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Surveys

TAMU offers the following services to collect survey data

Qualtrics​

The Qualtrics Survey Application service provided by Texas A&M is a secure, university-approved online platform for designing, distributing, and analyzing surveys.

Here is a quick breakdown of what the service offers:

  • Purpose: It is intended for legitimate academic research, institutional business, and teaching purposes.
  • Cost: The service is centrally funded and provided at no cost to Texas A&M faculty, staff, and students. However, because the university is charged per response, users are asked to use it strictly for official or critical data collection (and use tools like Google Forms or Microsoft Forms for casual use).
  • Security & Compliance: It meets major university data security requirements. It is approved for FERPA-protected data (with proper authorization), but is not allowed for HIPAA data, government ID numbers, or sensitive financial records.
  • Getting Started: Accounts are not automatic; you must request an account through your college or department's designated IT contact before logging in. Students working on independent research (like a thesis) can request access via the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Evaluation.

More information can be found at the Service Page: https://www.it.tamu.edu/services/services-by-category/teaching-and-learning/qualtrics-survey-application.html

Microsoft Forms​

The Microsoft Forms service is a user-friendly, web-based tool provided by Texas A&M University (via Microsoft 365) that allows faculty, staff, and students to quickly create online surveys, quizzes, polls, and sign-up sheets.

Here is a quick overview of the service:

  • Purpose: Ideal for non-critical, everyday data collection, such as event registrations, quick team feedback, classroom quizzes, and simple polls.
  • Cost: Available at no additional cost to all current Texas A&M users as part of the university’s Microsoft 365 license.
  • Ease of Use: Features a highly intuitive, drag-and-drop interface with built-in templates, automated charts for visual response analysis, and seamless integration with other Microsoft tools (like exporting results directly to Excel).
  • Security & Getting Started: Users can log in instantly using their official @tamu.edu NetID credentials. While secure for general university business, it is best suited for low-risk data and should not be used for highly sensitive, restricted, or regulated research data.

More information can be found at the Service Page: https://www.it.tamu.edu/microsoft-365/apps/forms.html

Google Forms​

The Google Forms service is a lightweight, web-based survey and form creation tool available to Texas A&M University faculty, staff, and students through the university's Google Workspace environment.

Here is a quick overview of the service:

  • Purpose: Best suited for quick, casual, and non-critical data collection, such as simple polls, rsvp sign-ups, workshop feedback, and basic collaborative questionnaires.
  • Cost: Provided at no additional cost as part of Texas A&M's enterprise Google Workspace for Education.
  • Key Features: Offers an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that allows multiple team members to collaborate on form design in real time. Results are captured instantly and automatically sync with Google Sheets for straightforward data viewing and organization.
  • Access & Security: Users can log in immediately using their official @tamu.edu NetID credentials. While secure for routine campus activities, it is intended for low-risk data and should not be used to collect highly confidential, restricted, or regulated academic research data.

Get started here: https://docs.google.com/forms/