tblSubjects will contain fields like SubjectID (the primary key), and any data unique to the subject that you’re keeping (Age, Race, etc.).

tblSurveys will contain fields like SurveyID (the primary key), SubjectID (the “foreign key” linked to SubjectID in tblSurveys), and any fields unique to the survey (year, q1, q2, q3, etc.) So, a subject who completes two surveys will have one SubjectID and two SurveyIDs.

At the form level, one-to-many relationships are implemented using a main form (frmSubjects, based on tblSubjects) and a subform (fsubSurveys, based on tblSurveys). The subform is linked to the main form via SurveyID, which is the only field the two tables have in common.

Since your table is already filled with data, splitting things into two tables that are properly linked is tricky. Access has a Wizard to help you do this (Tools > Analyze > Table) but it’s not always intuitive. It’s a place to start, though. Once you get the table structure in place, your next step is to create the form and subform interface. For your situation, I’m guessing: 1) create a new form called frmSubjects based on tblSubjects, that includes all the Subject-specific fields (maybe that’s just SubjectID); 2) drag and drop your current form, frmSurveys, onto frmSubjects, thus making it a subform. If all goes well, Access will detect the common link and link them appropriately, allowing you to enter multiple surveys for each subject.

I have what might be an easy question. We are in year two of our study. We kept the same instrument so essentially I’d like to begin entering year 2 data. Ideally, I change the year for a particular respondent and the form then goes blank and I am able to enter all year 2 data. I am not sure how to do this. I can’t create a new record as we are sticking with the same respondent IDs (i.e. primary keys). Any quick thoughts or suggestions? What is the best way to do this?

I am trying to build a survey database as well, but not as large as some of the other respondents I have seen. I have two tables one for Instructional Rating Form and one for Examination Rating Form. The vast majority of the questions utilize the Licard (spelling?)scale. What I need to be able to is take and make an after instruction/examination report, that totals how many people reponded to agree, disagree and so on per question. That is where I get stumped.

I do not have the option to use any further software, I have to stay in Access to create my reports. I checked out your sample database with the union query, but can’t see how to get them grouped to the specific question.

Your tutorial has already helped a great deal. Thanks in advance.

Semper Fi,

Jon

I want to keep each batch of 100 separate, and I will want to use regression at one point to analyze the data.

I tried to follow your “normalized data tables” brief introduction, but it doesn’t make any sense to me. Your four proposed tables were: 1 for questions, 1 for possible answers, 1 for respondents, and 1 for completed surveys (“responses”). I like that idea of using the Responses table, but get stuck.

The Questions table you show in datasheet view has a new record for each question– not a new field for each question. Yet your Answers table only shows “question ID” and “choice” for possible fields– that’s where I get stuck. What do I enter in for choice in the datasheet view of the Answer table for it to make sense later on when I link it with the Questions and Responses table. (For now, I don’t plan on keeping a Respondent table).

Please let me know. Thank you so much.

-David