Importing With Forsta Surveys

1. Open a project. Open Data Sources > Data Batches.

2. Click Import data from Forsta.

3. Depending on your access type, you have two choices:

   • Forsta HX Platform

   • Forsta Surveys

4. Choose Forsta Surveys.

1:  Basics

1.1 Access

There are two methods to access your surveys: Keyless Import and API Access. Keyless Import must be enabled on your account. See We have created a quick link to switch between Forsta Visualizations and Forsta Surveys, streamlining the login process and saving valuable time for users. This feature uses an SSO (single sign on) solution, linking the two systems by your username. You only need to log in once to access both systems. to learn more about the feature.

1.1.1 Keyless Import

When Keyless Import is enabled, you will connect to Forsta Surveys automatically and can browse and select surveys immediately. If you have access to more than one Forsta Surveys installation, a list of available URLs will be displayed. Select the correct installation to proceed.

To use API Access instead of Keyless Import, enable the Use API Key button and follow the instructions for API Access.

1.1.2:  API Access

When connecting using API credentials, enter the Forsta URL and 64-digit Forsta API Key. The credentials can be found in Forsta Surveys under Profile > API Access.

1.2:  Survey Details

Select what survey to connect the project to by clicking in the dropdown menu. Surveys shown in this menu are the surveys the API user has access to.

From here, you can also import Forsta Surveys that are stored in SmartHub using the "Surveys in Hub" option. : Due to API limits, additional settings such as filter options, hierarchy import, and weight models are turned off when using "Surveys in Hub." All respondents will be included in every import.

Note: Forsta Plus surveys still need to be imported through the "Forsta Plus Surveys” functionality. Only Forsta Surveys can be imported from the option “Surveys in Hub”.

1.3:  Time Settings

This determines when the data is imported.

Auto: All data will be imported on first import. Future imports will only import new and updated respondents. Uses batch type “New data set and updates to existing data sets”. Uses $date.

Total: All respondents will be imported every time the import is executed. Uses batch type “New data set”. Uses date, and if empty, start_date.

Static: Imports respondents with a respondent date that is between two specified dates. Uses batch type “New data set”. Uses date, and if empty, start_date.

2:  Advanced

2.1:  Batch tag

Batch tags can be created by clicking the Edit tags button, entering a tag name and clicking the Save button. They can then be selected in the dropdown menu. Once created, tags can be used in all types of imports and batches. Tags are useful when deciding which batches to activate or deactivate. They can also be used to search between batches in a project. It is recommended to use tags if multiple Forsta Plus Surveys are being used in a single Forsta Visualizations project. If you are using the "Auto" time setting, each survey requires a unique tag.

2.2:  Forsta settings

Use answer value as answer ID for categorical questions

By default, answer ID’s will be created from the labels in Forsta Surveys. However, duplicate labels within the survey can cause this to not work correctly. Click this button to use values instead.

Select Survey layout from list or enter Layout ID

After creating a layout in Forsta Surveys, you can reference it in Forsta Visualizations. This is done by using the dropdown menu and inputting the Layout ID in the relevant field.

Select questions to be included in import

By default, all survey questions are imported, including "virtual", "execute only" and "transient" questions. Disabling the "Include all survey questions" function causes a dropdown menu to appear, where you can select which questions to import.

Exclude questions with exclude flag

You can use the "Exclude questions with exclude flag" field to exclude certain questions, depending on their flag. For example:

v: The "virtual" (computed) variable rather than what is recorded while taking the survey.

x: The "execute only" question; filled out during the survey using code, for example prefill/autocode/autofill.

t: The "transient" question; usually indicates something auto-generated by the system. For example, variables such as "qtime" for interview time, "os/browser" for operating system/browser assignment.v

2.3:  Additional Filter Expression

y default, only respondents with “Qualified” in the “Status” field are imported. To import respondents with other statuses, first select the question, then choose the applicable statuses from the Status dropdown menu and click Apply. Status options include Terminated, Overquota, Qualified, and Partial.

2.4:  Meta data settings

Hide (inactivate) missing questions and answers from reporting

Click this button to automatically hide questions and answers that have been removed from the survey. Inactivation is done automatically in the import for all questions and answers within the project, but not the import.

Overwrite questions and answer labels in project

This function overwrite question and answer labels in Visualizations with the changes made in Forsta Surveys.

Questions sharing answer block

Questions within Forsta Visualizations have the capability to share answer lists/blocks. An answer block is created the first time a question belonging to it is imported. This setting will decide how the answer blocks are created. To learn more about the Answer block logic, click here.

2.5:  Meta Data transformation

Allow coding of open-ended questions to categorical in Meta data transformation

This setting allows you to categorize open ended and numeric questions. The setting is configured below.

Transformation

Click this button if yotu want to make changes to the structure of the data before it is imported to Forsta Visualizations.

• Open end and numeric can be changed to categorical

• Make text changes to questions and answers

• Change or add mandatory variables

Transformations can be used for different imports within the same project.

• Select an existing transformation for the dropdown menu

• Create a new transformation

• Edit an existing transformation

To learn more about Meta Data transformation, click here.

3:  Activation

3.1:  Data batch options

Activate data batches after import

To be able to report on the imported data, the batches must be activated within Forsta Visualizations. This can be done manually, or automatically when importing data from Forsta Plus. Depending on Time period settings, different activation logics are used:

• Total or Static: The system will inactivate old data batches and activate newly imported ones (if Tags are used, the system will inactivate/activate batches with the same Tag).

• Auto: Newly imported data batches will be appended to the already activated data batches.

Delete inactivated data batches

Click this button to delete all inactivated data batches after activation has been executed. This will not consider Tags but will delete all inactivated files.

4:  Scheduler

4.1:  Scheduler name

This is the name shown on the cards in the main Data page. These names are automatically named after the Survey name. If the same survey is imported to the project in a future import, the name will be the Survey name and a bracketed number. For example, Survey (1)

4.2:  Scheduler type

This option defines the frequency of the imports

No scheduler: The default option. Previously named "On Demand". Choosing this means even if you only import one survey one time, a scheduled task is still created in order to save your settings.

Monthly: The import will run on a monthly basis. You can set the day (1-31) and start time.

Weekly: The import will run on a weekly basis. You can set the day of the week and start time.

Daily: The import will run on a daily basis. You can set the start time.

Hourly: The import will run on an hourly basis. You can set the hourly frequency and the start/end time.

4.3:  Notifications

Input your email address to receive an email telling you if the Import Completed/Failed, based on what you select.

5. Importing Multilingual Surveys

For multilingual surveys in Forsta Surveys (Decipher), you can now import all languages

into Forsta Visualizations. This setup is similar to importing multiple languages from

Forsta Plus.

When connecting your preferred survey, the default language will be designated as

the Main language during the import process. Forsta Visualizations will use this Main

language as the primary language for reporting. Any additional languages selected under

“Additional languages” will be imported as supplementary languages, creating new

language options in Forsta Visualizations based on the language name and ID from your

survey.

Note: The selected main language must exist in all surveys and be set as the main language for all imports within the same Forsta Visualizations project.

Rules to Follow:

1. Main Language Consistency:

   • Ensure that your selected main language exists in all surveys imported into

   your project.

   • Set your main language as the primary language in all surveys imported into your project.

2. Importing Additional Languages:

   • When importing an additional language into an existing project, a new language will be created using the translation from that survey.

   • If any questions or answers are missing in the survey, the main language translation will be used.

3. Text and Label Updates:

   • Text and label updates for all languages will occur only when the option “Overwrite questions and answer labels in the project” is selected during import.