Get Startedplanning a study
Workflows
Before you build a protocol or run an interview, it helps to plan how your study will move through the Network Canvas tools from end to end. Whichever tools you choose, the shape of a study is the same: design a protocol, collect data by running it, and export that data for analysis.
Workflows at a glance
There are three ways to run a study, depending on whether your interviews happen in person or remotely and whether your devices have an internet connection. The table below shows the tools each one uses at every phase.
| Workflow | Phase 1Design a protocol | Phase 2Collect data | Phase 3Export data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop, onlineIn-person interviews on internet-connected devices. | ArchitectDesign a protocol in Architect for Interviewer (new studies); Architect Classic for Interviewer Classic. | InterviewerDeploy to each device via a cloud file service. | Cloud serviceUpload exports to the same cloud service to consolidate them. |
| Desktop, offlineThe same desktop flow when devices have no internet. | ArchitectDesign a protocol in Architect for Interviewer (new studies); Architect Classic for Interviewer Classic. | InterviewerCarry the protocol to devices on a USB drive. | USB driveMove collected data back off via USB. |
| Web-basedRemote interviews completed in the browser. | ArchitectDesign the protocol in the browser. | FrescoUpload once; participants interview in their browser. | Fresco dashboardManage centrally; export from the dashboard or pull via the Fresco API. |
For a fuller comparison of each option — including where data is stored and what each one asks of you — see the Protocol and Data Workflows tutorial. For the step-by-step detail of deploying protocols to interview devices and collecting their data, with or without an internet connection, see Interviewer Online and Offline Workflows.
Before you start collecting data
Planning a study is more than choosing a workflow. Two topics are worth reviewing early, because they shape how you design your protocol and handle participant data:
- GDPR Compliance Guide — how Interviewer and Fresco handle participant data and what your responsibilities are.
- IRB and Security Best Practices — how to think about data security and institutional review when working with sensitive data.
Once your protocol starts to take shape, Piloting Your Study shows how to rehearse every part of this workflow — from previewing stages to testing your export pipeline — before a real participant sits down.