# Run another wave of the same survey

Canonical page: https://www.questionpunk.com/support/run-survey-again

Use Run again to group responses into collection periods, keep your link, or prepare a new Prolific recruitment draft.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-13

## Before you start

You need edit access and at least one completed response. This workflow applies to one survey. Surveys linked to a [diary study](https://www.questionpunk.com/support/diary-studies) use their diary schedule instead. Prolific options require the survey owner and an earlier eligible Prolific study.

## Steps

### 1. Open Run again

Open the survey’s **Results** and choose **Run again**. On first use, earlier responses become wave 1 and you create wave 2. This does not duplicate the survey.

### 2. Name the wave and choose its start

In **Run wave N**, optionally enter a **Name** and **What changed since wave N−1**. Under **Starts**, choose **Now** or **At an earlier time**. The earlier time uses your local timezone and must follow the previous wave’s start. This control cannot schedule a future wave.

### 3. Review comparability

Read the question and codebook comparison before proceeding. Changed or removed questions can make waves difficult to compare even if the dialog allows you to continue. Keep a note of the change and compare only measures that remain meaningful.

### 4. Choose who answers

Under **Who answers**, choose **Keep the current link** and then **Start wave N** to keep collecting through the same link. Or choose **New Prolific sample, same filters** to exclude earlier studies, or **Invite wave N−1 people again** to restrict recruitment to completed real Prolific participants from the preceding wave. Recontact uses a participant allowlist in place of screening filters; it does not guarantee everyone returns.

### 5. Review any Prolific draft before publishing

For either Prolific option, click **Continue to Prolific**. This creates a draft; it does not publish or recruit participants. In **Distribute > Prolific**, check the audience, places, pay, settings, and displayed cost before publishing. Stop or complete a still-running study before publishing the next one.

### 6. Select and compare waves in Results

When there are at least two waves, the wave strip shows their dates and counts. Select a wave to apply its date window to Results; select it again to show all waves. Changing waves replaces the date filter. Check the other response filters before interpreting counts or [exporting results](https://www.questionpunk.com/support/data-exports-exporting-results).

## Details

Completed responses belong to a wave by completion time. Someone who starts before a boundary and finishes after it belongs to the later wave. In exports, an incomplete response falls back to its creation time.

Editors can use **Edit wave N** to rename a wave or change its notes. Starts after wave 1 can move only between their neighboring boundaries. Moving a boundary changes which responses belong to each wave.

Only the latest wave can be removed. **Remove wave** requires confirmation and returns its responses to the preceding wave; it does not delete responses. Removing wave 2 returns to a single ungrouped run.

A new Prolific sample can exclude up to 20 earlier studies. If prior exclusions or copied settings exceed Prolific limits, configure recruitment from Distribute and review it there.

## Check the result

The new wave appears in Results. Your existing survey link still works, or a Prolific draft is ready for your separate review. Confirm the boundary, filters, and counts before making comparisons.

## If something goes wrong

If Run again is missing, check edit access and diary linkage. If no response is completed, collect one first. If the wave was saved but the Prolific draft failed, choose **Try the Prolific draft again** in the dialog; do not create another wave to retry recruitment. For unexpected counts, check completion times, filters, and the wave boundary.

## Related articles

- [Set up a diary study](https://www.questionpunk.com/support/diary-studies.md)
- [Use Prolific and panel integrations](https://www.questionpunk.com/support/integrations-prolific.md)
- [Export results](https://www.questionpunk.com/support/data-exports-exporting-results.md)
- [Use version history and restore deleted questions](https://www.questionpunk.com/support/version-history.md)