Method apparatus and computer program product for interactive surveying

• US 20030033193A1
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Malik, Nadeem, Holloway, Lane Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,475,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A survey document is provided on a server, for delivery to a client on a network, having questions and potential answers in a format defining branches of the questions. Programming instructions are also provided on the server for delivery to the client on the network. The instructions are for causing the client to render questions on a user interface from the survey document. The questions initially rendered include a first one of the questions. The instructions are also for causing the client to branch to and render on the user interface second or third ones of the questions responsive to the survey document and an answer received for the first question.

Claims

1. A method for generating a survey for a client on a network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a survey document having questions and answers in a certain format for delivery to a client on a network, the format defining branches for the questions, wherein whether a first one of the questions branches to a second one of the questions or to a third one of the questions, depends on an answer for the first question; and

providing instructions for delivery to the client on the network, which cause the client to display on a user interface certain ones of the questions, including the first one of the questions, and branch to and display on the user interface the second or third one of the questions responsive to an answer received for the first question.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein according to the certain format of the survey document the questions and answers are defined as data elements included in the survey document as strings of text surrounded by text markups, including tags, that describe the data elements and wherein the question branches are defined as associations among the data elements.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for causing the client to parse the data elements from the survey document into data arrays having cross-references defining associations among questions and answers.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising the step of:

providing a data type definition file for delivery to the client on the network, wherein the instructions include instructions for causing the client validate the data elements responsive to the document type definition file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the instructions are included in a document that includes information for displaying by a browser running on the client and directions for how the browser should display the information, and the instructions include instructions in an object oriented, interpreted, dynamic programming language.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the programming language includes Java.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the programming instructions include instructions for causing the client to return survey results to a server as a document defining the answers as data elements included in the survey document as strings of text surrounded by text markups, including tags, wherein the text markups describe the data elements.

8. A computer program product for generating a survey for a client on a network, the computer program product comprising instructions for delivery to a client on a network, wherein the instructions are for causing the client to display on a user interface, responsive to a survey document, certain questions, including a first one of the questions, and branch to and display on the user interface second or third ones of the questions responsive to the survey document and an answer received for the first question, and wherein the survey document has questions and answers in a certain format defining branches of the questions, wherein whether the first one of the questions branches to the second one of the questions, or to the third one of the questions, depends on an answer for the first question.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein according to the certain format of the survey document the questions and answers are defined as data elements included in the survey document as strings of text surrounded by text markups, including tags, that describe the data elements and wherein the question branches are defined as associations among the data elements.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for causing the client to parse the data elements from the survey document into data arrays having cross-references defining associations among questions and answers.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions include instructions for causing the client validate the data elements responsive to a document type definition file.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the instructions are included in a document that includes information for displaying by a browser running on the client and directions for how the browser should display the information, and the instructions include instructions in an object oriented, interpreted, dynamic programming language.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the programming language includes Java.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the programming instructions include instructions for causing the client to return survey results to a server as a document defining the answers as data elements included in the survey document as strings of text surrounded by text markups, including tags, wherein the text markups describe the data elements.

15. A server comprising:

a processor for connecting to a network;

a storage device coupled to the processor, wherein the storage device is for storing;

a survey document having questions and answers in a certain format defining branches of the questions, wherein whether a first one of the questions branches to a second one of the questions, or instead to a third one of the questions, depends on an answer for the first question, and

instructions for causing a client to display on a user interface, responsive to the survey document, certain questions, including the first one of the questions, and branch to and display on the user interface the second or third one of the questions responsive to the survey document and an answer received for the first question.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein according to the certain format of the survey document the questions and answers are defined as data elements included in the survey document as strings of text surrounded by text markups, including tags, that describe the data elements and wherein the question branches are defined as associations among the data elements.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for causing the client to parse the data elements from the survey document into data arrays having cross-references defining associations among questions and answers.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the instructions include instructions for causing the client validate the data elements responsive to a document type definition file.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the instructions are included in a document that includes information for displaying by a browser running on the client and directions for how the browser should display the information, and the instructions include instructions in an object oriented, interpreted, dynamic programming language.

20. The server of claim 19 wherein the programming language includes Java.

21. The server of claim 15, wherein the programming instructions include instructions for causing the client to return survey results to the server as a document defining the answers as data elements included in the survey document as strings of text surrounded by text markups, including tags, wherein the text markups describe the data elements.