Online survey tools

There are two supported survey tools - REDCap (for researchers) and QualtricsXM.

REDCap

REDCap is a secure web platform for building and managing online databases and surveys. It is intended for use by researchers.

REDCap accounts can be requested by logging into the IT Support Portal, searching for REDCap and completing the appropriate form.

QualtricsXM

QualtricsXM is the University’s preferred survey tool, as recommended by the Information Governance Office (IGO).

This service provides the capability to create, manage and report on online surveys.

Qualtrics is a powerful, simple-to-use web-based survey tool.

Current users of Qualtrics

Some staff at the University already have access to a Qualtrics account through their department or school (for example, AMBS and the Library)

If you already have an account, you should continue to use Qualtrics through your local instance and continue to create any new surveys in there. Your account, and all your existing surveys, will be migrated to the University instance and you will receive further communication on this.

How to access

Qualtrics can be accessed using an up-to-date web browser. Staff can access a Qualtrics account by logging in with their University credentials and 2-factor authentication from Duo.

Students can access Qualtrics, when required by their lecturer, by using their University credentials. Currently, students are asked to refrain from using Qualtrics to capture highly restricted data until 2-factor authentication for students is rolled out at the University.

To access Qualtrics support:

1. Select Help (the little question mark) at the top of the Qualtrics homepage

2. The XM Qualtrics SUPPORT dialog box will now open. Select Contact Support.‌

3. You will now see the qualtrics XM login window.

If you are an Undergraduate (UG) & Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Student, enter your University email address in the Username field and your Qualtrics password in the Password field.

If you are a Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) or a Staff member, select Sign in with SSO.

4. Enter UniManchester as your Organisation ID and press Continue.

5. Follow the instructions to raise your support query with Qualtrics.

There are also lots of resources available on the Qualtrics Support page to help you get started, including guides and video tutorials:

Support

Help and support is provided directly by Qualtrics as opposed to IT Services.

Features

  • Easy-to-use survey editor, requiring no prior training
  • Dozens of templates and sample surveys to customise for your own use
  • Ability to download data into a variety of formats
  • Qualtrics CoreXM the survey platform, reporting and analysis tools.
  • XM Directory: Consolidate all contacts data together in one place so you can easily run longitudinal or multi-touchpoint studies while also controlling segmentation, contact frequency, opt-outs and spamming
  • Stats iQ: Automated statistical platform that makes analysis quick and easy even for people with no statistical background, giving you the power to uncover meaning in data and identify hidden trends in plain English.
  • Offline Mobile App: Allows the capture of survey responses via a mobile device not connected to the Internet. This is used most commonly for face-to-face interviews and also field research where there is no Wi-Fi connection.
  • ExpertReview Response Quality: Qualtrics captures bots, survey ‘cheaters’ and more. Capturing ‘poor quality’ data early means that you don’t lose valuable resources (such as time and incentives). You can also ensure greater reliability of data.
  • ExpertReview Compliance Assist (optional to implement): Avoid capturing unsolicited sensitive data and Personable Identifiable Information (PII), eg phone numbers, social security numbers, etc. This will be flagged to the survey owners and participant and X-ed out of all data.
  • Actions: Create automated alerts or tickets based on conditions such as an ‘at-risk’ or ‘dissatisfied research participant’.
  • Qualtrics Application Programming Interface (API) enables integration between Qualtrics and third party information systems and databases. This includes the automation of processes such as mass upload or deletion of data.
  • Qualtrics is GDPR compliant and does not own or access your data without prior consent.

Qualtrics File Upload

The University’s Qualtrics licence now includes ‘File Upload’ which allows survey creators to ask participants to upload a file along with their survey response.

Files can be up to 100MB and a variety of document types are accepted such as PDFs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and picture graphics. For security reasons, executable files (such as those ending in .exe) are not permitted.

To find out about the File Upload feature and how you can use it in your surveys, please see the Qualtrics support website: File Upload feature – Qualtrics

Eligibility

All members of University staff and students are eligible to use this service.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Further details on the Service Level Agreement for Qualtrics can be found here:

Availability

This service is available 24/7.