Future Directions for Q-Assessor

19 July 2012 - 15:27
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Thanks to input from users during this extended beta-test phase of Q-Assessor, we’re sharpening the list of potential enhancements to the system. Here are a few insights into what the next version of Q-Assessor will most likely look like.

Internationalization

The majority of users of Q-Assessor to date have been in Europe, which highlights the importance of supporting multiple languages. Q-Assessor will most likely will enable investigators to craft communications to their participants in selectable languages. The entire Q-Assessor site including all documentation also will probably be internationalized. We’re going to rely on Google’s translation services to create most of these translations, but we’ll certainly accept edits and suggestions from native speakers where our initial efforts fall short.

Per-study Pricing

Rather than some sort of time-based subscription plan, the next version of Q-Assessor will implement a per-study pricing structure. Small “test” studies will be free so that users can experiment with the system to assess its suitability to their needs, but “real” studies will no longer be free. The appropriate price points are still somewhat unclear, as many users continue to think that tools like Q-Assessor should cost nothing. But obviously unless we adopt a different business model that involves advertising or mining users’ identities and data (the Google/Facebook approach to e-commerce), Q-Assessor will have to become self-supporting at a minimum in order to continue.

Revised Look and Feel

The new version will implement some newer trends in web design and interaction, while striving to remain simple and clear.

At this point, we are projecting no particular time estimates by which these developments will occur, though we hope to accomplish things during 2012. In the meantime, please continue to email us your feedback about what you like/dislike about Q-Assessor and how you think we should improve it. Thanks!

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