Interviewer Online and Offline Workflows 

Introduction

Interviewer keeps everything it stores — protocols, interviews, and settings — on the device it runs on. That means two things to plan for:

• Protocol deployment — getting the protocol file onto each interview device before data collection begins.
• Data export — getting the data each device holds off it and back to a location you control.

How you bridge them depends on whether your interview devices can reach the internet. This tutorial describes both options:

• The online workflow — use a cloud file sharing service as the hub in both directions.
• The offline workflow — carry files in both directions on a USB flash drive or other external storage.

The shape of each workflow is the same whichever version of Interviewer you run, but the in-app import and export steps differ. Choose your version below — the version-specific steps throughout this tutorial update to match.

The online workflow

If your interview devices can reach the internet — at least at the start and end of each field session — use a cloud file sharing service as the hub for both directions. It gives you one place to update the protocol, and one place where every interviewer's data lands.

Deploying protocols with a cloud file sharing service

This is the preferred method for deploying protocols. It has the significant advantage of providing a single location for the protocol file that can be updated as needed and which can be accessed by multiple people at the same time.

1. Place your .netcanvas file on a cloud storage service (e.g., Box, Dropbox, Google Drive). You can generally accomplish this by dragging and dropping the file into a dedicated folder on the computer you are using to author the protocol. Alternatively, many providers allow you to upload files via a web interface.
2. Install the cloud service's app on each interview device, or open the service in the device's web browser, and sign in.
3. Import the protocol file on the interview device. Typically you accomplish this by browsing to a special location in the file browser that corresponds to the cloud storage provider (e.g., "Dropbox" or "Google Drive"). If your provider is not visible in the file browser, try to copy the protocol file to the storage of your device from within the provider's app.

Use the Import a protocol card on the start screen to open the file browser, or drag the .netcanvas file onto it. The protocol is validated on import, and any protocol built against an older schema is migrated to schema 8 automatically.

Exporting data to a cloud file sharing service

The same service can consolidate your interview data, by having each interviewer upload their exports directly to it.

1. Create a dedicated folder on your cloud storage service to store the interview data. Choose a location that is easily accessible and organized. If you are operating within a large team, consider creating individual folders for each person conducting interviews, and consider setting permissions to "write only" (or similar) so that interviewers can only add files to their own folder.
2. Install the cloud service's app on each interview device and ensure that the interviewer is logged in and has access to the folder you created in step 1.
3. Export sessions from the device, saving the resulting .zip archive into that folder.

Select the sessions you want in the Interviews area and click Export selected. Interviewer builds the archive, then shows a Save export button — click that to save the file. The file formats and options are configured ahead of time in Settings → Data export, so nothing is chosen at export time. Where the .zip goes depends on the device and browser:

• In a desktop browser, you are usually prompted to choose a location — navigate to the cloud service's synced folder on the device.
• On a tablet, the system share sheet opens — choose the cloud service's app, then the folder you created in step 1.
• Otherwise the archive is saved to the browser's downloads folder, and you upload it to the cloud service yourself.

Sessions are marked as exported only once the file has actually been saved, so cancelling the save leaves them selectable for another attempt.

Other transfer methods

It is possible to transmit the zip files created by Interviewer through many other mechanisms than those described above. However, these are generally not recommended as a primary workflow as they can be more insecure and error-prone than using a cloud file sharing service, and may not be compatible with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements of your research.

If you are comfortable with the potential risks, it should be possible to use the same approach as above to "share" your exported data to a number of apps and services, including via email, Slack, SharePoint, and so on.

The offline workflow

If your interview devices have no internet connection, use a USB flash drive or other external storage to carry files in both directions.

Deploying protocols via USB

In an offline setting, the only option for deploying protocols is to transfer the protocol file physically from your computer to each interview device.

1. Determine the path to your protocol file (where it is saved on your computer). It typically follows the format C:\Folder\Subfolder\file.netcanvas for Windows or /Users/Username/Folder/Subfolder/file.netcanvas for Mac.
2. Open the file browser on your computer and navigate to the location of the protocol file.
3. Insert your USB flash drive or other external storage device into your computer.
4. Copy the protocol file to the external storage device.
5. Eject the external storage device from your computer.
6. Insert the external storage device into the interview device.
7. Import the protocol from the external storage device.

Open Interviewer and use the Import a protocol card on the start screen, then navigate to the external storage device and select the protocol file. You can also drag the file from the storage device onto the card.

Exporting data via USB

As above, the only option for exporting data in an offline setting is to use external storage to carry the data files from the interview device back to a computer.

1. Create a dedicated folder on your external storage device to store the interview data. Choose a location that is easily accessible and organized. If you are operating within a large team, consider creating individual folders for each person conducting interviews.
2. Once you have conducted your interviews, export the sessions to that folder.

Select the sessions you want in the Interviews area, click Export selected, then click Save export once the archive is ready.

• In a desktop browser, you are usually prompted to choose a location — navigate to the folder you created on the external storage device.
• On a tablet, the system share sheet opens — choose a file manager app, then navigate to the external storage device.
• Otherwise the archive is saved to the browser's downloads folder, and you copy it to the external storage device yourself.

After the transfer

Whichever workflow you use, once your data is off the device:

• Organize and back up your exports. A single copy in one cloud folder — or on one USB drive — is not a backup. See the data organization and backup best practices.
• Export regularly, and clear devices once data is safely stored. Interview data exists only on the device until you export it. See Data Storage and Safety for what can destroy it.
• Rehearse the whole cycle before collecting real data. Piloting Your Study shows how to run a protocol and its export pipeline end to end first.

For a complete description of what the exported files contain and what each export option does, see the Data Export guide.