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Organization-Based Data Sharing

Askalot supports configurable data sharing within organizations through the sharing mode setting. This guide explains how the sharing mode affects resource visibility and collaboration.

Organization Sharing Mode

Each organization has an is_private setting that controls how QML files and Respondents are shared among users within that organization.

Non-Private Organizations (Default)

When is_private=False (the default), users have isolated access to their own resources:

How it works:

  • QML files are only visible to their creator
  • Respondents are only visible to their creator
  • Users manage their own resource pools independently
  • Projects provide additional organizational structure

Best for: Organizations with multiple independent research teams, environments requiring stricter data separation within the organization.

Private Organizations

When is_private=True, users within the organization trust each other and share resources:

How it works:

  • QML files are visible to all users in the organization
  • Respondents are visible to all users in the organization
  • Any user can use shared QML files in their questionnaires
  • Any user can assign shared respondents to their campaigns
  • Projects still control access to questionnaires and campaigns

Best for: Teams working collaboratively, small organizations, research groups where data sharing is expected.

Working in Private Organizations

QML Files

All QML files created by organization members are shared:

  • Navigate to Armiger to access the code editor
  • See all QML files created by any organization member
  • Edit and improve questionnaires collaboratively
  • Reference shared QML files when creating new questionnaires

Respondents

Respondents are a shared resource:

  1. Navigate to Respondents in Targetor
  2. See all respondents in the organization
  3. Any respondent can be assigned to any campaign
  4. Import respondents and they become available to all team members

Campaigns

When creating or editing a campaign:

  • Select from all available questionnaires (via shared QML files)
  • Assign any respondent from the shared pool
  • Track progress across the organization

Working in Non-Private Organizations

QML Files

QML files are isolated per user:

  1. Navigate to Armiger to access the code editor
  2. See only QML files you created
  3. Other users' QML files are not visible
  4. To share a questionnaire, the administrator must change the sharing mode

Respondents

Respondents are isolated per user:

  1. Navigate to Respondents in Targetor
  2. See only respondents you created
  3. Import respondents to your personal pool
  4. Campaigns can only use your own respondents

Project Ownership (Both Modes)

Regardless of sharing mode, project-based access control applies to:

  • Projects: Only visible to users listed as owners
  • Questionnaires: Visible if you own the parent project
  • Campaigns: Visible if you own the parent project

The sharing mode only affects QML files and Respondents, which exist independently of projects.

Administrator Access

Users with administrator privileges can see all content regardless of sharing mode. This enables platform-wide management and support.

Practical Examples

Private Organization: Collaborative Research Team

A university research group with 10 researchers:

User Can See Can Use
Alice All QML files, all respondents Any QML file, any respondent
Bob All QML files, all respondents Any QML file, any respondent
Carol All QML files, all respondents Any QML file, any respondent

Everyone collaborates on shared resources. Alice can build on Bob's questionnaire design. Carol can survey respondents that Bob imported.

Non-Private Organization: Independent Research Units

A research agency with multiple independent teams:

User Can See Can Use
Team A Lead Team A's QML files and respondents Team A's resources only
Team B Lead Team B's QML files and respondents Team B's resources only
Team C Lead Team C's QML files and respondents Team C's resources only

Each team works independently. Team A's client respondents cannot be accidentally used by Team B.

Best Practices

For Private Organizations

  • Establish naming conventions - Prefix QML files with project codes for easy identification
  • Document ownership - Add comments to QML files indicating the responsible researcher
  • Coordinate respondent imports - Avoid duplicate respondent records
  • Use external IDs consistently - Link respondents to your CRM or panel provider

For Non-Private Organizations

  • Request sharing mode changes - Contact your administrator if you need to share resources
  • Use project collaboration - Add team members as project owners to share questionnaires and campaigns
  • Document respondent sources - Use the source_system field to track origin

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which sharing mode my organization uses?

Contact your Askalot administrator. If you can see QML files and respondents created by other users, your organization is in private mode.

Can I share just one QML file with another user?

In non-private organizations, add the other user as a project owner. They will then have access to questionnaires in that project. To share QML files directly, the administrator must enable private mode.

Can we switch between sharing modes?

Yes, the sharing mode can be changed by an administrator. Changing modes affects visibility immediately - it does not move or copy data.

What happens to existing resources when switching modes?

  • Switching to non-private: Users only see resources they created. Shared resources become visible only to their original creators.
  • Switching to private: All resources become visible to all organization members.

Next Steps