The Do’s and Don’ts of Scanning

The Snap Scanning Module is a powerful product that is a cost-effective way to collect data quickly and efficiently. When designing a survey there are always do’s and don’ts so we advise you to bear the following in mind:

Do

  • Ensure your survey has been numbered correctly, i.e. Q1, Q2, etc., by using the renumber icon button in the Questionnaire Design Window.
  • Load the Default.qsf template by selecting the Load Style Template Editions and style templates button button
  • Apply the grid box style for open-ended questions. By doing so you will be able to use the scanning validation options, which include Pattern Matching and Spelling. These options are found in the Variables Details Window, which is accessed from the Variables Window. The Pattern option is designed to help Snap recognise open-ended data on the scanned questionnaires with the pattern expression you have set in the Pattern Match dialog box. The Spelling option is used for literal response questions and helps Snap match the data on the questionnaire with a word found in Snap’s dictionary. These options are also found in Variables Properties Properties dialogue within the Questionnaire Design Window.
  • Before producing a proper survey, print and test a few questionnaires from the demonstration questionnaire, snCrocodile, supplied with Snap professional.
  • Be careful that the correct number of pages and questionnaires have been scanned. If you notice that the current Case Number doesn’t match up with the number you write on a questionnaire, then make sure you find out why as it may later lead to problems.
  • Scan in batches of between 10 and 50 pages. Make sure the numbers line up between the Case Number written on the questionnaire and the Case Number represented in Snap, after every batch.

Don’t

  • Design questionnaires with boxes that are shadowed, contain a coloured background or have a non-rectangular shape, such as a circle.
  • Design questionnaires with boxes that do not have a clear margin around the perimeter of each box or with boxes that are too close together.
  • Design questionnaires with background or Dropout Colours that might conflict with the particular scanner in use. Certain light colours can appear transparent to a scanner but it is manufacturer dependent and light colours should always be used with caution.
  • Expect to get good results from cases containing poorly written numbers or words. Although Snap will attempt to recognise them, it can only check for values

If there is a topic you would like a worksheet on, email to snapideas@snapsurveys.com