Collecting and analyzing data in real time doesn't have to be as stressful or hard as it sounds, especially if you want to collect real time data using surveys. There is a short way and a long way to collect real time survey data. The short way of collecting and analyzing survey data is to use software that has the capability of collecting and analyzing survey data when embedded into powerpoints or webinars. The long way is to use hard copies of surveys to collect data, and Excel to analyze. This document will show you step by step how to collect and analyze survey data the long way.

1. The long method for surveying in real time Yuqi Wang, Innovation Network
AEA 2015, Chicago,IL
1
Overview
Figure 1 is an example of what afinishedspreadsheetforcollectingandanalyzingreal time surveydata
couldlooklike. Thisdocumentshows the step-by-stepprocessfororganizing aspreadsheetinadvance
to collectandanalyze real time survey data.Althoughthisdocument usesonlyone survey question as
an example forhowtocollectandanalyze data,the process can be replicatedforany numberof survey
questions.
Example dataset used
Thisprocessis dividedintothreemainsections:organizingthe spreadsheetfordataentry,organizing
the spreadsheetfordataanalysis,andorganizing the spreadsheettocreate graphs.Each section also
containssubsections withstepsforenteringexcel formulasthatwill helpyou expedite the data
collectionandanalysisprocess.
The sample surveyquestionwe are goingtouse throughoutthisdocument asksforan opinion about
OrganizationX’sfunding: “There issufficientfundingtosupportOrganizationX’sprograms”,andthe
responsesforsurveyparticipantstochoose from isa Likertscale:“Stronglydisagree”,“Disagree”,
“Neitherdisagreenoragree”,“Agree”,and“Stronglyagree”.We are goingto suppose thatthe number
of anticipated survey participantsis10.
Organizing the spreadsheet for data entry
1. Create twocolumnsinyour excel sheettokeeptrackof the numberof surveyrespondents (column
A),and the questionnumberandthe question(columnB).Create athirdcolumnif yourclosed
endedresponsesare qualitative (likeaLikertscale) andyouwant to be able to quantifythe
responses (e.g.1,2, 3, 4, 5), such as “Stronglydisagree”=1,“Disagree”=2,“Neitherdisagreenor
agree”=3, “Agree”=4,“Stronglyagree”=5.
Figure 1

2. The long method for surveying in real time Yuqi Wang, Innovation Network
AEA 2015, Chicago,IL
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Quantifyingqualitative responsesishelpfulwhenyouwanttoknow whatthe average survey
respondent’sorgroup’sopinionisfora specificquestion. InFigure 2 thisthirdcolumnusedto
quantifyresponsesistitled“Q-revised”(columnC).
2. If you knowthe exactnumberof surveyrespondentsyou’ll have,youcanbegintopopulate the first
column.
If you don’tknowthe exactnumberof surveyrespondents,estimate how manyrespondentsyou
will get,andpopulate the firstcolumnuptothat estimatednumber.Make sure toleave enough
blankrowsin eachof yourcolumns incase there are additional respondents.
Using data validation to create a drop-down menu
3. Data entryin real time can be stressful,andhavingtomanuallyenterortype datais time consuming
and mayincrease chancesof human error. To reduce the chance of an error, make sure to
prepopulate all of the answerchoicesforeachquestioninyoursurveysothatduringdata entry all
youdo is choose the correct answer insteadof typingit.The easiestwaytodothisis by creatinga
drop downmenuof all possible answerchoicesforeachquestioninyoursurvey.
To create a dropdownmenu,inserta row at the topof yourspreadsheet,andenterall possible
answerchoices foryourquestion.Usingourexample,the Likertscale isenteredinthe firstrow
(Figure 3).Once youhave done so, clickon the “Data” tab at the top of the excel spreadsheet.Find
the icon thatsays “Data Validation”,thenclickonthe datavalidationoptioninthe dropdownmenu.
Figure 2

3. The long method for surveying in real time Yuqi Wang, Innovation Network
AEA 2015, Chicago,IL
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A taskmenucalled“Data Validation”will popup(Figure 4).Under“Allow”,select “List”andunder
“Source”,highlightthe responsesyouenteredinthe toprow alongwithan additional blankcell.The
blankcell isthere sothat duringdata entryyoucan differentiate betweencellsthatalreadyhave an
answer,andonesthat do not. Click“OK” whenyou’re done.Repeatstep3if youwantto create
more drop-downmenuswithdifferentanswerresponses forotherquestions.
4. The cellsyouhighlightedshouldnow show anarrow box whenyouclickon themagain – this
signifies yourcell isformattedasadrop downmenu(Figure 5).Selectandcopy the blankcell that
youjust highlighted inyourtop row,and paste itin to eachof the cells incolumnB where youneed
to have the drop-downmenu.
Figure 4
Figure 3

4. The long method for surveying in real time Yuqi Wang, Innovation Network
AEA 2015, Chicago,IL
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You can alwayshide the toprow of scale choicesafterwardstoavoiddistraction.Selectthe entire
row,right click,andchoose “Hide.”
Quantifying qualitative responses
5. Quantifyingqualitative responsesishelpfulwhenyouwanttoknow whatthe average survey
respondent’sorgroup’sopinionisfora specificquestion. Inthe example datasetwe are tryingto
quantify“Stronglydisagree”toa 1, “Disagree”toa 2, “Neitherdisagree noragree”toa 3, “Agree”to
a 4, and “Stronglyagree”toa 5.
To quantify one qualitative response, we use anIFcommand:=IF([logical test], [value if true]).
Because we don’tknowwhatthe surveyrespondents’answersare goingtobe aheadof time, this
formulawill make sure thateachcell will be able toquantifythe responseintothe correctnumber
no matterwhat the response is.Todo thisall we needtodo isstringthe IFcommandsof all possible
answerchoicesfora particularquestiontogetherwithaplussign(+):
=IF([excel cell]="strongly disagree",1)+ IF([excel cell]="disagree",2)+IF([excelcell]="neither
disagreenoragree",3)+IF([excelcell]="gree",4)+IF([excelcell]="strongly agree",5)
Locate the thirdcolumnyoucreatedfor quantifyingqualitativeresponses. Inthe examplethis third
columniscolumnC. In the firstblankcell of column C,copy and paste the above formulaintothe
cell (Figure 6).Replace [excel cell] withthe cell in column B that will contain the qualitativeresponse
youare tryingto quantify.
Figure 5

5. The long method for surveying in real time Yuqi Wang, Innovation Network
AEA 2015, Chicago,IL
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6. Once you have the hang of creatingthat formula, copyandpaste it intothe rest of the cellsin
columnC. You will knowif the formulaworksif youchoose ananswerfromthe drop-downmenuin
the secondcolumn,anditscorrespondingnumbershowsinthe thirdcolumn.
Organizing the spreadsheet for dataanalysis
7. Scroll downinyour excel sheettoablank area where youcan create a new sectionto keeptrack of
the numberof people whoselectedaparticularanswerchoice foreachquestion.Enterthe header
“Frequencycounts”ina newrow underneath columnA.Incolumn Btype all answerchoices
available toyoursurveyrespondentsfor the particularquestion (Figure7).
Scroll furtherdownthe sheet if youare quantifyingyourqualitativeresponses. AgainincolumnA in
a newrow,enterthe header“Data summary”,and incolumn B enter“Total numberof responses”,
“Minimumnumber”,“Maximumnumber”,and“Average”(Figure7).
Figure 7
Figure 6

6. The long method for surveying in real time Yuqi Wang, Innovation Network
AEA 2015, Chicago,IL
6
Entering formulasforfrequency
8. To calculate the frequency of aparticularanswerchoice to a question,we needtouse the COUNTIF
formula:=COUNTIF(range,criteria).
In the greenoutlinedcell(C17) inFigure 8,the formulatocount the frequencyof “1” is:
=COUNTIF($C$4:$C$13,1).This formulaistellingexcel tosearch,andcountall of the cells fromC4 to
C13 that containsthe number1. The dollarsignsinfrontof the C and 4 tellsExcel tolockinthe
column(C) and row(4) to keepthemfrommovingwhenyoucopy andpaste the formulaintoother
cells.
There may be situationswhere you wanttoknow frequencycountswithoutquantifyingyouranswer
responses.Inthiscase, youcan use the formulashowninFigure 9: =COUNTIF([rangeof cells you
wantexcel to search in],“answerchoice”).
Figure 9
Figure 8

7. The long method for surveying in real time Yuqi Wang, Innovation Network
AEA 2015, Chicago,IL
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Entering formulasfor data summary
9. The data summarysection iscreatedusinginformationfromthe frequency andsurveydatasection.
The functionsyoucan use are prettystraightforward:SUM to calculate total numberof responses,
MIN to calculate minimum, MAXtocalculate maximum, and AVERAGEtocalculate average
The range of cellswe needtocalculate the sumis all of the cells underourfrequencysection (Figure
10).
For those whoquantifiedtheirqualitative responses,the range of cellswe need tocalculate
minimum,maximum,andaverage isall the cellsincolumnCwe createdearlierthatquantifiedour
qualitative responses (Figure 11).
Figure 10

8. The long method for surveying in real time Yuqi Wang, Innovation Network
AEA 2015, Chicago,IL
8
Organizing the spreadsheet tocreate graphs
10. If you wantto take yourskillsone stepfurther, youcancreate charts inadvance.The charts will
thenpopulate itself withthe informationyouwant asyou enterthe data.
To create a chart showingyourdata summaryor questionfrequency,all youneedtodoishighlight
the cellsinthe data summaryor frequencysection,andinsertthe desiredcharttype.Thenyoucan
formatthe chart size andcolors to your preference.
Anotherwayto displayyourdatais to graphthe percentage of peoplewhorespondedtoeachof
the answerresponses inaparticularquestion.Todothis,finda blankareaunder“Data summary”.
Create a newsection titled“Charts”where youcanpopulate percentagesforeachanswerresponse.
Figure 11
=MAX($C$4:$C$13)
=AVERAGE($C$4:$C$13)

9. The long method for surveying in real time Yuqi Wang, Innovation Network
AEA 2015, Chicago,IL
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You can use thisformulato obtainpercentages:=[thefrequency of a particular answer
response]/[totalresponses] (Figure 12).
For example,tocalculate the percentageof peoplewhoresponded“Stronglydisagreed” (B35in
Figure 12) the formulawouldbe: =[frequency of peoplewho responded “Strongly disagree”]/[total
numberof responses].Repeatthisformulaforthe restof the answerchoices.Whenyouare
complete,highlightyourformulasandinsertthe desiredchart type.Lastly,playaroundwiththe size
and colorof the chart until youare satisfied.
Happy evaluating!
Figure 12