Yes, PaperSurvey allows you to collect responses through both paper forms and web surveys simultaneously. All responses are stored in a unified database, making it easy to analyze your complete dataset regardless of how it was collected.

Benefits of hybrid data collection

Combining paper and web collection methods offers significant advantages:

• Reach everyone: Include participants without internet access or those who prefer paper forms
• Unified data: All responses stored in one place for seamless analysis
• Flexible deployment: Switch between methods based on your situation
• Consistent formatting: Web forms match your paper survey design exactly

How it works

1. Create your survey - Design your survey once in PaperSurvey
2. Enable both channels - Print PDFs for paper distribution and activate web surveys
3. Collect responses - Participants can complete either version
4. Analyze together - Export all data in a single file for analysis

Multilingual data collection

PaperSurvey's multilingual support makes it ideal for international research:

• Create surveys in any language
• Distribute different language versions as needed
• Export all responses to a single spreadsheet
• Compare responses across language groups easily

This eliminates the complexity of managing separate datasets for each language.

Real-world use cases

Field research: Collect paper surveys in remote areas, web surveys in urban centers

Healthcare studies: Paper forms in clinics, web forms for follow-ups at home

Educational assessments: Paper tests in classrooms, online make-up exams

Market research: Mall intercepts with tablets, email invitations with web links

Important considerations

PaperSurvey focuses on maintaining consistency between paper and web formats. This means:

• Limited conditional logic (skip patterns)
• No complex branching or dynamic questions
• Simple, straightforward survey flow

For basic skip instructions, you can add text guidance like "If you answered YES to Question 5, skip to Section B."

Best practices for hybrid collection

• Test both formats before launching to ensure consistency
• Track collection method using a question or survey codes
• Train field staff on when to use each method
• Monitor response rates for each channel

Getting started

1. Design your survey in PaperSurvey
2. Download and print the PDF version
3. Enable web surveys in the settings
4. Share the web link with online participants
5. Upload scanned paper forms for automatic processing

All responses will appear in your unified dataset, ready for export and analysis.

Need help setting up hybrid data collection? Our support team can guide you through the process.