Warnings and Caveats

• Please note this tutorial is not the only means of randomization by far. There may very well be a much faster, easier and better way for your application. Specificaly, using Repeated Measures. For additional info check the FAQ In contrast, this example allows for great flexibility, multiple types of randomization and you don't have to make an additional table. You do end up makeing a fair number of jsp pages and columns in your Answer table however.

• Before following these examples, make sure your survey is setup for jsp and you are familiar with how to use the Web Survey Toolbox GUI

• Warning at the time posting, I have not yet tested all the code. Will do so shortly.

Now that all the issues are on the table, on with the show....

Basic JSP Randomization example:

In this example we will randomize the order of 3 pages (page1.jsp, page2.jsp, and page3.jsp). There are 4 options for what type of random you can use. For this example we will use redirectRandomOrderTo, of just plain random.

1. Create 3 pages in the Survey Manager and make 3 long answer questions on each page. Name the pages Page 1, Page 2, and Page 3.
2. Make the JSP pages for each of the three pages you created in the Survey Manager.

• Download page1.jsp and change the nextPage variable to random.jsp (see Code Example 1 below). For help with uploading or downloading see here.
• Save page1.jsp as page2.jsp and repeat for page3.jsp.
• Change the pageName parameter in page2.jsp to "Page 2"
• Then change the nextPage variable to "random.jsp" (see code example 2 below)
• Change the pageName parameter in page3.jsp to "Page 3"
• Then change the nextPage variable to "random.jsp" (see code example 3 below)
• Then upload all thee pages.

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>

<survey:surveypage
	pageName="Page 1"
	pageWidth="600"
	nextPage="random.jsp"
	submitButtonText="Next"
	showSubmitButton="true"
	timeResponses="false"
	rememberPageUserIsOn="true"
	pageToLoginTo="index.jsp"
	tableToVerifyLoginTo="Users"
	isLoginPage="false"
	/>

<%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%>

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>

<survey:surveypage
	pageName="Page 2"
	pageWidth="600"
	nextPage="random.jsp"
	submitButtonText="Next"
	showSubmitButton="true"
	timeResponses="false"
	rememberPageUserIsOn="true"
	pageToLoginTo="index.jsp"
	tableToVerifyLoginTo="Users"
	isLoginPage="false"
	/>

<%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%>

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>

<survey:surveypage
	pageName="Page 3"
	pageWidth="600"
	nextPage="random.jsp"
	submitButtonText="Next"
	showSubmitButton="true"
	timeResponses="false"
	rememberPageUserIsOn="true"
	pageToLoginTo="index.jsp"
	tableToVerifyLoginTo="Users"
	isLoginPage="false"
	/>

<%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%>

3. Create a new document in you favorite text editor (e.g. Word Pad, SimpleText, etc.) with the following (you can simply copy and paste this) :

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>

<%
if (redirectRandomOrderTo("Users", "RandomPageOrder", new String[]{"page1.jsp", "page2.jsp", "page3.jsp", " })) {
} else {
redirectTo("doneWithSurvey.jsp");
}
%>

<%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%>

General random.jsp Code Explanation:
In general, this is an if statement that says, in the randomPageOrder column of the Users table, keep track of the order of pages the participant has visited. When the participant has randomly visited all of these listed pages, send them to the doneWithSurvey.jsp page.

Each part explained:

• Tip - Please note that jsp is very unforgiving, if a comma, or quote is missing or duplicated you will get an ugly error message complaining about what ever you missed, or wrongfully included. Luckily, it will usually provide some useful clues as to what is wrong. Make your changes, and re-upload, and test again if there are errors

4. Save the random page as random.jsp and upload it.

5 Testing. Open up your survey on the web, and log in. Run through each of the pages until the survey ends. You may need to do this more then once to see the randomization effect. This is especially true of the other types of randomization such as redirectToRandomOrderAndBalanced.

A more complex example: Randomizing multiple measures with multiple pages

(I call this "nested randomization")

For this example, we will randomize 3 measures named A, B, and C as above. This time, each measure has 9 very wordy long answer questions spread across 3 pages each so they can fit on a small screen without the need to scroll. Please note for the sake of sanity, this example is intentionally short. You can add as many pages, measures and questions as needed for you own application.

At the top layer, we want to randomize the order of each of the 3 measures A, B, and C. For example, ABC, CBA, BCA, etc. Underneith, measure A consists of pages 1-3, B pages 4-6, and C pages 7-9

Additionally, we will randomize the pages underneith measures A, B and C - pages 123, 456, 789 respectively. (e.g. 123, 231, 213 & 654, 456, 564, etc.). A matrix would look like this:

The setup: -

1. Repeat step 1 in the first example in the Web Survey Toolkit GUI until you have 3 measures, consisting of 3 pages each - pages 1-9. Name each page, Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, etc. in the Survey Manager.
2. Additionally, create a header in the Web Survey Toolkit GUI for each survey page noting their group and page number so we can test our results. For example, Measure A, Page 1; Measure A, Page 2 etc. and number each question 1-30 inside the question text.
3. Repeat step 2 in the first example until all 9 jsp pages are created. However, in pages 4-6 change nextPage to random1.jsp, and in pages 7-9 to random2.jsp.

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>

<survey:surveypage
	pageName="Page 4"
	pageWidth="600"
	nextPage="random1.jsp"
	submitButtonText="Next"
	showSubmitButton="true"
	timeResponses="false"
	rememberPageUserIsOn="true"
	pageToLoginTo="index.jsp"
	tableToVerifyLoginTo="Users"
	isLoginPage="false"
	/>

<%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%>

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>

<survey:surveypage
	pageName="Page 9"
	pageWidth="600"
	nextPage="random2.jsp"
	submitButtonText="Next"
	showSubmitButton="true"
	timeResponses="false"
	rememberPageUserIsOn="true"
	pageToLoginTo="index.jsp"
	tableToVerifyLoginTo="Users"
	isLoginPage="false"
	/>

<%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%>

4. Next, we will need a total of 4 random jsp pages. Three will be used for the measure pages (random.jsp, random1.jsp, and random2.jsp for pages 1,2,3 & 4,5,6 & 7,8,9 respectively) and the 4th - randomMeasure.jsp for the measures A, B, and C.

For random1.jsp, random2.jsp and randomMeasure.jsp we will need to make an extra column in the User Table. In the Survey Manager, Choose - Data - Users. Click in the data portion of the randomPageOrder column (not the header) then click the "Add Column" button and name the first added column randomPageOrder1 and make sure it is a String. Repeat creating randomPageOrder2, and randomMeasure.

5. To create the random pages follow step 3 in the first example. After the first is created (random.jsp), save it as random1.jsp, random2.jsp, and again as randomMeasure.jsp. The code in your random pages should look like this:

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>

<% /**  random.jsp will randomize pages 1-3 **/
if (redirectRandomOrderTo("Users", "RandomPageOrder", new String[]{"page1.jsp", "page2.jsp", "page3.jsp"})) {
} else {
redirectTo("randomMeasure.jsp");
}
%>

<%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%>

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>

<% /** random1.jsp will randomize pages 4-6 **/
if (redirectRandomOrderTo("Users", "RandomPageOrder1", new String[]{"page4.jsp", "page5.jsp", "page6.jsp"})) {
} else {
redirectTo("randomMeasure.jsp");
}
%>

<%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%>

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>

<% /**  random2.jsp will randomize pages 7-9 **/
if (redirectRandomOrderTo("Users", "RandomPageOrder2", new String[]{"page7.jsp", "page8.jsp", "page9.jsp"})) {
} else {
redirectTo("randomMeasure.jsp");
}
%>

<%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%>

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>

<% /** randomMeasure.jsp will randomize measures A, B, and C **/
if (redirectRandomOrderTo("Users", "randomMeasure", new
String[]{"random.jsp", "random1.jsp", "random2.jsp"})) {
} else {
redirectTo("doneWithSurvey.jsp");
}
%>

<%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%>

6. Next download and change the nextPage parameter on your index.jsp file so it points to randomMeasure.jsp. It should look like this:

//index.jsp code example

<%@include file="include_questionnaire.jsp"%>
<%
/**
To use this type of survey, rename this file from "index2.jsp" to "index.jsp". (The default "index.jsp" automatically moves pages around).

Then, you'll be able to control each page, its details, and where it goes next all in the JSP code in here and on "page1.jsp", etc.
**/
%>

<survey:surveypage
	pageName="Login"
	nextPage="randomMeasure.jsp"

	submitButtonText="Start Survey"
	showSubmitButton="true"
	percentQuestion="60"
	rememberPageUserIsOn="true"

	retrieveValuesFromDB="false"
	createUsersAtLogin="true"
	isLoginPage="true"

	/>


%@include file="survey_end.jsp"%

7. Now upload all jsp files and test. (Don't forget to click save on the Survey Manager when you are done creating measures!)

If there are no errors, (usually type-o's) You are done! If there are errors, look at the error messages, fix, then upload and test again.

Expanding this example:

There is yet another level of randomization offered by this program. You can randomize the question order inside each of the pages.

Furthermore, you can add as many layers of jsp randomization as you wish. In addition to mixing random and non-random pages and measures. For example our second example:

Could easily look like:

Questions: as many as you need.......

In this case you would add additional random.jsp pages for measures D, and E, and another for section 1 and 2 or you can do so for just E and leave D not randomized. You would mix random with non-random measures by setting the nextPage Variable in your pagex.jsp pages from a random page to a measure page.

The sky is the limit!