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Resume later problem

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5 years 2 months ago #200420 by Christin8
Resume later problem was created by Christin8
Hello LimeSurvey Community,

I have created a survey which was up and running perfectly fine for the last couple of weeks. Nevertheless, we now get several messages from participants that they can't continue filling out the survey.

We have not anonymized responses, with enabled token-based response persistence. The setting that participants may save and resume later is on as well.

We get messages like:


"I completed up to 55% of the survey yesterday and clicked resume later before exiting. However, when I click on the link in the below email to continue the survey it starts again from the beginning. Is there any way of checking if the data from yesterday has been saved?" --> the responses are saved, but for some reason, she can't continue


"I had completed some of the survey earlier this week and clicked on the ‘resume later’ option, and then today I went to continue it, but the site restarted and did not track my progress. Please advise on what to do."


"I was about two-thirds done with the survey, although I got somewhat like an inactivity message after I took a break. I tried to resume but it wouldn’t let me. Is there a chance you can help?"


I can't put the survey offline as we have a randomization of questions when people start the survey. So when I put it offline all responses for those participants who started already are gone ...

Does anyone have an idea of what I could do to solve this?

I would really appreciate any help! Thanks in advance.

Best wishes,
Christin
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5 years 2 months ago - 5 years 2 months ago #200442 by tpartner
Replied by tpartner on topic Resume later problem
What LimeSurvey version are you using?

If you are using tokens and you have enabled token-based response persistence, the respondents can continue by using the original survey URL (with token) again. In this case, there is no need for a resume-later function so I always disable that feature.
Cheers,
Tony Partner
Solutions, code and workarounds presented in these forums are given without any warranty, implied or otherwise.
Last edit: 5 years 2 months ago by tpartner.
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5 years 2 months ago #200450 by Christin8
Replied by Christin8 on topic Resume later problem
Hi tpartner,

thanks for the quick response!

I have no custom installation, I use the online available LimeSurvey, Version 3.21.1+191210.

And yes, we are using tokens and we have enabled token-based response persistence. I disabled the resume later function under notifications and data. And tried to open the survey via the original URL, but this didn't work. No questions occuring.

Could it caused problems when I have both methods activated?

Could you please explain how my participants can access their old questions again?

Thanks!
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5 years 2 months ago #200451 by Christin8
Replied by Christin8 on topic Resume later problem
The problem is also only occurring for some, not for all participants. Maybe it's because of some settings with their devices or browsers?

When I test it, I can't replicate the error.
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5 years 2 months ago #200453 by tpartner
Replied by tpartner on topic Resume later problem
There is a description of the settings here - www.limesurvey.org/manual/Participant_se...response_persistence

Does this not work for you?
Cheers,
Tony Partner
Solutions, code and workarounds presented in these forums are given without any warranty, implied or otherwise.
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5 years 2 months ago #200455 by holch
Replied by holch on topic Resume later problem
What do you mean with you use the "online available Limesurvey"?

Do you have Limesurvey Pro package that you are paying for? In this case you can open a support ticket with them directly.

However, what makes me wonder is this: "Version 3.21.1+191210."

I don't know, but I don't think that Limesurvey Pro is running on a version that is more than 6 months old. Who provides this Limesurvey installation?

In any case, both methods should work, but I would also prefer Tpartners approach. A lot easier. The fact that it doesn't work might be part of the older version (maybe it has a bug), but hard to tell.

Now with your descriptions it is very hard to help you. So we would need to clarify a couple of things.
Help us to help you!
  • Provide your LS version and where it is installed (own server, uni/employer, SaaS hosting, etc.).
  • Always provide a LSS file (not LSQ or LSG).
Note: I answer at this forum in my spare time, I'm not a LimeSurvey GmbH employee.
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5 years 2 months ago #200456 by Christin8
Replied by Christin8 on topic Resume later problem
I'm not sure. It seems like the problem is not solved yet.


I disabled the resume later function under notifications and data. And then I opened the survey from the link of one participant (the link that they get when I invited them) but then the page was empty (see picture). I also tried the original URL but the same empty page appeared.
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5 years 2 months ago #200457 by holch
Replied by holch on topic Resume later problem

The problem is also only occurring for some, not for all participants. When I test it, I can't replicate the error.

OK, so this shouldn't be a problem with your installation then, if it works for you and if it works for most of them.

Maybe it's because of some settings with their devices or browsers?


At least the response persistance setting should not be impacted by their device, because it is basically a purely server side function. The responeses are saved on the server and the same link should open where they hade stopped.

However, how is your survey displayed? I am wondering if all questions are on the same page? In this case, nothing has been stored. The responses are only saved if you click on a button "next" or "submit". For all in one surveys there is no such button clicked until you submit the survey. But, this also can't be, if it works for you.
Help us to help you!
  • Provide your LS version and where it is installed (own server, uni/employer, SaaS hosting, etc.).
  • Always provide a LSS file (not LSQ or LSG).
Note: I answer at this forum in my spare time, I'm not a LimeSurvey GmbH employee.
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5 years 2 months ago #200463 by Christin8
Replied by Christin8 on topic Resume later problem
I have many pages, in fact, we have 120+ different question groups and of those 40 question groups are randomized right at the beginning. And in one question group I have 3 different questions. So people have to click next and their responses should be saved.

What is also weird is that the responses were saved but one person can't access the survey when trying to come back. Then this empty page is occurring.

I have implemented it by this approach:
www.limesurvey.org/manual/Workarounds:_S...of_Y_question_groups

My custom code is attached.
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5 years 2 months ago #200481 by tpartner
Replied by tpartner on topic Resume later problem
I'm thinking the problem must be with the way you have set group relevance.

Test it with a survey using no (or very simple) group relevance.
Cheers,
Tony Partner
Solutions, code and workarounds presented in these forums are given without any warranty, implied or otherwise.
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5 years 2 months ago #200485 by Christin8
Replied by Christin8 on topic Resume later problem
Group relevance equations are pretty simple. They just check if the question has been selected by the mentioned approach, e.g.:

((multiQ_1.NAOK == "Y"))

Or do you mean something else?


Also back to disabling the resume later function. You said that the respondents can continue by using the original survey URL (with token) again. How is this possible? Each participant has his/her own token and when I then have just the general survey URL (seen under overview) how is it clear which participant accesses the survey? Or do you mean the individual link generated for each individual participant?
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5 years 2 months ago #200487 by holch
Replied by holch on topic Resume later problem
Of course the individual link with the token included or the normal link and then they need to type in their token into the mask that will appear.

It would be important to see your settings for the token.

When the settings are correct, respondents click on the link, fill it, stop, close the window, click on the link again and they will end up on the last page they have been on and their responses up to the last "Next/submit" are saved in the database.

Now seems like you have created your own random function? Not quite sure what the text file is for. Why did you not use the possibility to randomize questions within Limesurvey?
Help us to help you!
  • Provide your LS version and where it is installed (own server, uni/employer, SaaS hosting, etc.).
  • Always provide a LSS file (not LSQ or LSG).
Note: I answer at this forum in my spare time, I'm not a LimeSurvey GmbH employee.
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5 years 2 months ago #200488 by Christin8
Replied by Christin8 on topic Resume later problem
Thanks for clarifying.

I attached the settings for the token.


The code in the text file is just my implementation of the approach given by the link to select X out of y
Y question groups. We used the randomisation in lime survey additionally to shuffle all question groups. We then only display those X selected question groups by the relevance equation.

We have 123 question groups out of which we need randomly selected 40 for each participant. That's basically what the code is doing.
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5 years 2 months ago #200491 by holch
Replied by holch on topic Resume later problem
The settings look fine to me.

Now the culprit might be actually your custom randomizatin with Javascript. I am not an expert on Javascript, but I can imagine that Limesurvey might get "confused" there. Maybe Tpartner, who is a JS wizard knows more.

But it seems to work for the majority, so this would speak against my theory...

I have no further explanation, difficult to say, especially as you can not reproduce it.
Help us to help you!
  • Provide your LS version and where it is installed (own server, uni/employer, SaaS hosting, etc.).
  • Always provide a LSS file (not LSQ or LSG).
Note: I answer at this forum in my spare time, I'm not a LimeSurvey GmbH employee.
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5 years 2 months ago - 5 years 2 months ago #200508 by Christin8
Replied by Christin8 on topic Resume later problem
Thanks for all the efforts!

I tried a couple of things...

I disabled the resume later function and tried to access the survey in different ways.
First, I used the link of one participant she received with the invitation email. Then the survey starts from the beginning and the empty page pops up and I can't do anything (screenshot 1).

Then I deleted all cookies and tried to access the survey via the general survey URL and typed the token in the mask. Then I got the 400 Bad Request error (screenshot 2). I also checked the survey logic file and it says no syntax errors detected in this survey.

The last thing I tried was launching the survey under survey participants. Then at least the whole page is shown and also the responses but it still goes back to 1% and the participant said that she was at 55% (screenshot 3).


I tried all the steps again with resume later function enabled and the results are basically the same, instead of step 3, I get again an empty page (screenshot 4). And when I try to go forward it tells me that it's not possible because one or more mandatory questions have not been answered (screenshot 5). But they have been in fact as shown in screenshot 3...

I really don't know what's going on here, but it always jumps back to the beginning?
Last edit: 5 years 2 months ago by Christin8. Reason: typo
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Moderators: holch, tpartner

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