Survey Waves

Waves allow you to field the same survey instrument across multiple time periods or audience groups – while maintaining a single, connected survey framework and a single dataset.

There are two primary ways researchers use waves in the Glass platform:

1. Tracking/ Longitudinal studies: Running the same survey over time (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annually) to track changes over time.

2. Audience segmentation: Fielding the same survey to different groups (e.g., GenPop vs. target audiences) while preserving the ability to analyze both separately or combined.

Tracking/ Longitudinal Studies: Use waves to track results over time and compare performance or sentiment across different fielding periods. For example:

“Wave 1 – September,” “Wave 2 – December,” “Wave 3 – March.”
Each wave can be analyzed individually or combined to observe shifts or trends.

Segmented Audiences: Waves can also help when running the same survey among multiple audience types. For instance:

“Wave 1 – GenPop,” “Wave 2 – Category Users.”
This setup lets you view data for each audience independently or merge results into a single dataset for holistic reporting.

If one audience naturally has a lower incidence rate, you can use waves strategically to boost that segment. For example, you might first run a GenPop wave, then launch a second wave targeting a harder-to-reach audience (like heavy category users) to ensure you have a reportable sample size  without impacting your GenPop results.

Before you can create a wave, your survey must already have launched at least once and collected responses (so the Analyze Results tab exists).

To set up a new wave:

1. Log into the survey you’ve already fielded.

2. On the Build Survey tab (top green bar), click the Add Wave button (white).

3. A new panel called Survey Waves will appear.

4. Click Create Wave, then:

   • Name your new wave (e.g., Wave 2).

   • Add a description (e.g., December 2025 Fielding or Category User Oversample).

   • Define the total number of respondents you plan to collect.

5. Click Create Wave again to finalize.
   

You can also return to prior waves (e.g., Wave 1) to add descriptions or labels like field dates, audience type, or special notes.

Once created, the new wave will appear in the left panel of the survey, and a Waves icon will be added to the left toolbar in the Build Survey view.

Pro Tip: Always label waves with clear identifiers - e.g., “Wave 1 – GenPop (Sept)” -  to make filtering and analysis simpler later.

When you field a new wave, especially for segmented audiences, it’s important to review and update your Audience and Quota settings.

Go to the Audience tab on the Build Survey page. Check that:

• The sample source reflects the group you intend to reach (e.g., a new supplier or a filtered list).

• Demographic or behavioral filters match your target segment.

• The incidence rate and expected sample size are appropriate for this new wave.

For tracking/ longitudinal waves, these settings usually remain the same — the goal is consistency across fieldings.

For overquota or segmentation waves, this is where you’ll differentiate audiences — such as applying new demographic filters, product-usage criteria, or attitudinal traits.

Next, open the Review tab (quota icon on the left sidebar). Here you’ll confirm that quotas align with your wave’s goals:

• Tracking/ Longitudinal Waves: Keep quotas identical across waves to ensure that differences in results reflect real change over time, not differences in sample makeup.

• Overquota Waves: Adjust quotas based on your segmentation criteria — for example, to collect more responses from a specific age, gender, or behavioral subgroup.

Example:

• Wave 1: GenPop, n=1000

• Wave 2: Oversample of Category Users, n=500

• Wave 3: Heavy Buyers, n=300

This structure allows you to analyze each wave independently or combine them into a total dataset later.

Termination logic ensures that only qualified respondents participate in each wave:

• For tracking/ longitudinal waves, termination logic typically remains unchanged.

• For overquota waves, termination rules should match the new audience filters (for example, end the survey if a respondent doesn’t meet the new criteria).
  
  

Pro Tip: Before launching a new wave, double-check our pre-launch checklist:

• Quotas reflect the correct targets for that wave

• Termination logic aligns with audience filters

• The Review tab displays the expected limits and structure 

When you navigate to the Analyze Results tab, you’ll now see a Wave drop-down menu in the top left corner. You can choose to view:

• Wave 1 only

• Wave 2 only

• All Waves (combined)
  

Selecting All Waves merges response data across waves while maintaining internal identifiers, allowing you to:

• Compare waves side-by-side

• Run statistical tests between waves

• Include wave information in Crosstabs
  

Pro Tip: Always double-check which wave filter you’re viewing in the Analyze Results tab to avoid confusion when interpreting data.

When you build Crosstabs, Wave automatically behaves like a variable in your dataset. You can:

• Use it as a filter to isolate results for one wave.

• Add it as a banner point to compare waves across questions.

• Quick-add Wave banners to automatically create columns for each wave (e.g., Wave 1, Wave 2, All).

This enables direct stat testing across waves - ideal for measuring changes over time or differences between sample groups.