Frequently Asked Questions

Posting Surveys

1. What do I need to begin using Vanguard Vista™?
2. What do I need to put Vanguard Vista™ surveys on my Web site?
3. How do I deploy a survey created in Vanguard Vista™?
4. Is there any limit to the length of a survey?
5. Do I need to know JavaScript and HTML in order to use Vanguard Vista™?
6. Can I embed my company's logo and other jpeg and gif images into my survey design?
7. Can respondents pick up where they leave off if they quit a survey before it is completed?

Data Access and Reliability

1. Can I print my survey results as a report?
2. Can I get my data if it is being stored on Vanguard Vista's™ server? Can I import my data into other applications?
3. Can I receive questionnaires as they are completed?
4. How accurate are Vanguard Vista's™ survey results?

Security

1. Are my survey results confidential?
2. Can Vanguard Vista™ stop duplicate respondent submissions?

What do I need to begin using Vanguard Vista™?
You do not need any software, hardware, or equipment of any kind to use Vista. You work from this Web site using your own private account.

What do I need to put Vanguard Vista™ surveys on my Web site?
All you need is a Vanguard Vista account - there is nothing you need to purchase to put a Vanguard Vista surveys on your site. Your survey resides and runs from our servers, but it displays to your visitors as though it is embedded in your Web pages.

How do I deploy a survey created in Vanguard Vista™?
Simply include an HTML command, which we provide for you, in an HTML page at your Web site. You do not need to know HTML or any other command language to launch a survey on your site. We have provided a Link Wizard which automatically creates a link for you in a style of your choosing. When the Wizard finishes, you simply copy and paste the HTML command into an HTML document at your site.

You have a choice of four different ways to deliver your survey: embed it in your Web site with a link to its own page; issue a pop-up window when a respondent clicks a hyperlink; automatically issue a pop-up to a fraction of your visitors; or, e-mail to individuals of your choosing. However, if you are HTML-savvy, you can create your own links.

Is there any limit to the length of a survey?
There is no limit to the survey length.

Do I need to know JavaScript or HTML in order to use Vanguard Vista™?
We have gone the extra mile to ensure Vista's ease of use. We even provide predefined HTML commands for delivering your survey in various ways. Wherever HTML commands are needed you are provided with the HTML command to copy and paste. You also can use our Link Wizard which automatically creates a link for you in a style of your choosing.

Can I embed my company's logo and other jpeg and gif images into my survey design?
You have full and complete control over the look of your survey including adding images, company logos, and Web site envelopes. What's more, your survey will fit seamlessly into your Web site without the need to purchase any equipment or software.

Can respondents pick up where they leave off if they quit a survey before it is completed?
Vanguard Vista™ keeps track of each respondent's survey activity. If a respondent begins a survey and closes it without completing it, Vista prompts the respondent to pick up where he/she left off upon reinitiating the survey.

Can I print my survey results as a report?
You can print real-time, A.I.-based reports at a moment's notice. The report, which is ready to hand to your boss right off the printer, will contain insightful results analysis including an introduction, graphed results analysis, the questionnaire, and notes. The results analysis section contains a summary and statistical analysis of the results to each question in your survey including, when possible, confidence intervals and a correlation analysis. The notes section defines key terms used in the analysis and provides tips on how to interpret your results.

Can I get my data if it is being stored on your server? Can I import my data into other applications?
You can access and download your data for use in other applications at any time. Even though your data resides on our server, the data remains your property to do with as you please, anytime, from anywhere.

Can I receive questionnaires as they are completed?
Yes, you have the option of automatically e-mailing questionnaires to yourself in real-time as they are completed by respondents. As the questionnaires come in, you can see how long the respondent took to fill it out and how many questions were answered - you can determine whether or not the respondent took your questionnaire seriously. By viewing the questionnaires this way, you can delete the ones that will otherwise taint your survey results.

Also, this option is good to use for Registration Cards - customers can fill out a card online and it gets automatically e-mailed to you for entry into your system.

How accurate are Vanguard Vista's™ survey results?
We have incorporated business decision analysis techniques, from our Vanguard System decision-support software (www.vanguardsw.com), into Vista's core program in order to offer you unprecedented survey analysis power.

It is important when reviewing survey results to make sure that any action you plan is based only on statistically significant results. Therefore, wherever possible, results are presented with a confidence interval that gives you an indication of the result's accuracy.

In preparing the results analysis, the report generator examines all questions in pairs to see if there is any correlation between answers. When a significant correlation is found, it is noted. This information can be valuable in determining what demographic or experience characteristics tend to drive key measures such as overall satisfaction.

Are my survey results confidential?
Yes, your survey results are 100% confidential. The only way to get to your survey results is through the secure login provided with your Vanguard Vista™ account.

Can Vanguard Vista™ stop duplicate respondent submissions?
Definitely. Part of Vista's built-in security features is the option to locate and delete duplicate respondent submissions so there is no ballot-stuffing interfering with the results of your survey.