How to create an Anonymous Survey?

Have you ever wondered if respondents hesitate to share their true opinions because they fear being identified? Many people hold back honest feedback when their responses can be traced back to them. This is where anonymous surveys make a difference.

With BlockSurvey’s Anonymous Survey feature, you can ensure complete privacy, allowing respondents to share their thoughts freely and honestly. In this blog, we’ll explore what anonymous surveys are, their benefits, how to create one in BlockSurvey and their best use cases.

What is an Anonymous Survey?

An anonymous survey does not collect personally identifiable information (PII) and ensures that responses cannot be linked back to any individual. This means that even if you collect opinions, feedback, or sensitive data, there is no way to track who provided a specific response.

What are the benefits of Anonymous Surveys?

• Encourages Honesty: When people know their answers cannot be traced back to them, they feel safe sharing their true thoughts and opinions.
• Reduces Bias: Respondents don’t have to worry about giving answers that sound "right" or "acceptable." They can say what they really think without pressure.
• Increases Response Rates: More people are willing to take a survey when they know their identity won’t be revealed.
• Builds Trust: When organizations assure people that their responses are private, it helps create a sense of trust and comfort.
• Encourages Open Feedback on Sensitive Topics: People may hesitate to talk about personal experiences, workplace issues, or health concerns if their identity is known. Anonymous surveys help them speak freely.
• Removes Fear of Judgment or Retaliation: Employees, students, or customers can give honest feedback without worrying about how it might affect their job, grades, or relationship with a company.
• Leads to More Accurate and Useful Insights: Honest answers mean organizations get real feedback, helping them make better decisions based on what people truly think.

How to create an Anonymous Survey in BlockSurvey

Creating an anonymous survey in BlockSurvey is simple. Follow these steps to ensure complete privacy for your respondents:

1. Create a new survey and add your survey questions in the Design screen.
2. Go to Settings → Make it Anonymous and toggle it on.
3. The AI checks for question types, questions, and descriptions text in the survey to ensure they meet the anonymity criteria. If any content is found to be potentially identifiable then the Make it Anonymous feature cannot be enabled unless those questions are removed.
   
   
4. Once anonymity is confirmed, publish the survey and share it with respondents.

What happens when you enable the Anonymous Mode?

• No IP addresses, browser details, or device information are collected.
• Custom data added to the survey URL is not tracked.
• If respondents access the survey via Tor Browser, Onion Routing is automatically enabled, adding an extra layer of encryption to keep their IP addresses untraceable.

How Do Respondents Know the Survey is Anonymous?

An "Anonymous Seal" is displayed on the survey-taking screen, assuring respondents that no personally identifiable information (PII) is being collected. This confirms their responses remain completely private and cannot be traced back to them.

Use Cases for Anonymous Surveys

Anonymous surveys can be used in various situations where privacy encourages honest feedback. Here are some common examples:

• Mental Health or Health Assessments: People feel more comfortable sharing personal health concerns when they know their identity is protected.
• Customer Feedback Surveys: Businesses can gather honest opinions about their products or services, helping them improve without biased responses.
• Employee Feedback Surveys: Employees can express workplace concerns, share suggestions, or report issues without fearing backlash.
• School or University Feedback: Students can provide genuine feedback on teachers, courses, or campus facilities without worrying about negative consequences.
• Whistleblower or Ethics Reports: Employees or members of an organization can report unethical behavior, harassment, or policy violations safely and anonymously.
• Political or Social Opinion Polls: People can freely express their views on political or social issues without concern for public scrutiny.
• Market Research Surveys: Companies can get unfiltered consumer opinions, helping them develop better products and marketing strategies.

Conclusion

Anonymous surveys are crucial for gathering honest, unbiased, and valuable feedback by ensuring respondent privacy. Whether you're collecting employee insights, customer opinions, or sensitive feedback, anonymity helps you get more accurate responses and build trust with your audience.

With BlockSurvey’s Anonymous Survey feature, you can easily create secure, private surveys that encourage open and honest participation. Take the next step in unlocking genuine feedback—try out anonymous surveys in BlockSurvey today and experience the difference!