DSL Based Approach for Building Model-Driven Questionnaires

Abstract

Surveys are pervasive in the modern world, with its usage ranging from the field of customer satisfaction measurement to global economic trends tracking. Data collection is at the core of survey processes and, usually, is computer- aided. The development of data collection software involves the codification of questionnaires, which vary from simple, straightforward questions to complex questionnaires in which validations, derived data calculus, triggers used to guarantee consistency, and dynamically created objects of interest are the rule. Questionnaire specification is part of what is called survey metadata and is a key factor for collected data and survey quality. Survey metadata establishes most of the requirements for survey support systems, including data collection software. This article proposes a Domain Specific Language (DSL) for modeling questionnaires, presents a prototype, and evaluates DSL use as a strategy to reduce the gap between survey domain experts and software developers, improve reuse, eliminate redundancy, and minimize rework.