Tools for web-based research

    In recent years, a variety of tools and services have appeared for use in Web-based research.  These would include tools for creating and implimenting Web-based surveys, websites for organizing and developing complex experimental designs, and even websites devoted to simply housing web-based research projects.  My emphasis here is on tools and services free to academics, particularly those tools which provide outsourcing of data collection (i.e., they store the survey and data on their server until you're ready to retrieve it).  This outsourcing bypasses many of the technical issues which can hamper researchers.  Below I outline several tools which provide a variety of such services.  For the most part, these tools can be used by a user with a minimal understanding of HTML or Webservers (though such knowledge certainly increases the versatility of the tool).
    There are a number of companies which provide tools and services for Web surveying at a fee (sometimes with a free trial period).  I do provide a listing and brief description of some of these services and tools.

  • SurveyWiz - a survey/questionnaire development tool
      SurveyWiz (Birnbaum, 2000c) is a Javascript tool which allows a user to create Web surveys and questionnaires via a simple interface.  Once the JavaScript program loads into your web browser, Likert scale, multiple-choice, and fill-in-the-blank questions can quickly be created. The survey instrucment is embedded in a webpage that can be housed on your home server.   There are even some preset demographic questions which can be added at the click of a button.  Currently (July, 2003), the default HTML code for the survey saves the data to a database housed at CSU-Fullerton, though this can be altered (via a CGI script) to save the data on another server (e.g.,  your own server) or simply have the data emailed to you.
      A little knowledge of HTML and forms allows you to expand on the surveys created with SurveyWiz.  The SurveyWiz program is completely self-contained in a single webpage which can be downloaded for your use (note the copyright information provided on the webpage).

          * Click here to see an example of a survey created with SurveyWiz

      WWW Survey Assistant (SA; Schmidt, 1997) is another Web-based survey development tool.  This tool is more complex than SurveyWiz, offering greater versatility at the cost of more complex interface.  SA allows for a variety of question formats (e.g., Likert scales, multiple-choice, open-ended of a variety of lengths), allows for multiple pages in the same survey, and even complex skip patterns between pages.  A number of samples are available to serve as examples for you.
      Surveys created with SA are created and stored on the offsite server.  Though the survey construction program can be downloaded to your computer, the survey is stored offsite.  This has the advantage of completely outsourcing your survey; the webpage containing the survey and the data it collects are stored offsite until you go and retrieve it.  All you need to do is make the survey, contact the participants, and let the data role in.  However, your only access in constructing your questionnaire is through the interface rather than to the HTML.  While it is possible to insert HTML through the interface, this impedes our ability to alter and customize your webpage.

            * Click here to see an example of a survey created with WWW Survey Assistant

  • PsychExperiments - A storehouse of web-based projects and an "on-line psychology laboratory"
       PsychExperiments (PsychExps; McGraw, Tew, & Williams, 2000), an "on-line psychology laboratory", is a project devoted to facilitating the use of the Internet in psychological research.   Developed with the help of an NSF grant, this site provides researchers a forum for housing and implementing Web-based projects.  Experiments created with the Authorware development tool (a Macromedia product) are housed and organized at the website, and the data waits for you on the website until you go and get it.  Whereas SurveyWiz and Survey Asssistant are survey makers, PsychExps has the potential to house more complex studies.
      Authorware is a powerful authoring tool allowing the user great flexibility in creating a research instrument.  It can handle survey construction as well as more complex experimental procedures (you can check out the samples and currect experiments by visiting the website).  All manner of experimental procedures and responses options can be created, including the recording of millisecond response latencies over the web.  Once the instrument is created and housed at the PsychExps website, it can be viewed and completed using any web browser having the necessary plug-in. 
      The power and versatility of Authorware makes it a valuable tool, though its complexity makes it a challenge at times.  Since Authorware wasn't designed as experiment generation software (e.g., MediaLab, E-Prime, Inquisit), even simple tasks can take some work.  Fortunately, PsychExps has developed an Interactive Training Manual on cd to get you started using Authorware to make psychological experiments.
      This is a great resource.  After the initial cost of purchasing Authorware, this is an excellent outsourcing site to conduct a wide variaty of studies.  For instructional purposes, there is even an option to register a group of students, so you can have a class complete a study on of the website and then examine their data.
  • FactorWiz - Creation of factorial designs and stimuli
       FactorWiz (Birnbaum, 2000c) is a Javascript program that allows the user to create within-subject factorial stimuli for research purposes.  It is a sister program to SurveyWiz (similar development and format), though with a different purpose.  Research participants can respond to the stimuli with typed responses.  As with SurveyWiz, FactorWiz is a self-contained Javascript program within a webpage which can be viewed with any browser.  Also, the data is stored in a database at CSU-Fullerton, though this destination can be altered.  The program produces simple yet effective formats, though a little knowledge of HTML and forms allows you considerable versatility with the final product.  This could be a useful tool for having students examine interactions and main effects.

           * Click here for an example of an questionnaire developed with FactorWiz

  • WEXTOR - The Web Experiment Generator; Facilitates creation of Web-based experimental procedures
       Wextor (Reips & Neuhaus, 2002) assists a researcher in developing and visualizing experimental procedures for  online or lab-based studies.  It assists not only in creating the web-pages used in the study, but also the JavaScript for moving between the webpages. 
      Wextor leads you through a 10-step process in which you define your variables, specify the webpages used in the experiment, visualize the design, and create the webpages.  Once WEXTOR creates the skeleton of the procedure adn the necessary webpages, they can be modified with any HTML editor.  When creating the webpages, you can insert a vareity of response options (e.g., testbox responses, sliding scales, Likert-style rating scales).
       Wextor has the benefit of providing a structured and logical format for the creation of your experimental procedure.  It does not host the webpages for you, but does facilitate the creation of the a log file to direct data collection.  Though the materials can then be housed on any Webserver, a minimal about of server-side attention is necessary. 

            * Click here for an example of an experimental procedure developed with WEXTOR

Summary: Each of the tools above has advantages and disadvantages.  They vary in complexity and function, emphasizing different aspects of research and different educational possibilities.  I would encourage you to take a look at each before deciding which best fits your needs.


Last updated:  8/5/03