Announcing SSI Web v6.0!
Dear SSI Web v5 User,
Our programming staff has been hard at work again this year, and we’re pleased to announce a new upgrade for SSI Web. This upgrade offers significant new functionality in all major SSI Web components, except the recently developed MaxDiff (maximum difference scaling). Based on user feedback, some of the best new features include:
- Print Questionnaire
- Enhanced SPSS Export
- CBC Constant Sum and Dual-Response None Formats
- Enhanced Prohibitions for CBC
- Ability to Drop the Importance Section in ACA
Of course, there is much more to the v6 upgrade. Upgrade today! Sign and fax the attached order form. Or, call us regarding any questions (or to order) at 360/681-2300.
We have published a brief PowerPoint presentation on the web that highlights the advances in SSI Web v6. Please visit download/ssiwebv6.ppt to view that slide presentation.
The improvements in each of the major areas are highlighted below.
General Interviewing (CiW Component)
1. Print Study. With v6, you can print/save a copy of your questionnaire in two formats:
a) Graphical View: a graphical PDF or HTML format that shows what the questionnaire looks like to the respondent as displayed by a web browser, with optional question name labels alongside each question for easy reference.
b) Text and Settings View: a text-only format intended for internal review that includes many details about each question: question text, response options, answer settings (such as min, max, number of responses, randomization, etc.), skip logic, lists, constructed list logic, attribute and level lists, and conjoint settings.
2. Quick-Print Functionality. In the previous version of SSI Web, there were many dialogs that contained information that we have wanted to print or save to file for further review. The areas that now are quick-print enabled are: skip logic, lists, quota control, CBC conditional text and conditional pricing, prohibitions, conjoint attributes and levels, and the question list dialog.
3. Enhanced SPSS Export. We now can export Variable Labels (question text) using text in your Header 1, Header 2, or Question text fields (we strip the HTML). You may choose whether to export multi-select questions as either checked/not checked fields or item numbers (previously, only checked/not checked was offered). With this new version, we also export variable names longer than 8 characters to SPSS, rather than truncating them.
4. Improved Internationalization. In the previous versions of SSI Web, you needed to change your regional settings in Windows before working on a study that involved a different character set. This is no longer necessary, and the different character sets (such as double-byte characters to display Chinese) are displayed correctly in all dialogs and reports within SSI Web. Double-byte characters in file names are now also supported.
5. Style Selector. A new Styles tab on the Global Settings dialog lets you select different Styles (implemented via CSS) to apply to your entire survey. This dramatically changes the appearance of your survey, creating some unique and professional displays. Select from the styles currently shipping with the software, or develop and import your own styles (by following our annotated CSS file format and editing it to your specifications). We have tested our style sheets across all supported SSI Web question types (including conjoint and MaxDiff).
6. Graphical Next Button. Allows you to specify your own graphic (rather than just text) to use for the "Next" button.
7. New Scriptable Settings Fields. In the previous version of SSI Web, you could provide dynamic fields (scriptable with SSI Script commands) instead of fixed values for settings such as the Min and Max permitted in a numeric question, or the total points to be allocated in a constant sum question. In v6, we have expanded the scriptable fields to include number of items to rank in a ranking question, and the min and max checks permitted in a checkbox question.
8. Ability to Customize the Look of the Online Administrative Module. This is an advanced area, but if you follow our instructions for creating a .CSS file and uploading it to your graphics folder, you can put your own company's logo and title on the administrative module rather than Sawtooth Software's.
CBC/Web
1. Dual Response None Format. Some researchers are including the "none" alternative as a second-stage question in CBC studies. Respondents first choose among available alternatives (a standard CBC question, without the "none"), and then specify directly below whether they would in reality buy the product they just selected. The dual-response "none" increases the statistical efficiency of the study and leads to a stronger "none" parameter (which many researchers suggest is more realistic). CBC/Web v6 supports this questionnaire format. If using Sawtooth Software tools, estimation must be done with CBC/HB v4.
2. Constant Sum Format. For some industries (such as pharma), researchers often employ constant-sum (allocation) questions in CBC. Respondents are asked to allocate some number of points (such as 100) across available alternatives, to reflect, for example, the probability of prescribing each medication to a specific population. CBC/Web v6 supports this questionnaire format. If using Sawtooth Software tools, estimation must be done with CBC/HB.
3. Enhanced Prohibitions (between-concept, n-way prohibitions, null levels). The dialog has been improved to more closely resemble our SMRT software product (an older generation conjoint platform) for checking prohibitions. Additionally (for those licensed with the Advanced Design Module), we now support prohibitions for levels between concepts, rather than just levels within the same concept. This allows the researcher to specify (for example) that a specific brand-price combination cannot appear in competition with another brand-price combination. For Advanced Design Module users, up to n-way prohibitions (where n is the number of attributes in your study) can be specified, for both between- and within-concept prohibitions (previously, prohibitions between only two levels could be defined). Also, if you are including null (often as "blank") levels within your attributes, you may now prohibit too many null levels from appearing within the same concept.
4. Enhanced Test Design (logit report based on simulated dummy data, D-Efficiency). Previous versions of CBC/Web have used a test design algorithm based on OLS principles that does not consider that concepts are grouped in sets (wherein, for example, level overlap matters). While this tool has been quick and handy, it doesn't let you test advanced designs very competently (such as those with interaction effects or alternative-specific parameters), and it doesn't support the industry-accepted standard of simulated respondent data followed by computing relative D-efficiency. The new designer automatically simulates random respondent answers and produces a logit report (allowing you to study the pattern and magnitude of standard errors for the parameters) along with a relative D-efficiency statistic.
5. Import/Export Designs. In the past, the only way (other than through a separate utility) to view your design prior to fielding was to import dummy respondent data via the paper-and-pencil module and then export the data as a .CHO file. Also, there wasn't a way (again, other than through a separate utility) for researchers who had developed a design elsewhere to import that design for use in CBC/Web. Both design import and export capabilities will be supported in v6, using an easy, rectangular Excel-compatible file format (.csv).
6. Short Labels for Analysis (applies to attributes and levels). This allows you to assign short labels for use in subsequent part-worth estimation and market simulations (through SMRT).
ACA/Web
1. Option to Drop Importance Questions. In two recent research studies, we found that dropping the importance questions resulted in better share predictions for holdout choice tasks using ACA/HB estimation. If sample size is relatively large and share prediction accuracy (rather than individual-level hit rate prediction) is the goal, then our research suggests that dropping the importance questions is the better way to go. If you drop the importance questions, prior importances (for purposes of designing the conjoint pairs) can be taken from previous respondents' data, or can be set to be equal. (ACA/HB estimation is required if you drop the Importance section.)
2. Ability to Customize Importance Questions. Of the sections in the ACA survey, the self-explicated importance questions are perhaps the weakest link. One of our clients had a need to collect self-explicated importance information through a constant-sum question (this client was surveying sophisticated financial analysts who were adept at allocation tasks) rather than using ACA's standard importance question format. In v6, we have made it possible for you to ask importance judgments using constant sum or any other question type that involves positive numeric values.
3. Enhanced Randomization Options. Previously, you could not randomize the order of presentation of attributes (in the importance and ratings sections), and attribute levels within the level ratings section. That functionality is now available. Also, attribute positional order in the conjoint pairs section previously was always sorted by prior attribute importance (more important attributes appeared above less important attributes). You can now turn off that sorting if you prefer that attribute position follow natural order. (For example, if brand is the first attribute in your attribute list, it will always appear as the first attribute in a conjoint pair involving brand.)
4. New Prohibitions Dialog. To improve usability, we have updated the prohibitions dialog to more resemble that of our older-generation SMRT conjoint platform (ACA for Windows). This dialog was generally preferred by users.
5. ACA/HB Integration. If you own ACA/HB v3, its capabilities are now integrated within SSI Web's menus (or you can continue to use ACA/HB as a separate program).
6. New SSI Script Functions. ACABestLevelLabel, ACAMostImpAttLabel, ACAStrictImportance
Upgrade Form—SSI Web v6
Fax to Sawtooth Software at 360/681-2400
Company Name:______Licensed Unit:______
License Administrator:______
Phone:______
Email:______
Shipping Address:______
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Billing Address:______
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All purchases of SSI Web v6 must fall under the per-user licensing policy. Please complete the attached worksheet if you are purchasing for multiple users (so that we can generate appropriate user id files for each user). If you have any questions regarding upgrading policies and pricing, please email or call 360/681-2300, or see per-user licensing policies at .
1st UserEach additional user
Upgrade from CBC/Web v5 $1250$375
Upgrade from CBC/Web ADM v5 $500$150
Upgrade from ACA/Web 10 v5 $600$180
Upgrade from ACA/Web 30 v5 $1200$360
Upgrade from CiW/50 v5 $625$190
Upgrade from CiW/100 v5 $1000$300
Upgrade from CiW/500 v5 $1375$410
Upgrade from CiW/1000 v5 $1875$560
Upgrade from CiW/Unlimited v5 $2375$710
(Washington State Businesses, add 8.4% sales Tax):$______
Shipping—Electronic Delivery$0
Total (Please fill in the appropriate total)$______
We’ll be glad to bill qualified customers, or you can call us with credit card information (360/681-2300).
I understand that payment is due within 30 days of receipt of the software.
Signed:______Date:______
Multiple User Upgrade Worksheet
Complete this sheet if you are a License Administrator (LA) ordering an upgrade for multiple users. If you as the license administrator are also a user of the software, list yourself as the first user.
Please keep in mind the following policies:
- There is an economic advantage to upgrading all users of the previous software version at once, rather than upgrading some users now and others later. Upgrades involve charging the full upgrade price for the first user, but a smaller fee for each additional user. If you upgrade a second group of users at a later point, the first of those users must pay the full upgrade fee.
- If upgrading from an older “Category” style license, the additional users must all fall within the original scope of the license. Thus, it is not possible to get “additional user pricing” for users who are not in the same department and location as the original Category I license. It is also not possible to get “additional user pricing” for more than 10 people when converting from a Category I license.
CiW / CBC/Web / CBC/Web Advanced Design Module / ACA/Web
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