Limiting number of participations in surveys

Repeat responses can affect how you interpret survey results. SurveyLegend lets you limit repeat submissions from the same browser using cookies. The setting does not verify a participant’s identity. The “Allow multiple participations” setting is off by default; turning it on allows repeat submissions from the same browser. In this guide, we will explain how this feature works, and also cast light on both advantages and disadvantages of this limitation. In this article: Activation • How it works • Pros and cons  

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Activation: Allowing single or multiple participations

In the ‘configure’ step of survey creation, under the ‘ Settings’ section you find a setting called “Allow multiple participations “. By default this setting is OFF for all surveys, so cookies are used to limit repeat submissions from the same browser. However, by enabling this setting you can allow them to answer the same questionnaire as many times as they want to, from the same web browser. However, by enabling this setting you can allow them to answer the same questionaire as many times as they want to, from the same web browser.  

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How it works

When this setting is OFF (which multiple participations are not allowed), our system places a small file on the respondent’s hard drive that is allocated to their web browser. This type of file is called “Web Cookie”. Cookies are used as a standard technology by every major web-based service providers. You can read more about Web Cookies here… Our cookie files include small bits of information such as the survey ID, and the time that respondent started and finished answering your questionnaire. That is how our system sees if a survey has been completed on that specific web browser. So if somebody tries to retake the survey by opening your survey link again, they will be notified that they have already participated in that survey; by seeing your Thank You page. Also, In case you have activated the Public Results Page, they will see it with the Thank You Page. If you don’t have a Thank You Page, but have activated the Public Results Page, they see only that. And finally, in case none of these are used in your survey, our system shows them a default message, and informs them that.  

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Pros and cons

This is a browser-based participation limit, not an identity check. A person may be able to respond again by using another browser or device, or by deleting the cookies. Do not treat the setting as proof of one response per person or as a guarantee against manipulation.