Test a diary study
Because a diary study can't be edited once it's launched, we strongly recommend testing it first. Testing lets you and up to four colleagues go through the study exactly as participants will—on a real device, in the real app—so you can catch confusing instructions, broken logic, and activities that ask for more than people can realistically deliver.
A test runs for up to five days and can include up to five testers. All of the data testers create is deleted when the test ends, so your real study data stays clean.
Before you start a test
To start a test, your study must:
Pass all launch validations. If something's unresolved, clicking Test study shows you the unmet requirements instead of starting the test.
Not have an uploaded consent form. You can't test a study with an uploaded consent form attached. Remove it to run your test, then re-upload it before you launch. For more information, see Add informed consent to a diary study.
To take part, each tester must:
Have a Dscout account, or create one from the email invitation.
Have the Dscout mobile app for mobile activities, or the Dscout browser extension for desktop activities—the same requirements as real participants.
Start a test
To start a test:
On the Setup page, click Test study in the lower-right corner. A confirmation modal is displayed.
Click Start Test.
Enter the First Name, Last Name, and Email of each tester, up to five. Add yourself as one of them if you want to go through the study too.
(Optional) Edit the Invitation Message testers receive.
Click Add Testers.
Now your study is in test mode. You'll see a TEST badge beside your study's title. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see how many days are left in the test as well as how many testers have been invited.
Testers receive an email invitation. Ask them to check their spam and promotions folders if they don't see it.
Add more testers
You can add testers at any point during a test, up to the limit of five.
To add more testers:
On the Setup page, find the test status bar at the bottom of the screen.
Click x testers to add more testers, then enter their First Name, Last Name, and Email.
Click Add Testers.
What testers experience
Testers see what your participants will see, with one deliberate difference:
Every activity is open to testers from the start, and they can complete them in any order—regardless of whether your Activity availability is set to manual or automatic. That's intentional, so a single tester can review the whole study without waiting. It does mean a test won't show you how activity release feels in practice. For more information, see Manual vs. automatic diary studies.
Everything else behaves normally: testers submit entries against your real questions, and those entries appear in your study while the test runs so you can see how the data comes through.
Testers are also held to the same device requirements as participants: a mobile activity has to be completed in the mobile app, and a desktop activity on a computer with the browser extension. For more information, see Device options in a diary study.
End a test
A test ends automatically after five days, and Dscout emails you a reminder about a day before that happens. You can also end it yourself as soon as you've seen what you need.
To end a test:
On the Setup page, click End Test in the lower-right corner. A confirmation modal is displayed.
Click End Test to confirm.
Your study returns to draft, and you're free to make changes before launching. For more information, see Launch a diary study.