What is Qualtrics?
Qualtrics is an enterprise-class web-based survey tool that supports research, teaching, and administration at George Mason. It allows users to create survey instruments, administer surveys, store data and conduct analysis, import and export the survey questions and the data in multiple formats.
The primary features of Qualtrics include a custom survey design wizard; survey distribution options. Qualtrics supports survey-based experiments and features a block and question randomizer tool for experimental trials.
Most departments at George Mason access Qualtrics through their own remote brand or through the Enterprise George Mason brand of Qualtrics (Qualtrics.gmu.edu). To find a point of contact for your department, please see the Qualtrics Administrators webpage.
Departments that use the George Mason brand of Qualtrics have what is known as their own “division.” Each division has at least one administrator responsible for their division. This administrator may set up user accounts, provide general support, and contact Qualtrics Support directly when needed. Please see the How do I get help using Qualtrics for further information.
Who can use Qualtrics?
The Qualtrics survey tool is available to all current students, faculty, and staff under an enterprise license agreement. Each user must have an active “@gmu.edu” email address to access Qualtrics.
How do I access Qualtrics online survey software?
Mason Brand access:
The enterprise Qualtrics Brand (Brand is what Qualtrics refers to each separate site or URL for their customers) can be accessed using http://gmu.qualtrics.com. To gain access, you will first need to have an account created by a division administrator for the brand. Please see the listing of Qualtrics Administrators to locate a contact within your department. Once your account has been set up you can then use your Mason NetID and Patriot Pass Password to log in.
Remote Brand access:
If you have an account through one of the independent departmental Brands, you will need to use the unique web address for that brand. You may refer to the Qualtrics Administrators list to find the brand URL for your department
Why did George Mason purchase an enterprise license with Qualtrics?
- Lower overall cost to the university
- Improved built-in support
- Enterprise class functionality
George Mason was previously paying for individual departmental licenses for Qualtrics and other survey tools. Qualtrics, as part of our agreement has allowed us to continue using all existing brand sites while we build our enterprise brand site. Using the robust import capabilities, departments can discontinue expenditures on other survey tools in favor of the enterprise tool. A single service provider not only creates better economies of scale, but also allows for more efficient administration of university support. The Qualtrics system is considered highly sophisticated and contains more functionality than other providers, yet is also user-friendly and easily accessible.
How much does Qualtrics cost?
The Qualtrics survey tool is available without charge to all current students, faculty, and staff under an enterprise license agreement.
Can I import my existing surveys into Qualtrics?
Your existing service must have the ability to export. Many free accounts do not allow exporting data. Additionally, many other survey tools only have the ability to export the survey data. They do not have the ability to export the survey questions. Qualtrics has a great deal of content regarding the use of their Qualtrics Import & Export functionality.
Are there restrictions on how I use Qualtrics?
By logging into Qualtrics, you are agreeing to the Terms of Use.
Can I require George Mason authentication for respondents to access a Qualtrics survey?
In some cases, you may need to verify that the respondents are George Mason faculty, staff or students when taking a survey – examples of this would be when you are using Qualtrics to conduct voting (staff council, student government, etc.), or when using Qualtrics to conduct a quiz in the classroom.
If you have created a survey and would like to require respondents to authenticate with their George Mason NetID and Patriot Pass Password in order to access the survey, follow these steps for How to Add George Mason Authentication to a Qualtrics Survey.
Can I use Qualtrics to collect data for surveys requiring IRB approval?
It depends; Qualtrics is not storing the data on George Mason servers and it is not approved for the collection of private information or sensitive data. Please read the Terms of Use for more information.
How do I prepopulate login fields in my Qualtrics surveys?
In some situations where logging in to surveys with George Mason credentials (NetID and Patriot Pass Password) is required, you may wish to track individuals who have responded.
To capture this identifying information, you will first need to set up a survey requiring George Mason Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication. See How to Capture Identifying Information During Authentication in Qualtrics for instructions to set up a George Mason SSO authenticated survey and capture identifying information about respondents.
Note: If you would like to require George Mason SSO authentication, but do NOT wish to capture identifying information about the respondents, see How to Add George Mason Authentication to a Qualtrics Survey.
I am a student. Does that mean that I need to have a faculty or staff sponsor to use Qualtrics?
Only a faculty or staff member may create an account for a student. Most student users will be instructed how to access Qualtrics by their professors or department personnel. Student workers, who require Qualtrics but do not already have a George Mason account, should work with their supervisor to have an account created.
How do I get help using Qualtrics?
If you need help with your account, please contact your departmental administrator. You may refer to the list of Qualtrics Administrators to find the administrator for your department. If you need to move between departments, you will need to create a service request ticket. Please refer to the ITS Qualtrics page for the appropriate request to use.
Training and application support is provided through Qualtrics.
Application support
- 24/7 Live Support: Qualtrics offers support around the clock through email, chat, and an optional call back service. To access support, follow the link, select the option to sign in with SSO, type in “gmu” for the Organizational ID, and then you will be prompted to sign in with your George Mason credentials. Once on the support page, you will be able to select the option on how to receive support. If you select the option for “Phone”, you will be prompted to enter your contact information and Qualtrics Support will call you back.
- Qualtrics Support Documentation: Qualtrics keeps online documentation up to date with step-by-step instructions with everything from getting started to more complicated features
Training
Qualtrics Certification: Master the Qualtrics platform effectively collect, analyze, and act on the data
Qualtrics Community: Join discussion and network with other Qualtrics users on how to get things done in the platform, how to use custom code, and other creative solutions.
Training Webinars: Qualtrics hosts a variety of training webinars for users to learn different areas of the Qualtrics platform.
Qualtrics Resource Library: Access to a hub of webinars, case studies, e-books, and other resources for Qualtrics users organized by industry