There seem to be some misconceptions as to how Google Forms behaves, so I created a test form to confirm exactly how the timestamps work:
- Google Forms only stores the timestamp of your latest edit. Google Forms does not have any sort of revision history, nor does it record the timestamp of when you first submitted the form.
- The form responses are not stored in order of first submission. They are ordered according to the latest timestamp. Thus, as soon as someone edits their submission, they "lose" their spot in the list and are placed last in the list of responses.
- There is an option for the form owner to be notified by email when responses are submitted. These notifications only appear to trigger on first submission and not edits, so it can be used to track who submitted first. However, the option is turned off by default.
With these facts in mind, there are only two feasible ways to record who submitted within the specified timeframe:
- The form owner records the usernames and emails while the form is still closed. Once the names are recorded, then the form can be reopened for editing, and the owner can slog through the submissions to find those individuals' submissions.
- Turn on email notifications and use the timestamps of the emails (possibly unreliable).
