Database Design for Dynamic Online Surveys

This paper discusses the architecture and implementation of dynamic web-based surveys with an emphasis on the recently completed Survey2001 project. Survey2001 was made available at the National Geographic website for several months starting October 2001 and could be taken in four different languages: English, German, Spanish and Italian. This paper discusses surveys in general, the advantages of web-based surveys, lays the background for Survey2001, describes the details of the database used and the manner in which transitions were conducted in this dynamic web-based survey. It also lists the results, including other surveys developed using the same database structure, and concludes with a look to the future.