Accessing practitioner expertise through online survey tool LimeSurvey

Abstract

Surveys provide a valuable means to capture the knowledge and experience of a responding cohort that is large in size and dispersed over a wide geographic area. Online surveys are increasingly used for this purpose, offering both significant benefit and challenge to researchers. This highly efficient and attractive method of delivery has the potential to achieve high response rates and maintain a confidential environment for participant management. The electronic process provides efficiencies and cost-effectiveness in delivering survey data into a database (e.g., Excel or SPSS/PASW) for subsequent analysis and supporting related issues of ethics approval and data archiving. LimeSurvey is a trustworthy open source survey application designed for academic and institutional facilities. The Griffith University Research Survey Centre locally hosts an open source survey application LimeSurvey on a secure server providing support to researchers within the university. This online survey tool was used to gather information about practices preferred by educational practitioners experienced in supporting the transition of young children with autism to school throughout Queensland. This paper documents the process from conceptualisation to data analysis for this state-wide survey. Issues involved in survey design, administration, and data transport are discussed, together with results from preliminary data analysis.