Microsoft Word - 29_Using_Fillable_PDF_Forms_as_a_Data_Collection

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method

Abstract: This document identifies general principles to consider when using fillable PDF forms

as a data collection method. It also outlines a set of procedures for creating and distributing

forms and extracting data from completed forms into Excel

This is not official ARM guidance. GAO specialists or analysts considering fillable PDF forms as

a data collection method should be aware of current policy and procedures for conducting

questionnaire surveys. Analysts are reminded that a key step in GAO’s Quality Assurance

Framework is to consult with ARM or other qualified team experts to discuss data collection

strategies, including the selection of appropriate software tools, before beginning data

collection.

Adobe software that can create fillable PDF forms exists on most GAO computers making it

accessible to staff. These forms can be an appropriate mode of data collection for both internal

and external questionnaires. However, care should be taken when designing and distributing

forms and when extracting data into Excel. This document discusses design considerations and

current procedures for using fillable PDFs.

This set of procedures is current as of February 2014. Updates to Adobe software or agency-

wide computer settings may mean that some procedures described below could change. It is

important to fully test PDFs on a variety of operating systems (not just on the GAO network)

prior to distributing the forms to respondents.

Fillable PDF forms can be created and distributed using one of two Adobe programs. The first

method that seems to be less error prone is to convert Word questionnaires into PDFs using

Adobe Acrobat Pro. This set of procedures describes the process of converting Word

questionnaires into PDFs using Adobe Acrobat Pro. The other method which seems to cause

more errors is to create the PDF directly using Adobe LiveCycle Designer. A different set of

procedures would apply if using Adobe LiveCycle Designer. Forms have to be created using

either Adobe Acrobat Pro or LiveCycle Designer throughout the entire process. Forms cannot

be edited by both programs.

Similar to Word Electronic Questionnaires (WEQs), fillable PDF forms are usually sent to

respondents as an e-mail attachment. Respondents save a copy of the PDF on their computer,

complete the form, and e-mail it back to GAO. Fillable PDF forms have similar design

considerations as other electronic surveys such as WEQs (See Appendix I of the Choosing a

Survey Administration Method course for a more complete discussion of the strengths and

weaknesses of using electronic questionnaires.) However, fillable PDF forms have several

advantages over WEQs:

 The main advantage is that data from completed fillable PDF forms can be completely

and easily extracted in to Excel, eliminating the need to have the questionnaires

keypunched. This conserves agency resources and reduces the time between receiving

completed questionnaires and beginning analysis. Even though it is also possible to

extract data from WEQs into Excel or SAS, extracting data from fillable PDF forms

requires little or no preparatory work:

o In most cases, text responses in fillable PDFs do not need to be edited to remove

special characters, bullets, and carriage returns. The only known character that

can cause a problem is text that begins with - . Excel reads those entries as

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

formulas and may not read in the full text response correctly (in one case, a

response was truncated at 256 characters).

o Reading in data from fillable PDFs does not require the manual entry of column

headers (variable names) in Excel.

o Data from a large number of completed fillable PDFs can be read in at one time.

 Because the completed forms do not need to be sent outside GAO for keypunch, the

forms can also be used to collect certain sensitive information as long as other

safeguards for distributing and analyzing the data are in place. (Note: Using fillable

PDFs to collect data through SIPRnet has not been tested.)

 Radio buttons (i.e. select-one-response questions) in fillable PDFs are restricted to only

allow for one button to be checked. When extracted from a fillable PDF to Excel, only

one variable will be created instead of one variable per response option as in WEQs.

 Text fields in fillable PDFs can be formatted to vertically scroll instead of expanding

down the page as in WEQs for greater control over what appears on each page of the

questionnaire.

 Skip patterns in fillable PDFs can be enforced to an extent by hiding or displaying

subsequent fields if certain response options are selected. However, question stems

cannot be hidden or displayed, just the response options.

 While most respondents to GAO surveys are able to work with both Word and Acrobat

files, PDF files may be compatible with applications freely available to more

respondents.

 Fillable PDF forms may perform better than WEQs on mobile devices.

However, there are also several disadvantages of using fillable PDF forms compared to

WEQs:

 The questionnaire needs to be final in Word before creating the fillable PDF version.

 There is no mail merge capabilities in fillable PDFs so prepopulating fields, like a GAO

ID, can be tedious and time consuming.

 JavaScript needs to be enabled on the respondent’s computer in order for certain

features to work in fillable PDF forms, such as restricting entries to only numerals.

Enabling JavaScript could lead to potential security issues and respondents may be

reluctant to enable JavaScript. In those instances, the features in the fillable PDF form

that require JavaScript may not work properly (e.g. respondents can enter letters in a

field restricted to only numerals).

 Using fillable PDF forms as a survey data collection method at GAO has a limited track

record.

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

Creating and Distributing Fillable PDF Forms

Step 1: Preparing final questionnaire in Word

Develop a questionnaire in Word that reflects all final question wording and formats, including

text formats, shading, skip pattern instructions, and spacing between questions. Delete any

check boxes, text boxes, or other answer lines from the Word version because the PDF form

fields that will get inserted might not fully overlay the Word form fields and it looks messy.

It is difficult to make changes, even minor wording changes, after the word form has been saved

as a PDF. If minor changes need to be made after the questionnaire has been converted to a

PDF, it is possible to replace entire pages (see Replacing Pages).

Step 2: Convert questionnaire to a PDF

After the MS Word version of the questionnaire is final, convert it to a PDF. In the Word

document, select the Acrobat tab and then Create PDF. The PDF version should open in a

new window in Adobe Acrobat.

Step 3: Open PDF in editing mode

In the PDF version, select the Forms tab and then Add or Edit Fields. The following pop-up

should appear the first time that the form is opened in editing mode:

Using autodetection does not save much time because the autodetection feature does not

identify all of the fields, identifies fields where there should not be any, and defaults to setting

each field as a text field. The fields that are autodetected still need to be correctly formatted

and placed in the form. After selecting either Yes or No, the form will open in the editing mode.

Editing screen:

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

To preview what the field will look like in the final form, click on the Preview button on the

toolbar. To return to editing mode, click on the Edit Layout button on the toolbar.

Step 4. Enable JavaScript

Some features available in fillable PDFs require JavaScript to be enabled in order to work

properly. For example, restricting text fields to only accept numerals or a range of values

requires JavaScript. If the respondent does not have JavaScript enabled on his or her computer

those features may not work. Respondents worried about computer security may be reluctant to

enable JavaScript in order to fill out the questionnaire.

However, JavaScript should be enabled when creating the fillable PDF form. Other than for

certain numeric fields, forms created with JavaScript enabled seem to work for respondents who

have either JavaScript enabled or disabled on his or her computer. However, if JavaScript is

disabled when the form is created, some form fields will not work properly if the respondent has

JavaScript enabled on his or her computer. For example, text cannot be entered into a text box.

Therefore it is recommended that JavaScript be enabled when creating the fillable PDF form. To

enable JavaScript, click the Edit tab and then Preferences. Select JavaScript from the list of

categories on the left and then click the box that states Enable Adobe JavaScript. Click OK to

exit.

Click one of these

buttons to insert a field

Click here to exit out of

form editing mode. To re-

enter form editing mode,

select the Forms tab and

then Add or Edit Fields

List of form fields will

ear here

Click here to hide

forms toolbar.

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

Step 5. Adding form fields

Manually insert a form field wherever a response needs to be captured. There are five types of

form fields available in fillable PDF forms and each is outlined below. Many of the procedures

and options for inserting and formatting fields are the same across all five form field types.

These procedures are discussed in detail in the first section on radio buttons; however, the

procedures apply to the other four types of form fields as well. Any unique procedures per form

field are discussed in detail in the appropriate section.

(1) Select one response/ radio buttons.

For select-one-response questions, the form designer will create a group of radio buttons that

will have the same variable name, inserting one button at a time. Each radio button should have

a unique button, or export, value. Only one column (variable) will be created in the spreadsheet

when data are exported to Excel.

To add radio buttons, click on the radio button icon on the toolbar. Drag and drop the blue box

into place in the form. To resize a button, place cursor over field and a blue box should appear.

Drag box dimensions to fit space. To show gridlines on the screen to aid with form field

placement, right click anywhere on the page and then select Grid.

A yellow box will appear where the form field can be named and formatted. The variable will

also show up in the list of fields on the left of the screen.

Enter the variable name under Radio Group Name. If more radio buttons are needed, select

the link Add another button to group. Place that button in the correct space and rename the

Button Value to the numeric value or text you want to export.

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

Setting form field properties as default formats:

If this is the first time that a radio button (or other type of form field) is created in the form, it may

be wise to first format the button’s properties and then set those properties as the defaults. To

edit the field properties, click Show All Properties in the yellow box. Alternatively, right click on

the field and select Properties.

After editing properties, set the formats as defaults by right-clicking on the radio button and

selecting the Use Current Properties as New Defaults.

Copying and pasting fields

To save time, fields can also be copied and pasted into the form and the formats will be

preserved. For radio buttons, care should be exercised to then reset the export value to a

different value. Otherwise more than one response option will have the same export value

when exported to Excel.

For the remaining form field types, care should be exercised to then reset the variable name.

Otherwise more than one field will have the same variable name and any responses entered to

one field with the same variable name will be entered into all variables with that name. For

example, if a text box with variable name of Text1 is copied and pasted the new field will also be

named Text1. Any responses entered into the first Text1 will carry over to the other field. Fields

with the same name will show up in the list of variables with a # following it. For example, Text1,

Text#1, Text#2, etc.

Editing form field Properties

There are four tabs under Properties to select from.

General tab

Any changes made on the General tab will apply to all radio buttons in the group.

 Name is the variable name that will be assigned when the data is exported to Excel.

 Tooltip is any definition, instruction, or other information that should appear when the

respondent places the cursor over the field.

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

 Form field indicates whether the field should be visible or hidden in the distributed form.

 Read Only sets the field to read-only in the form.

 Required makes the field a required field. A red box will appear around the field, but it

does not prevent the respondent from saving and returning the form without selecting a

response. However, if the respondent tries to submit the form using the Submit button,

he or she will receive an error message that a required field was not filled out. These

should be used sparingly because requiring too many fields may frustrate respondents

and result in them not completing the questionnaire.

 Locked makes the field locked for further editing (although the box can later be

unchecked to make edits)

Appearance tab

Use the options on the Appearance tab to format the appearance of the radio buttons, such as

border and fill colors, and line thickness and style. It is recommended that form fields should

have a fill color other than clear or white if the form background is white so that the fields are

more easily recognized by respondents.

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

Options tab

Use the Options tab to set button options such as style of the radio button and the value that

will be exported, Button Value. It is also possible to preselect buttons, although this is generally

not recommended in questionnaire design.

Any formatting changes made to the Appearance or Options tab will only apply to a single

radio button.

Actions tab

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

Use the Actions tab to execute certain actions if a response option is chosen, such as opening

an HTML link or hiding subsequent fields.

To conditionally display or hide responses

Note: Only response fields can be displayed or hidden, not the entire question. To hide a field,

select Show/hide a field from the Select Action menu. Use the Select Trigger menu to

indicate when the action should occur. The default setting here is Mouse Up which means that

the action will execute after the respondent clicks the mouse and then releases the button. Click

Add.

Select the Hide button and then the field/variable that should be hidden. Click O.K. If more than

one field should be hidden, click Add again to add more variables.

If hiding variables, it is advisable to follow the same process to show variables for the other

response option. In this example, the subsequent fields would be hidden if No was checked and

shown if Yes was checked. If a respondent clicks No and the subsequent fields are hidden and

then clicks Yes, the hidden fields will not reappear unless they are programmed to be shown if

that field is checked. Also note that the values in the conditional answer set will persist even if

the filter response is changed to hide it.

This feature should be used with caution and fully tested before distributing the fillable PDF

form. It is best to use this option for simple skip patterns, such as displaying a text box to

describe an “Other” response, rather than for skipping respondents over a larger set of

questions.

(2) Check boxes.

For check-all-that-apply questions, the form designer will insert a check box for each response

option. Each box should be assigned a unique variable name (e.g. q2a, q2b, etc.). However for

consistency when analyzing the data, the button, or export, value should be the same for each

check box (i.e. if checked, will export value of 1). One variable (column) per check box would be

created in Excel when the data is exported.

To add a check box, click on the check box icon on the toolbar. Drag and drop the blue box into

place in the form. A yellow box will appear where the form field can be named and formatted.

The procedures and options for editing the check box field are the same as for radio buttons.

Click on the check box icon on the toolbar to add another field or right click on a field that has

already been placed in the form and copy and paste the check box. This will preserve the check

box formatting, but be sure to assign different variable names to each of the check boxes.

If two or more check boxes have the same variable name, then all of the boxes will be checked

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

in the form if the respondent clicks on a check box. Multiple check boxes can also be copied

and pasted as a group if multiple questions have a similar number of response options.

(3) Text boxes.

Text boxes are any short-answer or open-ended field that can capture either text or numeric

values. Each text box will exported to Excel as its own variable (column).

To add a text box, click on the text box icon on the toolbar. Drag and drop the blue box into

place in the form and size appropriately. A yellow box will appear where the form field can be

named and formatted. Many of the procedures and options for editing the check box field are

the same as for radio buttons. However, there are some additional formatting options in the

Properties tab for text boxes that are described below.

The Appearance tab has the added option that allows you to select the font size, text color, and

font style of the text that respondents will enter in the box. Be sure to preview how the text will

look to make sure that the text is not too small or large and is generally readable on the screen.

Options tab

Use the Options tab to set the following:

 Alignment sets whether the text entered in the box will be left-, center-, or right-justified.

 Default Value is any text that should initially appear in the box. Note that the text will

remain in the box when the respondent begins typing. It will not be overwritten by any

response entered.

 Multi-line allows for more than one line of text to appear in the box. This option is

recommended for open-ended responses so that the full response is readable.

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

 Scroll long text allows text to scroll at the end of long responses. This option is

recommended for open-ended responses that may be lengthy. Even if the full response

does not display in the text box, the full response will export into Excel.

 Allow Rich Text Formatting should allow respondents to format text in the box

 Limit of X characters will limit the response to X characters. Default limit?

 Password will display **** in the box instead of characters. It is only an option if Multi-line

is not checked.

 Field is used for file selection permits a file path to be specified as part of the field’s

value. The file is submitted along with the form data (explanation from Adobe manual; this

has not been tested).

 Check spelling will indicate misspelled words with a red underline

 Comb of X characters will bisect the field into X sections that allows for only one character

per section (e.g. when entering a SSN)

Format tab

Use Format tab to format the type of information allowed in the box. The default setting is None

which allows for all types of characters and numerals. The other formats require the respondent

to have JavaScript enabled in order to work properly. For example, JavaScript would need to be

enabled for the Number field to only accept numeric values. If the respondent has JavaScript

disabled, the field will accept any text entered. If any of these formats are used in the form,

extra care should be paid to review respondent’s entries to make sure that they are formatted as

intended.

If a format other than None is selected then additional options will appear on this tab for

formatting the number of decimal places, use of comma separators, and how to display negative

numbers. Also, options on the Validate and Calculate tab are only functional if the format is set

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

to a category other than None. A range of valid values can be set on the Validate tab. Fields

can be set to be the sum, product, average, minimum, or maximum of other fields on the

Calculate tab. Because these features may not work if respondents do not have JavaScript

enabled, use with caution. However, these could be appropriate for an internal DCI if all

analysts enabled JavaScript.

(4) Drop-down boxes.

Drop-down boxes are typically used if there is a long list of possible response options, the full

list of options is generally known to respondents, and respondents readily know what their

response will be (e.g. list of States, GAO missions teams, etc.). One drop-down box field will be

created in the form and the items in the list will be entered in the Properties tab. One variable

(column) per drop-down box would be created in Excel when the data are exported.

To add a drop-down box, choose the Drop-down Box (Adobe names this the Combo Box) icon

on the toolbar. Drag and drop the blue box into place in the form and size appropriately. A

yellow box will appear where the form field can be named and formatted. Many of the

procedures and options for editing the check box field are the same as for radio buttons.

However, there are some additional formatting options in the Properties tab for text boxes that

are described below.

Options tab

The Options tab is where the drop-down list will be created. Enter the first item in the drop-

down list in Item and the value that should be exported to Excel in Export Value, then select

Add. If no Export Value is entered then the default export value will be what appears in the item

list. The item will then appear in the Item List. Add the remaining items to the list. If Sort Items

is selected when entering the items, the list will automatically be alphabetized.

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

It is recommended that a <select one> or other default option be added to the top of the list;

otherwise, the first item in the list would become the default response. The item in the item list

that is highlighted/selected will become the default selection in the drop-down box.

The export value could be set to a different value, such as a 0, or could remain as <select one>.

If Allow user to enter custom text is selected then respondents can enter his or her own

response into the drop-down menu instead of only being allowed to select one of the items in

the list. This is generally not recommended in order to preserve the uniformity of the list and

export values. If this option is allowed and a respondent enters his or her own response then

whatever text is entered is what will be exported to Excel.

Commit selected value immediately should immediately save the response selected in the

drop-down box. If this box is not checked then the response is not saved until after the

respondent exits the field by tabbing to another field or clicking the mouse outside the field.

(5) List boxes.

The List Box icon on the toolbar

is similar to the Drop-down icon except that the items

in the List Box will display in a box without a drop-down arrow (see above section on Drop-down

boxes for formatting options). The advantage of the List Box over the Drop-down box is that all

possible response options could be displayed on the screen at one time if the box is sized

correctly. However, if the list of options is long, displaying the entire list on the screen may add

unnecessary length to the questionnaire. If the list is longer than the size of the box, scrolling

arrows will appear on the right side of the box.

The List Box will also allow for multiple responses if the respondent holds down the Ctrl key

while clicking on each response. However, the drop-down box will only allow for one response.

To allow for more than one response, make sure the Multiple Selection box is selected on the

Options tab. However, only one variable will be exported to Excel even if multiple responses

are selected. In the above example, the exported value would be ‘CDMACEMI’ which could

complicate analysis. If more than one response options is desired, it is best to use a check-all-

that-apply (check box) question.

Step 6. Check the tab order of form fields

It is important to check the tab order of the form fields because some respondents may use the

Tab key to navigate through the form. The tab order is also the order in which the variables will

appear in the Excel file. The default tab order will be set based on the order in which form fields

are created. To show the tab order, select the Tab Order button and then Show Tab Numbers.

A number will appear in the upper left corner of each form field that indicates the tab order for

List Box with multiple

responses selected

Drop-

down Box

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

form fields on that page. The tab order will start over at 1 on subsequent pages. To change the

tab order, drag and drop form fields in the left column.

Step 7. Replacing pages (optional)

If any minor changes are made after the PDF form has been created, it is possible to replace

pages. First, the changes should be made in the Word version of the questionnaire. The page

with the change should be saved as its own separate one-page file. In Adobe Acrobat, click the

Close Form Editing button in the upper right corner if the editor is open. Click on the

Document tab and then Replace Pages. Select the file that is the replacement page. Then

select which page of the PDF should be replaced. The form fields that appeared on the old page

should now appear in the new page. However, they may need to be formatted and placed

correctly on the screen once again. Be sure to double-check the tab order.

Step 8. Save the form under a new file name

Once the form is final, save it under a new file name. No additional edits can be made to the

form after it has been run through the distribution wizard in Step 9 so it is a good idea to keep a

working copy.

Also, it may be a good idea to save this new file out of DM and complete the remaining steps on

local copies of files because the distribution process and reading in data and then exporting to

Excel has not been fully tested in DM. Be sure to back up files. Once data collection ended, the

completed questionnaires and final Excel file can be saved in DM.

Step 9. Run the form through the distribution wizard

Numbers in upper

left corner show

the tab order

Drag and drop

form fields here to

change tab order.

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

In the new file created in step 8, click on the Forms tab and then Distribute Form. A message

may appear indicating that the form already contains values. When previewing the form in the

editing mode, any form field that was selected contains a value. Click Yes to clear the values.

When asked how you want to collect responses, select Manually collect responses in my

email inbox. Click Next.

When asked how you want to distribute the form, select Save a local copy and manually send

it later and then select the file location where you want to save the distribution-ready version of

the form. Click Next.

The first time you run a form through the distribution wizard, you may get a window asking to set

preferences on what information is identified to respondents and what information should be

automatically collected from respondents. Be sure to enter your e-mail address as the e-mail

that forms should be returned to if a Submit button appears on the screen (see Submit button).

This option will not appear again when subsequent forms are run through the distribution

wizard.

Confirm method of form distribution on the next screen and then click Finish.

The distribution wizard created two files. The PDF with the _distributed in the file name is the

form that should be e-mailed to respondents. The PDF with the _responses is the file that you

will use to read in the completed forms and convert to Excel.

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

A Tracker window will also open. However, the tracking feature does not seem to currently work

on the GAO system so ignore it. It is not needed to either distribute or read in forms.

Note about Submit button. According to the Adobe Acrobat User Guide, a Submit button is

supposed to appear in the upper right corner of the form after it has been run through the

distribution wizard. However, this button may not appear when viewing the form on a GAO

computer because of agency security settings. ISTS also determined that the appearance of the

submit button depended on the version of Acrobat the form was created in as well as the

version on which it was viewed. Some respondents may see the button and others may not.

There is not a way to turn off the Submit button so that no respondent sees it. The respondent

does not need to submit the form using the Submit button in order for it to be read into Excel

properly. Forms that are e-mailed back as attachments can also be read into Excel.

ISTS agreed that the best solution was to instruct the respondents to save the form and attach it

to an e-mail instead of relying on the Submit button. The following instruction could be added to

the questionnaire:

Once your survey is complete, please first save a copy for your records. You may e-mail your

completed form to [email protected]. Or, if a Submit button appears in the upper right corner of

your screen you may also click this button to submit your form (some viewers will not see this

button because of certain security settings on your computer system).

Adding unique GAO ID numbers or other prepopulated variables (optional)

It can be useful for tracking purposes to assign a unique GAO ID to each questionnaire.

However, it can be tedious to do this in PDF fillable forms. The GAO ID has to be manually

changed in each form and then that form has to go through the form distribution process. For

that purpose, it may be better to use a variable that respondents need to fill in to identify forms

(e.g. program name, state, etc.) Having a unique ID would be most useful if the questionnaires

contain sensitive information and no identifying information should be included in the analysis

file, although a unique ID could always be added to the Excel file after the responses are read

in.

To add an ID, insert a text field where the ID should appear. Right click on the field and select

Properties. On the General tab, rename the variable as GAOID and click the Read Only box.

On the Appearance tab, make sure the fill color is set to No Color. On the Options tab, enter or

change the GAO ID number in the Default Value box. Close the Properties box.

In the upper right corner of the PDF, click on the Close Form Editing button. This takes you

back to the normal PDF viewer.

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Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

Complete step 8 described above. Click the File tab, then Save As to save the file under a new

document name. I would put the GAOId number in the file name to keep track of which file is

which.

Complete step 9 by running the form through the distribution wizard. Separate files with the

_distributed and _responses in the file name will be created for each personalized form.

However, all distributed forms can be read into the same _responses file. It does not matter

that each form was run through the distribution wizard individually. If all of the form fields are the

same, the forms can be read into any _responses file created from a form.

Step 10. Pilot test the completed forms.

It is a good practice to pilot test the completed forms which includes reading in data from

completed forms and exporting it to Excel (steps 12 and 13). If any errors are found, correct the

errors and retest the forms.

Step 11. E-mail forms to respondents.

Congratulations! The forms are now ready to be e-mailed to respondents. Remember to e-mail

the forms with the _distributed in the file name. It is a good idea to rename the form for each

respondent so the file names are unique.

Step 12. Read in completed forms.

It is helpful to create a folder that contains all of the completed questionnaires. Open the file

created in Step 9 that contains the _responses in the file name. If a welcome screen appears,

click the Get Started button at the bottom.

Click the Add button on the left to add completed questionnaires.

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Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

Then click Add File to locate saved completed questionnaires. Highlight those completed

questionnaires that should be exported to Excel. Click Open. The completed questionnaires

should then appear in the Form File list. Click OK to upload files. The responses should then

appear in the _responses file. It is a good practice to compare the values that appear in the

_responses file with the values that were reported in the completed questionnaires to ensure

the data was read in correctly.

Step 13. Export data to Excel.

Click the Export tab on the left and then either select Export all… to export all of the records,

or select Export selected… to only export the records that are highlighted.

Choose a folder where the file should be saved and a file name. Click Save. The file will be

saved as a CSV file. To create an Excel file, click Save As and then select Excel Workbook as

File Type. If you want to edit the file, first save it as an Excel file; otherwise changes made to

the CSV file may not be saved.

Column A will contain the file name from which the responses were read in. If this variable is

being used to identify the respondent instead of another unique variable, like a GAO ID,

DOUBLE CHECK THAT THE RESPONSES FOR THAT FILE IN EXCEL MATCH THE

RESPONSES IN THE COMPLETED PDF FORMS. For unknown reasons, in some instances

the file names do not match.

GAO internal guidance/resource – 7/17/17

Using Fillable PDF Forms as a Data Collection Method – Update February 2014

As a quality control measure, it is a good practice to compare a select number of completed

forms against the exported values in excel. There is no set number that should be compared; it

depends on how fully the form was tested prior to distribution and those results documented, the

types of form fields used (i.e. numeric values should probably be more thoroughly verified than

text), and how key the data is as a source of evidence. For the survey of banks, two team

members independently verified all responses in each form to the Excel file because it was one

of the first times fillable PDFs had been used and many of the fields asked for numeric

information where formatting is important.

Regular edit checks, like looking for skip pattern errors or potential outliers, can be performed

simultaneously when checking completed PDF forms against the responses in Excel.