Simplify Data Collection with Google Forms

When most people think of Google Docs, they think about text documents, spreadsheets, and perhaps presentations. But the most powerful (if not a bit awe-inspiring) part of Docs is Forms.

Forms allow you to quickly set up a questionnaire to send to others, and then automatically capture the data you get back. When people fill out a form and send the data back, all responses are immediately populated in a Google Spreadsheet. You don’t have to know a thing about web design or coding, nor do you have to set up a spreadsheet to receive the data; Google Forms does it all for you.

In our office, we use Forms to poll the staff about Help Desk computer configurations, meeting availability, project management details, and arranging food and drink for potlucks. Google has a short new video that discusses using Forms in the workplace (kudos to Google for producing a business-oriented video for Forms):

For more about using Google Docs, see the OIT Help Desk’s “How To” page for Google Apps on our website.