I would activate the survey and run the test. Then I would download the results and archive them (as CSV file). So you have the data and no one can take it from you. Usually bring two results files together isn't a big deal. Once the test is finished I would "time out" the survey (put a stop data before the current date, so no one can access the survey - can be easily changed again later).
Then there are two possibility depending on the results of the pre-test:
1. Survey works - no changes necessary.
This is easy, you can just change the end date to a future date again and your respondents can enter the survey.
2. Survey needs changes
If you need to make changes to question types, add items, etc., you will need to deactivate the survey and the response table with the responses so far will be dropped. In this case, when there have been major changes to the survey, the responses wouldn't match anyway. So the only way to bring them back together would be manually through CSV. But I think it wouldn't make sense to analyze the two different sets of respondents together anyway.
I answer at the LimeSurvey forum in my spare time, I'm not a LimeSurvey GmbH employee.
No support via private message.
1) Make a copy of the survey and apply my tests to this clone:
- safer when sharing a URL for testing (maybe GG follows the links sended via Gmail :laugh: )
- remember that if you active/desactive/reactive a survey, a manual action will be necesary to reset the 1st respondant ID to "1" due to some db auto-increment.
2) Try with all popular browsers & small devices ...
3) Try to export results and start to work with the collected data... or send sample files to whom will be in charge...
