

   Note

   This is an ad-hoc email customization. The text you supply is used once and does not affect the default template that is used with the questionnaire. To customize the default template for the questionnaire, see Customizing questionnaire emails.

10. Do one of the following:
    • If you assign the questionnaire to yourself, click Open. The questionnaire opens in a new browser window.
    • If you send the questionnaire to a designated recipient, click Send.

    Responses are captured in the specified table, with each question response defined as a distinct field. For more information, see Linking tables to questionnaires.

For bulk records

1. Open the Results app.
2. Navigate to the appropriate table in a collection.
3. To select the records to send questionnaires about in bulk, do one of the following:
   • To process all visible records, select the checkbox in the column heading.
   • To process a subset of visible records, select two or more records.

   The Process Records panel opens on the right-hand side of the screen. You can scroll through records using the up and down arrows in the upper-right corner of the panel. However, these arrows scroll through all visible records, not just the records you have selected.

4. At the bottom of the Process Records panel, click Process n checked records. The Table View displays the selected records only, and you can see which records are subject to any bulk processing action you make. You can exit the review by clicking Back to all records in the Process Records panel.
5. Click Send Questionnaire. The Send a questionnaire panel opens.
6. In the Recipient section, specify the user you want to answer the questionnaire. If you select yourself and one questionnaire for all records, there is no email invitation and the questionnaire opens in a new tab.
7. From the Questionnaire list, select the questionnaire to send.

   Note

   If you are an Oversight Executive or Contributor User, you can only select questionnaires that are already linked to the table.

8. Optional. Under Add files to instructions, upload one or more supporting files to attach to each questionnaire submission. Files are included in a reserved column in the associated table.

   Note

   For security reasons, Diligent One does not accept file attachments with the following extensions: .bat, .com, .dmg, .exe, or .scr.

9. Select one of the following:
   • One questionnaire per record the recipient must answer one questionnaire for each record that is selected. Each response is recorded individually for each record.
   • One questionnaire for all records the recipient must answer one questionnaire. The single response is recorded for all selected records.
10. Optional. In the Questionnaire Email section, customize the email message that the recipient receives when you send the questionnaire:
    1. In the Email subject field, enter the subject line text.
    2. In the Email message field, enter the email message text.

    Note

    This is an ad-hoc email customization. The text you supply is used once and does not affect the default template that is used with the questionnaire. To customize the default template for the questionnaire, see Customizing questionnaire emails.

11. Do one of the following:
    • If you assign the questionnaire to yourself, click Open. The questionnaire opens in a new browser window.
    • If you send the questionnaire to a designated recipient, click Send.

Send a questionnaire as a survey

Surveys are tables that store responses to questionnaires. You can send the questionnaire to a list of known recipients, or distribute an anonymous link for unknown respondents to complete. Each response is stored as a record in the Survey and you can process or report on these records.

Before you start

Before you deploy a questionnaire as a survey, you must:

1. Create a questionnaire and add questions to it see Creating questionnaires
2. Create a Survey table see Working with tables

What data recipients see

When you send a questionnaire from an event report table, respondents do not see specific field information, even if the questionnaire is set to show fields.

Distribution options

You can distribute Survey questionnaires to an email address or as an anonymous link.

Email addresses

You provide a list of known recipients, including non-Diligent One users, who receive an email containing a secure, unique link to the questionnaire. Respondents can answer once, and you can track response status.

Anonymous link

You make a single, secure link available to potential respondents in a central location such as a web form. Respondents access the questionnaire by clicking the link, and may answer the questionnaire numerous times until you disable the link. Responses are anonymous and you cannot track respondent status.

Once you click Distribute Survey, the anonymous link is live until you disable it.

Distribute the survey

1. Open the Results app.
2. Go to the collection that contains the survey.
3. Below the name of the survey, click Distribute survey.

   Note

   If you see an Add questions button instead, this means the linked questionnaire has no questions. Add questions before distributing the event report.

4. Distribute the Survey using one of the following methods:
   • To obtain an anonymous link that you can make available to potential respondents, click Copy and paste the link into your distribution location.
     

     Note

     When you visit a distribution link, you are redirected to a unique instance of the survey that has its own URL. Make sure that you distribute the link you copy directly from the collection page. Do not share the URL you see after clicking the distribution link.

   • To send the Survey to known respondents, in the Send to Recipients field, enter a list of email addresses separated by a comma, space, or newline and then click Send.

Track response status

1. Open the Results app.
2. Go to the collection that contains the survey.
3. Below the name of the survey, click Distribute survey.
4. Click the Track tab. A Responded message displays next to the recipients who have submitted responses to the survey. A Pending message displays next to the recipients who have not yet submitted responses to the survey.
5. Optional. To remind recipients to respond to the Survey, click Resend.

Deactivate an anonymous link

1. Open the Results app.
2. Go to the collection that contains the survey.
3. Below the name of the survey, click Distribute survey.
4. Click Deactivate. A new link is generated and the original link is disabled in any location it is deployed. Respondents who click the original link can no longer access the Survey.

Send a questionnaire as an event report

Event reports are tables that store responses to questionnaires. You can send the questionnaire by distributing an anonymous link for unknown respondents to complete. Each response is stored as a record in the Event report and you can process or report on these records.

Before you start

Before you deploy a questionnaire, you must:

• Create a questionnaire and add questions to itsee Creating questionnaires
• Create an event report tablesee Working with tables

What data recipients see

When you send a questionnaire from an event report table, respondents do not see specific field information, even if the questionnaire is set to show fields.

Distribute the event report

Once you have linked the event report to the questionnaire, you can distribute the event report.

1. Open the Results app.
2. Go to the collection that contains the event report.
3. Below the name of the event report, click Distribute event report. The anonymous link remains live until you disable it.

   Note

   If you see an Add questions button instead, this means the linked questionnaire has no questions. Add questions before distributing the event report.

4. To obtain an anonymous link that you can make available to potential respondents, click Copy and paste the link into your distribution location.

   Note

   When you visit a distribution link, you are redirected to a unique instance of the event report that has its own URL. Make sure that you distribute the link you copy directly from the collection page. Do not share the URL you see after clicking the distribution link.

Deactivate an anonymous link

1. Open the Results app.
2. Go to the collection that contains the event report.
3. Below the name of the event report, click Distribute event report. The anonymous link remains live until you disable it.
4. To deactivate the existing anonymous link, click Deactivate. A new link is generated and the original link is disabled in any location it is deployed. Respondents who click the original link cannot access the Event Report.

Other ways to send questionnaires

You can also distribute a questionnaire as part of an assessment survey, control performance, or certification, if you are using those features.