# Verasight Self-Serve documentation

> Verasight Self-Serve enables researchers to instantly launch studies to our verified community.

Source: https://www.verasight.io/docs

## How Verasight Self-Serve works

1. **Create a researcher account.** [Sign up](https://www.verasight.io/docs/get-started/create-a-researcher-account#sign-up) as a researcher.
2. **Build your survey.** Use Qualtrics or [any survey platform](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/build-your-survey#choose-a-survey-platform) that can record link values and support our redirects. [Doc2Survey](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/build-your-survey#program-your-survey-with-doc2survey-optional), Verasight's free AI survey programming tool, can automatically convert your Word doc into a fully programmed Qualtrics .QSF file.
3. **Configuration.** Choose a [sample type](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/choose-a-sample-type) and sample size. Enter your [question counts](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/what-a-survey-can-include#count-your-questions). Verasight Self-Serve shows your per-respondent rate and total cost as you go. Then paste your survey's anonymous link, the one link anyone can use to take your survey. [Connect your survey](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/connect-your-survey) so it records `vsid` and `surveyid`, the values we add to the link.

![The Survey configuration step shows the four sample type cards with their starting prices, a sample size of 250, and the question counts for multiple choice questions, matrix items and open-ended questions.](https://www.verasight.io/docs/images/how-a-self-serve-study-works--configuration.png)

4. **Redirects Setup.** Add the [Completes](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/connect-your-survey#completes) redirect link. If your survey uses them, also add the links for [Do Not Consent to Participate](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/connect-your-survey#do-not-consent-to-participate) and [Fail Attention Check](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/connect-your-survey#fail-attention-check).
5. **Testing your survey.** [Test each redirect](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/connect-your-survey#step-3-testing-survey) from Self-Serve. Once every test shows Completed, you can move on to payment.
6. **Payment & Launch.** [Pay in Self-Serve](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/pricing-and-payment#pay-in-self-serve). To pay by [purchase order or invoice](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/pricing-and-payment#pay-by-purchase-order-or-invoice) instead, arrange it before you launch. Then click **Begin Data Collection**.
7. **Fielding.** We estimate that [fielding](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/fielding-and-sample-size) takes 48 to 72 hours. If your survey has not reached its sample size after 48 hours, we [extend fielding](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/fielding-and-sample-size#automatic-extensions) automatically.
8. **Download your data file.** When your file is ready, you get an email titled Your Verasight Data is Ready. [Your data file](https://www.verasight.io/docs/data-and-methods/your-data-file) has one row per completed response. Each row has the respondent's `vsid` and [profile variables](https://www.verasight.io/docs/data-and-methods/profile-variables). [Weighted surveys](https://www.verasight.io/docs/data-and-methods/survey-weights) also have a column labeled `weight`.
9. **Analyze and report.** [Join your data file to your survey responses](https://www.verasight.io/docs/data-and-methods/your-data-file#join-your-survey-export-to-your-data-file) on `vsid`. Then use our templates to [describe the sample](https://www.verasight.io/docs/data-and-methods/describe-your-sample) in your paper or institutional review board (IRB) application.

Your progress saves automatically as you go, and you can click **Save draft** at any point and come back later. You pay at the Payment & Launch step, after setup and testing, and you launch when you are ready.

## Help from our team

Self-Serve does not mean you are on your own. Our team is behind the scenes, and you can reach us at research@verasight.io.

For longitudinal studies, state samples, or hard-to-reach groups, our team can help through [custom research](https://www.verasight.io/docs/run-your-study/choose-a-sample-type#custom-research).