Considerations Before Upgrading your Organization

 

Overview

When new functionality is added to SurveyToGo, it often includes changes to both SurveyToGo Studio and the Android and PC Surveyor data collection applications.

For example, when a new scripting function is introduced:

• You must update SurveyToGo Studio so the Script Designer recognizes the new function while you are developing the survey.

• You must also update the corresponding data collection applications so they recognize and execute the new function correctly during an interview.

Whenever a new version of SurveyToGo is released, the accompanying release notes specify the minimum compatible versions of the related components.

• The Studio release notes identify the minimum required version of the data collection applications needed to support all features introduced in that Studio release.

• Likewise, the Data Collection release notes specify the minimum compatible Studio version required to use the new functionality.

You can refer to our release notes in the Lumivero Community - SurveyToGo Resources

 

The Release Cycle overview is outlined below:

 

As a general best practice, we recommend upgrading SurveyToGo Studio and the data collection applications to the latest compatible versions at the same time.

There are, however, situations where upgrading only SurveyToGo Studio is appropriate. This typically occurs when a project is already in the field and the survey has been thoroughly tested with a specific version of the data collection application. In these cases, changing the data collection application during fieldwork may introduce unnecessary risk, such as unexpected behavior caused by newly introduced issues.

You may still need to upgrade Studio if the new release includes improvements or fixes related to features such as:

• Data export

• User management

• Data management

• Bug fixes affecting Studio

Upgrading Studio alone will not affect ongoing fieldwork, provided that the surveys currently in use are not saved or updated using the newer Studio version.

When upgrading only Studio during active fieldwork, we recommend the following:

• Do not update or republish surveys that are currently being used in the field with the newer Studio version.

• Update only a small group of test devices or test users to the latest data collection application and verify that your surveys continue to function correctly.

• After the project has been completed and testing has been successful, upgrade the data collection applications across the entire organization.

The recommendations above are summarized in the table below.

 

Important: When developing a new survey with a specific SurveyToGo Studio version, we recommend requiring the corresponding data collection application version during both testing and fieldwork. This ensures that all functionality introduced in that Studio version is fully supported and behaves as expected.

For more information, see How to Ensure Your Survey Is Running on the Correct Data Collection Application Version.