Test an interview study

To get an idea of how your study will look to participants, you and your colleagues can conduct a test session yourselves. You can assign a moderator, invite an observer, and have one of your colleagues take the role of participant.

Test mode requirements

To enable test mode, you must:

• Have a Contributor seat or higher. For more information, see User roles and permissions.

• Add available time slots on your study’s schedule.

  Note: You can test your study without time slots. However, adding time slots allows the scheduling portion of the process to be tested as well.

To test an interview study, you must:

• Have a Dscout account (or create one when accessing the test study).
• As a participant, use the study’s assigned device—mobile or desktop.
• Use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge to join the session.

Enable test mode

When you’re ready to test your study, you’ll enable test mode. When enabling test mode, you’ll enter the email address of the collaborator you want to test the session as a participant. Once your study is in test mode, you’ll be able to access session links from directly within your study.

To enable test mode:

1. Navigate to the Setup tab of your study.
2. Click Test mission at the bottom of the page. The test modal is displayed.
   
   

3. Enter the First name, Last name, and Email address of the person you want to test your study with.
   
   

   Note: Enter a fellow tester’s information here, not your own. This person will take the role of the participant during the test. You’ll have access to a separate link to join the test session as a moderator or observer.
4. Click Send invite.

Now, your study is in test mode and an invitation is sent to the email you entered. You can view links for your test session at any time by clicking Test setup at the bottom of the builder. To join a test session, refer to the sections below depending on the role you’ll play in the test.

Join test session as a moderator

Once test mode is enabled, you can access the links necessary to join a test session directly within your study. First, you’ll assign yourself as the moderator for the test session. Then, you’ll copy the session link and open it to complete the necessary hardware check.

To join a test session as a moderator:

1. Navigate to the Setup tab of your study.
2. Click Test setup at the bottom of the page. The test setup modal is displayed.
   
   
3. From the Moderator drop-down, select yourself.
   
   
4. Click the Researcher link to copy it to your clipboard.
   
   
5. Open the link in a new window. The device setup page is displayed.
6. Grant permissions as requested to enable your camera, microphone, and speakers.
7. Click Complete hardware setup at the top of the page.
   
   

Now, you’ve joined your test session. Once your fellow tester joins as the participant, click Start call to begin the recording. You can leave the session at any time by clicking End session in the top right corner. For information on navigating the session, see Navigate an interview session.

Join test session as a participant

If you’ve been invited to test an interview session as a participant, you’ll receive an email invitation just like a participant would for an actual study. When accepting the invitation, you’ll be prompted to complete the necessary hardware checks and select a time slot. Then, you’ll be able to join the session.

To join a test session as a participant:

1. In the email invitation, click the link to accept the study invite.
   
   
2. (If prompted) Log in to your Dscout account. The study landing page is displayed.
3. Click Start hardware setup. The device setup page is displayed.
4. Grant permissions as requested to enable your camera, microphone, and speakers.
5. Click Complete hardware setup at the top of the page. The time slot selection page is displayed.
   
   

6. Select a time slot. Then, click Confirm time slot.

   Note: If no time slots are displayed, either you or another researcher must first add them to your study.

7. From this same URL, click Join session at your scheduled time. The device setup page is displayed.

   Tip: If you navigate away from this page before your session, you’ll find a session confirmation email in your inbox containing a link to join your session.
8. Verify your camera, microphone, and speakers are still working.
9. Click Join session at the top of the page.

Now, you’ve joined your test session. Once the moderator joins, you’ll be able to test the full interview session experience. You can leave your session at any time by clicking Exit session in the top right corner.

Join test session as an observer

Any researcher who is not designated as the moderator of a test session can join as an observer so long as they have the session link. Observers are not visible to participants during the session.

To join a test session as an observer:

1. Navigate to the Setup tab of your study.
2. Click Test setup at the bottom of the page. The test setup modal is displayed.
   
   

3. Click the Researcher link to copy it to your clipboard.
   
   

   Note: If you are designated as the moderator of a test session, you will not be able to join as an observer. If you need to test the session as an observer, select another researcher as the moderator.
4. Open the link in a new window. The device setup page is displayed.

5. Select an audio output.

   Tip: Test your audio by clicking Play test sound. There’s no need to grant microphone or camera permissions, as observers are not seen or heard during interview sessions.
6. Click Join session.
   
   

Now, you’ve joined the test session as an observer. You’ll be able to see and hear both the moderator and the participant, but they will not be able to see or hear you. However, you can use the chat to communicate with your fellow researchers. You can leave your session at any time by clicking Exit session in the top right corner.

Disable test mode

Your study will automatically exit test mode after five days. However, you can disable it manually if you’ve gotten the information you need.

To disable test mode:

1. Navigate to the Setup tab of your study.
2. Click End test at the bottom of the page. A confirmation modal is displayed.
   
   
3. Click Yes to confirm.

Now, your study is no longer in test mode. You can proceed to make any changes to your study overview or schedule. When you’re ready, you can launch your study. For more information, see Launch an interview study.