These are some commonly asked questions by researchers seeking to do experience sampling or ecological momentary assessment on the ExpiWell platform.
1) Is it possible to preview the survey?
Yes, absolutely. You can go to the "App Preview" option in the "Survey Building" section of the platform. However, please note that the "App Preview" is still in a beta mode and does not have the full functionality as our mobile apps have.
Given that formats may appear differently on each phone,
researchers typically download the app, enter the access code, and
preview it directly on the phone. In addition, they are able to preview the scheduled surveys and notifications as participants would experience them.
2) I work for an academic institution and my university’s
review board is requesting specific information about ExpiWell's data privacy
policies; what information can I provide them?
Here is a link to
our privacy policy that helps address common review board questions. We also
have a data privacy and security policy summary here. If you need more information, please contact us.
3) Can I change my project’s schedule after activating?
Yes. Please make sure to change the schedules outside of the window times when no one is answering the surveys. This is to ensure that the data will not be disrupted. You can deactivate the project, make the necessary changes, and reactivate it. Advise your participants to re-enter the access code to see the latest changes.
You can make changes to the survey content and reactivate the survey. Participants should be able to see the new survey content when they are scheduled to do the survey the next time. Participants will not need to remove the project and re-add it.
4) My participant’s app is not receiving the notifications
as expected. Why is this?
The platform sends out notifications reliably and there are
usually three main reasons on the participant end for not receiving
notifications:
(a) Notifications are disabled for
either the participant’s ExpiWell app or mobile phone.
(b) They are using an outdated
version of the app. You can have them check their app store for any available updates.
(c) There is no WiFi or cellular data enabled for the mobile device and the project has not been created to be taken offline.
(d) Participants have enabled "do not disturb" for certain time periods, such as late at night, early in the morning, or even while working. You can request that they turn off this mode during the study.
(e) Participants logged off of their ExpiWell mobile app.
A couple of other quick things to look at: You can check the "Participation Log" in the "Insights" page once a
project is launched to see whether notifications have been successfully sent to
a participant. You can also try sending personalized notifications to yourself to ensure
you are receiving them.
5) Who can I contact if I have a technical question about
the platform or if I have a participant who is running into issues?
We want to make sure
we do everything we can to make your projects as successful as possible!
Another way is to submit a ticket through the ExpiWell platform is the quickest
and most efficient way to address any technical questions. When you’re signed
in to your ExpiWell account, go to the "Help" tab in the upper right (also
includes “?” icon). Then fill out the pop-up box and submit. And that’s it!
Once you submit your
ticket, someone will reach back out and acknowledge that we have received your
message and will be working quickly to resolve your questions.
6) Do users have success using the platform for both a
standard between-person study and ESM?
Yes, ExpiWell can handle long baseline surveys. Researchers have had participants do long surveys of 300+ questions. In fact, most participants these days use their mobile phones to respond to online surveys.
We
recommend that you use the “Automatic Next Question” option so once
participants select a response, it moves forward automatically. This saves a
substantial amount of time. In the survey building page, simply navigate to the ( ⁝ ), next to the "+ question" button, then click "options".
7) For the Likert scale, is it standard to select the
number of stars as opposed to using Likert anchors (e.g., agreement)?
On ExpiWell, the "stars" question type functions as a rating system
instead of a Likert scale. In order to make a Likert scale, researchers
currently use the "Multiple Choice" question and put the Likert-type ratings
in there. As we specialize in ESM/EMA, researchers only see one item per page.
The rating scales appear as multiple choices.
8) Is it possible to use ExpiWell together with other
survey creation software like Qualtrics or SurveyMonkey?
Definitely, you can embed your survey web links using the dynamic link feature. The dynamic Link can be created in the "Instruction" question type in the survey creator. Please click here to learn more. This effectively makes ExpiWell a notification system to schedule and track participant notifications.
We still recommend using ExpiWell for even your regular surveys as that will ensure that: 1. You can track participants in a single platform; 2. There will less likely be errors connecting participants across platforms; 3. It will be a more seamless experience for participants leading to higher levels of engagement and higher response rates.
9) I am not able to log on to the Mobile Apps. What do I
do?
The mobile app login is not the same as the web login. This
is because we are catering to two different audiences: Makers and Takers.
You will need to create a separate login for the mobile apps.
10) I am not able to download the data as a CSV file (it
returns a .txt file). Why is this?
We noticed that Firefox and Safari
download the data as text files, but Chrome and Explorer download as CSV
files as expected. We are working to address this issue to ensure that it also
works on Firefox and Safari.
One way to address this is to download the Chrome browser
and access the ExpiWell website.
11) Is it possible to share or collaborate on a single project or survey?
Yes, it is. We want researchers to come up with the best possible projects, and by collaboration, you can ensure that the team can work together more efficiently and effectively.
There will be 3 different roles with different access levels.
Viewer: Can only view project information and download data.
Manager: Can view project information, download data, and edit and delete surveys and projects
Administrator: Can view project information, download data, edit and delete surveys and projects, invite and remove other individuals from the account
Users can log in with their credentials, which ExpiWell will provide by email when a researcher/administrator creates a new user. They can also update their profile after logging in.
ExpiWell's comprehensive FAQs on experience sampling and ecological momentary assessment are designed to provide clarity and support for researchers navigating ESM and EMA projects. These FAQs, covering topics from project creation to data privacy and technical support, are vital in optimizing your research experience. They ensure that researchers are well-equipped to handle various aspects of the EMA platform, from survey customization to participant engagement, making ExpiWell an invaluable tool for insightful and practical research.
The Administrator can assign 2 different users - Viewers and Managers.
This robust system of roles and permissions in ExpiWell facilitates effective teamwork and project management, ensuring that every team member can contribute according to their expertise and responsibilities. This feature enhances collaborative research efforts, streamlining workflows and improving the overall efficiency and quality of the research process.