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Prepare a Research Survey for IRB Review

Prepare consent, screening, respondent routes, data fields, review links, and documentation for IRB review.

Prepare The Survey For Review

Many academic studies need institutional, ethics, or internal review before launch. Domandata can help reviewers inspect the instrument, respondent paths, consent language, data fields, and export structure before collection begins.

For review, prepare two views of the study: a participant-facing draft link that lets reviewers walk through the survey, and a documentation packet that explains routes, conditions, data fields, incentives, privacy choices, and end screens.

Review Preparation Workflow

  1. Step 1: Finalize the instrument map. Use Design an Academic Survey Instrument to list constructs, measures, treatments, outcomes, and end screens.

    Step 1: Finalize instrument map

    Personal Dashboard

    Live dashboard surface from the app shell (ephemeral help scene).

    Surveys

    Untitled surveyLast Modified
    Policy attitudes pilotLast Modified

  2. Step 2: Check consent and screening. Review Consent and Screening in Research Surveys for participant-facing language and eligibility paths.

    Step 2: Check consent and screening

    Block Builder: Consent and Screener

    A consent statement block followed by an agree/decline question and a citizenship eligibility screener.

    Timing
    Breaks
    Validation
    Shuffle

    Use one random flip direction for selected flip-enabled questions.

    reCAPTCHA
    Data Collection

    Records browser type, browser version, operating system, screen resolution, and user agent. Not shown to respondents.

    Question Names

    Simple assigns Ask1, Ask2… in full survey question order (including follow-ups).

    Trash is empty.

  3. Step 3: Document experimental routing. Summarize condition arms, assignment rules, and any skip logic.

    Step 3: Document experimental routing

    Block Builder
    Preview
    Deploy

    Flow Canvas

    Interactive routing surface from the app, running in no-persist help mode.

    Consent and Study Intro

    1 question

    Political Knowledge Block

    2 questions

    Control Message

    1 question

    Treatment Message

    1 question

    Outcome Measures

    2 questions

    Survey Ends

    Anchors explicit end of survey

  4. Step 4: Prepare data documentation. Add variable names and recodes and start the codebook.

    Step 4: Prepare data documentation

    Block Builder: Question Name

    The export variable label is the column name for this question in downloaded data.

    Closing text
    Redirect (optional)

  5. Step 5: Share a review link. Use draft links for reviewers while the survey is still changing, and tell reviewers which answers trigger each path.

    Step 5: Share a review link

    Block Builder
    Preview
    Deploy

    Deploy

    Configure publishing, links, quotas, and theme from the Deploy tab.

  6. Step 6: Pilot after approval. Run Preview and Pilot Test a Survey before publishing the public link or sending recruitment messages.

    Step 6: Pilot after approval

    Block Builder
    Preview
    Deploy

    Preview: Consent and Screener

    Preview the consent + eligibility path. Answer 'No' on the citizenship screener to test the ineligible route configured in Flow.

Include These Details

  • Participant path: consent text, eligibility questions, ineligible language, completion language, and debriefing language.
  • Experimental design: stimuli, media, treatments, random assignment rules, condition labels, and any deception or debriefing materials.
  • Data fields: direct identifiers, indirect identifiers, response variables, recodes, condition assignments, and metadata you plan to export.
  • Privacy handling: which fields are anonymous, which are confidential, who can access exports, and how long data will be retained.
  • Compensation: completion codes, panel redirects, course credit instructions, and what happens when respondents screen out or hit a quota-full path.

Export: Data Output

Block Builder
Preview
Deploy

Export

Download analysis-ready response data from the Export tab.

Reviewer Walkthrough Tips

  • Provide one link or answer sequence for each important Flow path, including ineligible, treatment, control, quota-full, and completion routes.
  • Tell reviewers where sensitive questions appear so they do not miss them during a short walkthrough.
  • Export a test response and include a short note explaining which columns contain identifiers, conditions, and primary outcomes.
  • If you update the survey after review comments, note whether the change is wording-only or affects routing, eligibility, compensation, or exported data.

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