How to Implement CAWI Surveys to work with a Panel Company

Overview

When working with CAWI surveys you can either distribute the link on your own via email, link in your website etc. or use a Panel Company. 

Panel Companies will have a large database of respondents that they have created over time and use to send online surveys to complete. 

In this guide we will explain about the different options available when you need to work with a Panel Company. 

The options described below are all located under the CAWI tab of your survey -> Create Respondent Links

Option 1 - Auto Generate Links

This option will be used when the Panel company will ask for 1000 unique links (for example). 

• Name - Enter a name for these links
• 'Unique Identifier Param Name' - use the default or set this identifier name according to the panel company need (can later be used in the end pages, read further to learn more)
• Set the number of links you would like to generate 
  

Once you click 'Add' the links will be generated, navigate to the 'Anonymous Unique Links' option to see the list of links created 

Click on Export to create a file that will be sent to the Panel Company. 

Option 2 - Dynamic Link Generation

This option will be used when the Panel Company will request only 1 link which they will use and the unique IDs will be generated on their side, passed with the link and will be sent to the respondent. 

• Name - Enter a name for these links
• 'Unique Identifier Param Name' - use the default or set this identifier name according to the panel company need (can later be used in the end pages, read further to learn more)

Once you click on 'Add' a link will be generated and this link should be copied and sent to the Panel Company. 

As you can see in the above screenshot, at the end of the link generated the unique identifier is empty (uid= ), the reason is because the panel company will add their respondent unique link in this place. 

Please Note: if you copy this link and paste it into the browser without anything after the uid= 

an error will be prompt  as below

How to pass back the unique Identifier in the End Links

Usually when working with Panel Companies you will be asked to change the end link for the survey to be re-directed to their website passing on the Unique Identifier of each respondent. 

To implement follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the survey 'CAWI' tab and click on 'Web Survey Display Options'
   
2. In the following screen under the 'General' tab - un-check the option 'Use Defaults'
3. Change the End Links for each of the options described.
   For example to change the Finish Page and add in the link the Status and the UID you should use as below:
   the status is just a text that was added while to return the 'uid' we are using the External Parameters - these are Identifiers that were added to the URL that was sent to the respondent. 
   • uid=(Ex:Ticket) - the unique ID that is generated for each participant (if you change this name you should replace it with the name you used)
     
     Please Note: To separate between the parameters add '&' before