1. Human Subjects Research and the IRB Collecting data using Electronic Surveys - Qualtrics
Dr. OraLee Branch, Director of the Office of Research Integrity and IRB
Professor, Epidemiologist, CHHS

2. Electronic Document Submission and Storage System
we use Forms and instructions are there.
Also, forms are available at
The first step is the Research Description Form (RDF);

3. If computer – web-deployed – survey, research needs to use Qualtrics
CU POLICY: 1. Use Qualtrics and 2. Get permission before ing via CU resources
Use Qualtrics
Concordia University values, supports, and encourages appropriate research for educational, innovative, and institutional purposes. Qualtrics is the University-chosen system for all Concordia users to create, deliver, and analyze surveys and survey responses for academic, administrative, and research related purposes. Other (online) survey tools are not endorsed. Qualtrics meets University standards requiring robust, secure, and professional surveys. The University provides Qualtrics to faculty, students, and staff, as long as they agree to these terms and conditions in this policy and the user agreement.
Permission before ing via CU resources
ing survey via “All Faculty, All Staff, and/or All Student” requires CU IRB approval before sending survey. Many times will be “exempt;” just your RDF.

4. How do you get consent in Qualtrics? Depends on what you want to do.
IRB will tell you if you need a paper consent or if you can do it by “click consent”
Do you need the name of the participant?
Let’s talk a moment about 2 words: Anonymous vs Confidential
Four common situations
No name or code linking necessary at all
Survey is anonymous, but want to get name if they will give it for 2nd phase or for incentive gifting
The name will be known because written consent is required or face-to-face interview
Name must be know for research purposes – longitudinal studies, studies of GPS information, or health data
Usually in Qualtrics Survey’s at least the survey itself is Anonymous.
I will hand out two examples of Qualtrics consent forms.

5. Create a Qualtrics Account
Navigate to
2) Enter your Concordia Network Username and Password. Note: The same credentials you use to access Blackboard and University .
3) Click the Login >>button.
Let’s all create a Qualtrics Account and walk through Qualtrics together

6. Caring for Consent – print and survey flow Launching Gathering Data
Steps in Qualtrics
Creating Survey
Caring for Consent – print and survey flow
Launching
Gathering Data
Analyzing Results

7. 1 2 Creating a Qualtrics Survey
Click “Create Survey” in the upper left hand corner of the screen.
On the next page, choose “Quick Survey Builder” 1 2

8. Give your survey a name then choose “Create Survey”
Give your survey a name then choose “Create Survey”. To create a question choose “+ Create a New Item” If you would like to change the question type choose the “Change Item type” button from multiple choice to something else. 3 1 2

9. ‘Click Consent’ with Survey Flow so
Only those consenting can take survey

10. Example: The various question/item types you can create in a Qualtrics survey.
Hovering over any of the items will give you a preview of that particular item.
Clicking the “preview survey” button opens your survey in a new browser window as a survey participant would see it.

11. 1 2 3 Launching a Qualtrics Survey
Choose “Launch Survey” when you are finished creating your survey.
On the next page it is important that you activate your survey so that you can begin to collect responses.
Qualtrics will generate a survey link you can send out to any potential participants. 1 2 3

12. 1
Gathering the data
To view results go to the “My Surveys” tab and then choose the “Results” button next to your survey.
On the new page, choose “Download Data”.
Data collected can be downloaded from this page in a variety of formats including Excel, SPSS, XML, HTML, and TXT. 2 3

13. https://www. qualtrics
Beginning in Qualtrics creating a project
Creating a survey advanced techniques
Exporting to see your data

14. SEVEN MINUTE VIDEO – hard to beat this example
Beginning in Qualtrics creating a project

15. Let’s play around in Qualtrics a bit.
We can practice on the lab computers.
Please arrange in 3 groups of approximately
5 persons each

16. Example of survey items used to identify essential performance skills for a Teacher clinical evaluation rubric:

17. Analyzing the data
We can export the responses into an excel document in which we code our answers:

18. Exported report as a .cvs file, and then opened this in Excel:

19. Let’s create a survey for our class today!
We have covered a lot of ground: * Human Subjects Research and the IRB Process * Collecting data using Surveys - Qualtrics
Let’s create a survey for our class today!

20. Effective online surveys
Keep your survey short as possible
Respondents don’t start taking the survey
Respondents stop taking the survey
Respondents stop paying attention and answer randomly
Wording must be unquestionable/undoubtable
Pilot your survey questions
Do not answer 2-folded questions or questions within a question
Use scale flexible questions rather than yes/no when possible
Someone who “Strongly Supports” a decision is very different from someone who only “Slightly Supports” it.
Scales extend the power of analysis from basic percentages to high-level analyses based on means and variance estimates (like t-test, ANOVA, regression, and the like).
You can judge how to take the answer to a question by asking a PRE-question: How important is talking in person to you? Then ask: “Rate your professor on communication during office hours.”
Keep coded values coded in a consistent manner.
Every survey response, option, question, or answer is coded as a numeric value that is reported as a percent of responses or as a mean, median, range, etc. You need to score in the same direction for each question if you want to use fast data analysis and data observation within Qualtrics.

21. How could you use Qualtrics in your future?
Small Homework Assignment – due by 3/14/2018
Take our survey!

22. Good luck in your research journeys!
Please contact the CU IRB if you want more information.
If you have specific questions on today’s lecture, please contact me:
OraLee Branch