A brief note on the questionnaire survey tool of Shout and a comparison with that of Google Form

A brief note on the questionnaire survey tool of Shout (formerly Kwiksurveys) and a comparison with that of Google Form (information from perplexity.ai)

My question 1: "What are the main survey functions of the questionnaire tool of Shout?"

The reply: "The main survey functions of the questionnaire tool in Shout include a wide variety of question types such as multiple choice, scales & sliders, matrix, order ranking, date collection, picture choice, numeric inputs, contact forms, drop down lists, text boxes, and star ratings. Shout supports survey customization, allowing designs to be personalized with logos, images, and videos, and offers the ability to switch between single question per page and multiple questions per page formats. It provides features like question logic, text piping for personalized journeys, and response validation to improve data quality.

For survey distribution, Shout enables sending surveys via URL links, QR codes, email invitations, website embeds, pop-ups, slideouts, and social media sharing. It has integrated CRM capabilities for GDPR compliance, contact management, and automated email campaigns with tracking of performance metrics. Shout also offers real-time reporting and analytics with advanced filtering, cross-tabulation, and customer segmentation to drill down into feedback at both summary and individual respondent levels.

Additional features include duplicate response blocking, multi-language support, customizable exit pages, quiz building with automated scoring, score display, and custom score messages. Shout is mobile-friendly and team-oriented, allowing collaboration on survey creation and analysis. Its audience panel lets users find respondents globally using detailed targeting criteria. Overall, Shout is a privacy-first, compliance-focused survey tool that combines ease of use with powerful customization and data analysis functions essential for customer, employee, and experience research."

My question 2: "Does it have a free of charge version for the public to use?"

The reply: "Yes, Shout (formerly KwikSurveys) offers a free version of their survey tool for public use. This free version includes customizable templates and basic survey creation features. However, the types of questions you can ask in the free version are somewhat limited, particularly lacking an open answer choice. The dashboard is user-friendly, and results can be exported in various file formats. For more advanced features and greater question variety, paid plans are available, but the free tier provides a solid option for simple and quick surveys."

My question 3: "Compare the strengths and weaknesses of the questionnaire tools (the free version) of Shout and that of Google Form with regard to doing online questionnaire survey?"

The reply: "Here is a comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of the free questionnaire tools of Shout and Google Forms for conducting online questionnaire surveys:

Feature	Shout Free Version	Google Forms Free Version
Question Types	Limited question types; lacks open answer choice	Wide variety of question types including open text
User Interface	Lightweight, easy to use dashboard	Intuitive, well-integrated with Google ecosystem
Customization	Basic customization with templates	Good customization with themes, images, and branding
Data Export	Multiple export formats	Exports to Sheets, CSV, and others
Survey Logic	Limited or no advanced logic in free plan	Supports simple conditional logic
Collaboration	Basic team-oriented features	Real-time collaboration with Google accounts
Response Validation	Basic validation	Good validation options
Privacy & Compliance	Privacy-first focus, GDPR compliant	Good security, but depends on Google's policies
Sharing Options	URL links, QR codes, embeddings	URL links, email, embedding, social media
Limitations	Limited question variety, lacks open-ended responses	No branding removal; limited design customization
Mobile Friendly	Yes	Yes

 Summary

• Shout’s free version is more privacy-focused and compliant with data protection standards, which could be important for sensitive research. It offers customization and some distribution variety but is limited in open-ended question types and complex survey logic.

• Google Forms is more versatile in question types, including open-ended responses, and supports better collaboration within teams. It offers easy integration with the Google ecosystem, strong customization, and simple logic branching but does not emphasize privacy to the same extent as Shout.

Choosing between them depends on the balance you want between privacy, question type versatility, ease of collaboration, and survey complexity for online questionnaire surveys.

Question 4: "Is it true that questionnaire respondents have to have a Google account before they can participate in the questionnaire survey?"

The reply: "It is not generally true that respondents must have a Google account to participate in a Google Forms questionnaire survey. By default, anyone with the survey link can respond without signing into a Google account. However, if the form creator enables certain restrictions, such as limiting responses to one per person, or restricting access to users within a specific organization, then respondents will be required to sign in with a Google account to comply with these rules.

In summary:

• Creating and managing Google Forms requires a Google account.

• Respondents do not need a Google account unless the form has settings that require sign-in.

• Sign-in is typically required for features like limiting one response per user or restricting the survey to members of a Google Workspace organization.

• Without these restrictions, Google Forms can be accessed and completed publicly by anyone without a Google account.

This makes Google Forms flexible in terms of respondent access depending on the survey settings chosen by the creator."

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.

A brief note on using the creative tools of drawing and painting in Housing Studies dissertation projects

A brief note on using the creative tools of drawing and painting in Housing Studies dissertation projects (information from perplexity.ai)

My question 1: "What are the creative tools of drawing and painting as arts-based research tools all about in the context of doing Housing Studies dissertation projects?"

The reply: "Drawing and painting as creative arts-based research tools in Housing Studies dissertation projects serve as expressive, participatory methods to generate new knowledge and explore spatial, social, and emotional dimensions of housing environments. These creative tools are used not just for artistic expression but as active research methods to collect rich, layered data, engage participants deeply, and communicate findings in accessible, impactful ways.

In the context of Housing Studies, drawing and painting help researchers and participants visually document and interpret lived experiences, spatial relationships, and socio-cultural meanings tied to housing. They enable the capture of complex, multi-dimensional urban or residential environments that are often difficult to grasp fully through textual or numeric data alone. For example, performative drawing or sketching allows for intuitive, immediate representation of housing life, reflecting memories, spatial practices, and emotional responses to place. This visual language can open up new perspectives on housing issues by surfacing tacit knowledge, multiple viewpoints, and embodied experiences.

Arts-based research approaches in Housing Studies typically emphasize co-creation, where participants actively contribute to creating artworks that embody their insights or narratives. This participatory element empowers residents, fosters critical reflection, and challenges dominant housing narratives, contributing to social change and knowledge democratization. The art-making process itself—whether drawing, painting, or other visual practices—acts as a dialogic and reflexive research tool, generating data as well as knowledge.

These creative tools also aid in data analysis and dissemination, offering innovative ways to synthesize and present research outcomes that resonate emotionally and intellectually with academic and public audiences alike. Through visual arts, research findings can be made more inclusive, engaging, and accessible, enriching traditional research outputs.

In summary, drawing and painting within arts-based research for Housing Studies dissertations are powerful tools for exploring and representing the complex realities of housing environments. They complement traditional methods by enabling deeper understanding, richer data generation, and participatory knowledge creation with housed communities.

This explanation integrates the methodological principles and practical applications of arts-based research tools in urban and housing-related contexts as documented in recent research literature."

My question 2: "Please provide 2 examples of a research method that use drawing and painting, depicting briefly its data gathering method and data analysis effort. If feasible, relate your examples to the research theme of "life stress arising from severe the housing affordability problem facing the young lower-middle class families in Hong Kong in 2025"."

The reply: "Here are two examples of arts-based research methods using drawing and painting, framed around the theme of life stress from housing affordability problems for young lower-middle-class families in Hong Kong in 2025:

1. Participatory Visual Mapping:

• Data Gathering: Participants (young lower-middle-class families) create drawings or paintings mapping their housing environments and daily spatial practices, emphasizing areas and moments of stress such as cramped living spaces, commuting challenges, or financial burdens.

• Data Analysis: Researchers analyze visual elements (e.g., size, color, motifs) to interpret emotional and social dimensions of housing stress, triangulating with participant narratives elicited during or after art-making. The visual maps reveal tacit knowledge about coping strategies and spatial constraints that verbal accounts alone may miss.

An illustration of a participatory visual map (source link)

2. Expressive Life-Story Painting:

• Data Gathering: Participants paint scenes or abstract images reflecting their life experiences and emotional states related to housing affordability struggles, such as feelings of insecurity, crowding, or aspirations for better living conditions.

• Data Analysis: The paintings are examined for recurring themes and symbolic representations of stress, resilience, and hope. Researchers combine this with thematic coding of participants’ explanations of their artworks to uncover layers of subjective experience and social context.

Both methods foster participant engagement, evoke rich, multidimensional data, and make visible the complex, embodied realities of housing stress beyond conventional surveys or interviews. They empower families to articulate their challenges creatively and contribute meaningfully to the research findings, informing supportive housing policies tailored to lived experiences in Hong Kong.

This approach aligns with arts-based research values and has been applied in urban and housing studies to explore social issues through creative, visual data."

An illustrative example of an Expressive Life-Story Painting

(source link)

My question 3: "Please provide 5 academic references in clear Harvard reference format related to our discussion topic here."

The reply: "Here are 5 academic references in clear Harvard referencing format related to arts-based research methods using drawing and painting, and housing affordability issues in Hong Kong:

1. Chan, S.M., 2020. Impact of Housing on Poverty Situation in Hong Kong. [online] Available at: https://web.swk.cuhk.edu.hk/~hwong/pubfile/thesis/2020_Chan%20Siu%20Ming.pdf [Accessed 28 October 2025].

2. Charrieras, D., 2018. The shifting spaces of creativity in Hong Kong. [online] Available at: https://scholars.cityu.edu.hk/files/86586769/The_Shifting_Spaces_of_Creativity_in_Hong_Kong.pdf [Accessed 28 October 2025].

3. Lam, T. and Tavecchia, E., 2013. Commoning art for sustainable engagement with Hong Kong's existential crises: a case study of Tak Cheong Lane Vegetarian Cooperative. [online] Available at: https://scholars.hkbu.edu.hk/files/123893917/Commoning_art_for_sustainable_engagement_with_Hong_Kong_s_existential_crises_a_case_study_of_Tak_Cheong_Lane_Vegetarian_Cooperative.pdf [Accessed 28 October 2025].

4. Wong, H.W., 2020. Arts-Based Participatory Research Approaches in Cultural Partnerships. [online] Available at: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/files/357038818/Findings_Report_Full_-_Exploring_Arts-Based_Participatory_Research_Approaches_in_Cultural_Partnerships_with_Creative_Manchester_08.2024.pdf [Accessed 28 October 2025].

5. Kong, L., 2012. Improbable Art: The Creative Economy and Sustainable Development in Hong Kong. Singapore: Singapore Management University Press.

These references provide foundational context and methodological insights for applying drawing and painting as arts-based research tools to investigate housing stress and affordability challenges in Hong Kong."

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.