Digital Toolbox: Surveys
At a Glance
Which tools to use?
- Microsoft Forms can be used to make simple surveys and self-graded quizzes, but by requesting help from the Service Desk, you can use Forms to automate things like:
- Approval processes with multiple steps and approvers
- Custom email notifications based on response criteria
- Qualtrics is a powerful survey platform with a wide variety of question types, email triggers, distribution options, and collaboration settings ideal for data collection and research projects.
- REDCap - Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) is a secure, web-based application for building and managing online surveys and databases for research applications. REDCap is ideal for projects collecting data in community settings and in multi-site projects such as clinical trials.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Microsoft Forms | Qualtrics | REDCap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question type: Multiple choice | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Question type: File upload | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Display logic & branching | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Allows for anonymous responses | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Built-in distribution via email | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Built-in distribution via SMS | No | No | No |
| Ability to track which individuals have responded | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Automated email reminders | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Other configurable email triggers | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Download raw response data | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Automated accessibility/usability review | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | No |
Question Type
Distribution Option
| Distribution Option | Microsoft Forms | Qualtrics | REDCap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Via email | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Via link | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Via social media | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | No |
| Via SMS | No | No | No |
| Via QR code | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Allows anonymous submissions | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Ability to track individual respondents | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Set start and end dates for response collection | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
Collaborative Option
| Collaborative Option | Microsoft Forms | Qualtrics | REDCap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allows multiple collaborators | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Allows non-OHIO collaborators | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Allows OHIO collaborators | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Configure whether an individual collaborator can activate/deactivate a survey | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Configure whether an individual collaborator can copy a survey project | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Configure whether an individual collaborator can distribute a survey | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |
| Configure which survey data individual collaborators have access to | No | Yes (opens in a new window) | Yes |