Participation in surveys can generally be protected against unauthorized access via a general password or via access codes. The difference is that access codes require a new code for each individual participation, as access codes are valid only once. However, access codes have other advantages as well. You can find out how to use them here.
Can be combined with any link variant
Access codes can be activated and used with any link variant. So it does not matter whether you use the normal survey link, one or more multi-links, work with variables & parameters on the link or use easyfeedback’s e-mail invitations. Access codes can be used in each variant.
Valid only once
Since each access code is only valid once, access codes can be ideally used to 100 % exclude a multiple participation. Since the code must be entered when opening or later continuing a survey, the easyfeedback system (technically) recognizes this participation and prevents – as soon as a participant has completed – a repeat participation.
Ensure anonymity
Sounds paradoxical at first, since the easyfeedback system can recognize access codes and prevent them from being entered again. But only by entering “any access code” the easyfeedback system cannot establish a personal reference – access codes are basically anonymous first and only a generated list of randomly generated codes.
Example: You would like to conduct an anonymous employee survey in your company. To ensure 100 % anonymity, you would now export access codes and hand out 120 % of the required access codes to each department head. These are printed out and placed in a “lottery drum”. Each employee can draw a code now and is able to use it for participation in the survey. And since you’ve created more codes than needed, even the last employee won’t feel like they’re being identified, since there are still some codes left.
E-mail invitations in conjunction with access codes
Access codes can also be used if you invite your participants via easyfeedback’s e-mail invitation system, but you should note two points:
- With email invitations each participant receives an individual link that, like access codes, is only valid for one participation. You can still activate access codes at this point and send them along, but in fact this does not give you any further advantage.
- If you protect the participation by access code, then you would also theoretically have to send two e-mails for each participant: First the link and in the following e-mail the access code. If you send both in one e-mail, this would be the same as if you received a new EC card from your bank and the PIN was sent in the same letter – the security aspect is not present.
Use access codes without manual input
If you use access codes, you receive the advantages mentioned – however, the code must be entered manually. Since this is often an obstacle, easyfeedback also provides you with ready-prepared links that already receive the access code as a component and no longer need to be entered manually. After you have generated the access codes, a download to XLS is available. Within this file, a link is also provided for each access code, which contains the code as a component.
The link list makes it possible, for example, to send e-mail invitations via your own CRM system that a) are protected against multiple participation and where b) the access code no longer has to be entered manually.
Access codes in the result export
Any access code used is saved for the respective participation in the easyfeedback system and is therefore also available for export. On this way, you can make a comparison in the export of the results of which code was used.
The transfer to the export can be manually activated or deactivated if the technical anonymization is not active in the survey settings. As soon as the anonymity function has been activated, the access codes are no longer transferred to the export – this cannot be changed either.