The Interview Device Related Identifiers - DeviceIndex, DeviceID and SID

Overview

SurveyToGo provides several variables related to the device and interview environment that can be used to uniquely identify a device, organization, user, or interview.

This article explains the purpose of each variable and the differences between them.

DeviceID

The DeviceID is a unique number that identifies a specific SurveyToGo installation.

• The DeviceID is created the first time a user logs in to the SurveyToGo application.

• Reinstalling the application generates a new DeviceID.

• Upgrading the application does not change the existing DeviceID.

• In most cases, the DeviceID can be used to identify the device on which the interview was conducted.

To view the DeviceID on the device:

1. Open Settings.

2. Select Options.

3. Locate the number displayed at the top of the screen.

In the example below, the DeviceID is 65245.

 

 

SID

The SID is a unique identifier for a specific user and device combination. Each user who logs in to a device is assigned their own SID for that device.

• Every user on the same device has a different SID.

• The SID remains unchanged for that user as long as the SurveyToGo application remains installed on the device.

• Reinstalling the SurveyToGo application generates a new SID.

• Upgrading the application does not affect the SID.

You can view the SID of the user currently logged in to the SurveyToGo app at the top of the screen.

DeviceIndex, Global Index, and Survey Index

The DeviceIndex is a sequential number assigned each time a new interview is started on a device, regardless of the survey being conducted or the user performing the interview. Every interview receives a new DeviceIndex, making it unique across all surveys on that device.

Each interview can therefore be uniquely identified using a Subject ID, which combines the user's SID and the DeviceIndex in the following format:

D<SID>-<DeviceIndex>

This value can be accessed in scripts using the DisplayDeviceIndex property.

In the Operations Console, this identifier is displayed as the Global Index and is commonly used as the interview or respondent ID.

You may also notice another column in the Operations Console called Index.

The Index is similar to the Global Index, but with one important difference: it is maintained separately for each survey. While the DeviceIndex increments for every interview conducted on the device, the Survey Index increments only for interviews within a specific survey. The Survey Index can be accessed in scripts using the SurveyIndex property.

Example

Suppose John logs in to SurveyToGo on a device for the first time and is assigned an SID of 123456. He works on two surveys, Survey A and Survey B.

The interview indexes would be assigned as follows:

• John starts and completes an interview on Survey A. The Index is 123456-1.

• John starts an interview on Survey A and later cancels it. The interview is deleted, but Index 2 for Survey A has been consumed and will not be reused.

• John starts and completes another interview on Survey A. The Index is 123456-3.

• John starts and completes an interview on Survey B. The Index is 123456-1, because Survey B maintains its own separate Survey Index sequence.

• John starts and completes another interview on Survey A. The Index is 123456-4.

This process continues, with the Global Index increasing across all interviews on the device, while each survey maintains its own independent Survey Index sequence.