Quick Tutorial: Create a Survey in 5 Minutes ?

Objective

• Create a functional survey quickly in LimeSurvey 5.
• Configure essential elements without advanced details.
• Activate and share your questionnaire via a public link.

1. Login and creation

1. Log in to your LimeSurvey instance.
2. Go to the dashboard and click "Create survey".
3. Enter the basic information and save.

2. Fill in basic information

Complete the following fields:

1. Title : visible to respondents. Be explicit (e.g. "Course X satisfaction survey").
2. Base language : language of the questionnaire interface (French, English, etc.).
3. Survey group : leave "DEFAULT" unless you have a specific need.
4. Administrator : select "Current user".

Tip: Keep the title short and specific. This makes searching and exporting results easier.

3. Create a minimal structure: 1 group

Every survey must contain at least one group. Follow these steps:

1. Click on the "Groups & questions" menu in the sidebar.
2. Click "Add group".
3. Enter a group name (e.g. "Profile") and save.

Note: A group is required before adding questions. With "group-by-group" display, each group can correspond to a page.

4. Add your first questions

To quickly add questions:

1. Open the group you just created.
2. Click "Add question".
3. Fill in the key fields:
   1. Code : short identifier (e.g. Q1_Age).
   2. Title : the question text (e.g. "What is your age?").
   3. Type : choose from Numeric, Single choice, Short text, Scale, etc.
4. Add response options if necessary (e.g. list, checkboxes, scales).
5. Save the question.
6. Repeat to create 3 to 5 questions quickly.

Note: Prioritize short questions, one idea per question. Vary the types (choice, scale, text) for better engagement.

5. Configure essential settings

Access the survey settings and configure:

1. General tab : choose the display format (All-in-one, Group-by-group or Question-by-question). Check the contact email.
2. Presentation & navigation tab : enable the progress bar and Back button if desired.
3. Publication & access tab : set access to "Open" (public link) or "Closed" (participant list with token). Optionally set opening/closing dates.
4. Save & resume tab : enable to allow respondents to resume later.

Tip: For a quick survey, choose "Group-by-group": clear on screen, without multiplying pages.

6. Preview and activate

1. Click "Preview survey" to verify text, page breaks and mobile readability.
2. Correct if necessary.
3. Click "Activate this survey".

Note: After activation, only minor modifications remain possible. For structural changes, duplicate the survey.

7. Distribute your survey

Two simple approaches:

1. Public link : copy the generated URL and share it via Moodle, email, intranet.
2. Closed panel : use the "Participants" tab to import a CSV and send personalized emails with token.

Tip: To start, prefer the public link. Switch to closed panel if you need to strictly control who responds.

8. Track, export and archive

• Response tracking : go to "Responses > Simple statistics" to see response volume.
• Data export : go to "Responses > Export" and download as CSV or Excel.
• Closure : click the "Stop" button to block new responses.
• Archiving : save in .lss format (structure only) or .lsa format (structure + responses).

9. "Ready to distribute" checklist

• Clear title and base language defined.
• At least one group created.
• 3 to 5 essential questions added.
• Presentation chosen (group-by-group recommended).
• Preview OK (desktop + mobile).
• Activation completed.
• Public link copied and shared.

10. Best practices

• Start with the minimal : this workflow takes you from zero to an operational survey in just a few minutes.
• Enhance later : logos, completion messages, conditions, quotas can be added without blocking distribution.
• Test before distributing : always verify on mobile and desktop.
• Keep your data : regularly archive your survey and results.

Need help?

For any difficulty, contact the LimeSurvey team via: Cellule.Web@ulb.be