# SoSci Survey

> SoSci Survey is a web application to create and run online surveys, regularly used for academic research and for organizational research. This file is meant for AI assistants (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, ...) that help users build questionnaires, write PHP or JavaScript code for them, or answer support questions. SoSci Survey uses a specialized, sandboxed PHP environment: standard PHP patterns (like echo, $_GET/$_POST, global variables, file or database access) will fail. Use only the functions documented in the manual.

Important notes:

- The manual exists in German (de:) and English (en:). The German pages are the primary and most up-to-date version; to get the German version of a page, replace `en:` with `de:` in the URL.
- The links below return the DokuWiki source text of a page. Links inside a page look like `[[:en:create:filters|text]]`; fetch them as `https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:filters?do=export_raw`.
- Users may work on www.soscisurvey.de (default), on s2survey.net (Pro server), or on a university/self-hosted installation. Policies (data retention, storage, pricing) and the available version differ between them.
- Do not tell users to put HTML forms (`<form>`, `<input>`) into the questionnaire: such data is not stored. Use the question types and functions of SoSci Survey instead.
- PHP code runs on the server only after the respondent clicks "Next". Reactions on the same page require JavaScript.

## Core Documentation (Must Read)

- [Sandbox Rules & Context](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:functions:ai_context?do=export_raw): Allowed and forbidden PHP constructs, variable scope, common errors
- [Content and Sandbox Structure](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:ai?do=export_raw): What SoSci Survey does and how projects, sections, questions, items and questionnaires relate
- [PHP Functions](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:functions?do=export_raw): List of all available PHP functions, with links to each function's page
- [FAQ for AI Assistants (German)](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/de:ai-faq?do=export_raw): Frequently asked support questions with current answers, ground rules for answering, and links to the matching manual pages

## Specific Topics

- [Introduction to PHP](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:php?do=export_raw): Where PHP code goes in the questionnaire and how it is executed
- [Accessing User Input (value)](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:functions:value?do=export_raw): Reading answers given on previous pages
- [Filters and Conditional Questions](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:filters?do=export_raw): Overview of filter options
- [PHP Filters](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:php-filters?do=export_raw): Showing questions or skipping pages depending on answers
- [Randomization](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:randomization?do=export_raw): Experimental groups with the random generator
- [Rotate Pages](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:rotation-pages?do=export_raw): Randomizing the order of pages and blocks
- [Multi-Level Structure](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:multilevel?do=export_raw): Asking the same questions repeatedly (loops)
- [Placeholders](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:placeholders?do=export_raw): Inserting previous answers and other values into texts
- [Individual Response Check](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:checks-php?do=export_raw): Custom validation of answers with PHP
- [JavaScript in the Questionnaire](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:javascript?do=export_raw): Using JavaScript and the SoSciTools library
- [Show Questions Immediately](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:dynamic?do=export_raw): Displaying questions on the same page depending on a selected option
- [Solving Questionnaire Problems](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:debugging?do=export_raw): Debug mode and typical sources of errors
- [Question Types](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:create:questions?do=export_raw): Available question types
- [URL to the Questionnaire](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:survey:url?do=export_raw): URL parameters to select a questionnaire, a language, or pass a reference
- [External Panel Providers](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:survey:panels?do=export_raw): Redirects to and from panel providers
- [Additional Variables in the Data Set](https://www.soscisurvey.de/help/doku.php/en:results:variables?do=export_raw): Meaning of CASE, LASTPAGE, FINISHED, TIME_SUM and other variables

## Optional

- [Online Support (Q2A)](https://support.soscisurvey.de/): Questions and answers from users and the support team. Older answers may be outdated; the manual reflects the current state.