This guide explains how to download survey data from CheckTick, including who can download, when downloads are available, and what security measures are in place.

Prerequisites

Before you can download survey data:

  1. Survey must be closed - Data export is only available after the survey has been formally closed
  2. You must have appropriate permissions - See Access Control below
  3. Survey must have responses - Empty surveys cannot be exported

Who Can Download Data

Access to data exports is strictly controlled based on your role:

Survey Creators

  • Can download data from their own surveys only
  • Must be the original creator or have had ownership transferred to them
  • Can extend retention for their own surveys

Organization Owners

  • Can download data from all surveys in their organization
  • Can extend retention for any survey in the organization
  • Can designate data custodians
  • Receive notifications for all data downloads in the organization

Data Custodians (Optional Role)

  • Can download data from assigned surveys only
  • Cannot edit the survey
  • Cannot extend retention periods
  • Useful for delegating data management without giving full edit access

Editors and Viewers

  • Cannot download data - No access to exports
  • Can only view or edit survey structure (if editor)
  • For data access, they must request the survey creator or organization owner to download on their behalf

When Can I Download Data?

After Survey Closure

Data export becomes available when a survey is closed:

  1. Go to your survey dashboard
  2. Click "Close Survey" button
  3. Confirm closure (this cannot be undone)
  4. The "Download Data" button will appear

What happens when a survey closes: - All responses are locked (no further edits possible) - Data export functionality is enabled - 6-month retention period begins - Automatic deletion warnings are scheduled

Time Window

Once a survey is closed, data can be downloaded: - For the default 6-month retention period - Up to 24 months if retention is extended - Until automatic deletion occurs (after warnings) - Unless a legal hold is placed (prevents deletion)

How to Download Data

Step 1: Navigate to Survey

From Survey List (Organization Owners): 1. Go to "Surveys" in the main navigation 2. Find the closed survey in your list 3. Click the "Download Data" button next to the survey

From Survey Dashboard (Creators/Custodians): 1. Open your survey 2. Go to the "Data" or "Dashboard" tab 3. Click the "Download Data" button

Step 2: Accept Disclaimer

Before downloading, you must accept the data responsibility disclaimer:

You will be asked to confirm: - ✓ I will store this data on a secure, encrypted device - ✓ I will comply with my organization's data protection policies - ✓ I understand I am responsible for the security of this data - ✓ I will delete this data when no longer needed - ✓ I will report any data breaches immediately

You must provide: - Your full name (for accountability) - Purpose of download (brief description) - Confirmation that you have authority to download this data

Important: Making false statements in the disclaimer may violate data protection laws and your employment contract.

After accepting the disclaimer:

  1. A secure download link is generated
  2. The link expires in 15 minutes (for security)
  3. The link can be used only once
  4. An email is sent to all organization administrators about the download

Step 4: Download the File

Click the download link to receive a password-protected ZIP file containing:

Files in the ZIP: - survey_data.csv - The encrypted survey responses - metadata.json - Export information (timestamp, user, version) - README.txt - Instructions for using the data

File Protection: - ZIP file is password-protected - Password is shown on-screen (not emailed for security) - CSV inside is also encrypted - You must save the password securely

Step 5: Extract and Use Data

  1. Extract the ZIP file using the provided password
  2. Open survey_data.csv in Excel, R, Python, or your preferred tool
  3. Review metadata.json for export details
  4. Read README.txt for data dictionary and notes

Data Format

CSV Structure

The exported CSV file contains:

Standard Columns: - response_id - Unique identifier for this response - submitted_at - Date and time response was submitted - user_id - Anonymized user identifier (if logged in) - status - Response status (complete, partial, etc.)

Question Columns: - Each question becomes a column - Column names use question slugs (e.g., patient_age, hospital_name) - Multi-choice questions may span multiple columns

Metadata Columns: - ip_address - Anonymized IP (if collected) - user_agent - Browser information (if collected) - completion_time - Time taken to complete (seconds)

Data Types

  • Text responses - Free text as entered
  • Multiple choice - Selected option text
  • Checkboxes - Comma-separated list of selected options
  • Dates - ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • Numbers - Numeric values (no formatting)

Encrypted Fields

Some fields may be encrypted in the CSV: - Email addresses - Phone numbers - Other personally identifiable information (PII)

To decrypt: - Use the decryption key provided in metadata.json - Or contact your organization administrator - Decryption requires appropriate permissions

Security Measures

Password Protection

Every download is protected by: - ZIP password - Generated randomly, shown once - Encryption - CSV data encrypted with survey key - Time-limited link - Expires in 15 minutes - Single-use link - Cannot be reused after download

Audit Logging

Every download is logged with: - User who downloaded (name, email, user ID) - Timestamp (date and time) - IP address - Survey downloaded - Purpose stated - Attestation accepted

Email Notifications

When data is downloaded: - Organization administrators receive immediate email - Email includes: who, what, when, why - Links to audit log for full details

Access Tracking

You can view download history: 1. Go to survey dashboard 2. Click "Download History" tab 3. See all past downloads with details

Download Limits

To prevent abuse: - Maximum 5 downloads per survey per day per user - Excessive attempts are logged and may be blocked - Rate limiting applies to prevent automated downloads

If you need more downloads, contact your organization administrator.

Troubleshooting

"Download Data" Button Not Visible

Possible causes: - Survey is not yet closed → Close the survey first - You don't have permission → Check your role - Survey has no responses → Nothing to download - Survey is deleted → Cannot download from deleted surveys

If your link expires: - Click "Download Data" again to generate a new link - You must accept the disclaimer again (for audit trail) - Previous link cannot be extended or reused

Password Doesn't Work

If ZIP password fails: - Copy and paste carefully (no extra spaces) - Check for case sensitivity - Regenerate the download (creates new password) - Contact support if problem persists

File Won't Open

If CSV file won't open: - Ensure you extracted the ZIP first - Try different software (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.) - Check file encoding (UTF-8) - Contact your organization administrator

"Permission Denied" Error

You may not have permission because: - You're an Editor or Viewer (not Creator/Owner/Custodian) - You're not the survey creator (and not an org owner) - You're not in the organization that owns the survey - Your account has been deactivated

Contact your organization owner to request access.

Best Practices

Secure Storage

Store downloaded data: - ✓ On encrypted drives - ✓ Behind strong passwords - ✓ On work-managed devices only - ✓ In access-controlled folders - ✗ Never on USB drives - ✗ Never in personal cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.) - ✗ Never on personal devices - ✗ Never in unencrypted email attachments

Data Handling

When working with data: - Download only what you need - Delete local copies when analysis is complete - Don't share with unauthorized people - Don't re-identify anonymized data - Follow your organization's policies - Use data only for stated purpose

Retention

Manage downloaded data responsibly: - Set reminders to delete after analysis - Don't keep "just in case" - Securely wipe files when deleting - Keep audit trail of what you downloaded and when

Your Obligations

When you download data, you become a data controller or data processor and must: - Comply with GDPR and data protection laws - Maintain confidentiality - Prevent unauthorized access - Report data breaches within 72 hours - Respect participant privacy

Data Breaches

If data is compromised, you must: 1. Report immediately to your organization administrator 2. Document what happened 3. Identify what data was affected 4. Assist with breach notification (if required) 5. Take corrective action

Consequences of not reporting: - Legal liability - Regulatory fines - Disciplinary action - Reputational damage

Sharing Data

You may only share downloaded data: - With people who have legitimate need - Who have signed appropriate agreements - Within the scope stated in your attestation - With appropriate security measures

Never share data: - On social media - In public forums - With commercial third parties (without approval) - For purposes outside the original scope

Getting Help

For questions about: - Permissions: Contact your organization owner - Technical issues: GitHub Issues - Data policy: See Data Policy - Security concerns: Contact your Data Protection Officer immediately