MSU Qualtrics: Getting Started

Creating a Qualtrics Survey

NOTE: Do not collect data you don’t need. For example, if you don’t need a responder’s name, don’t ask for it. Know what is considered confidential data and how to best handle it by reviewing the MSU Institutional Data Policy and the Securing Data web page. Data security is everyone’s responsibility.

Create a Project

After logging into qualtrics.msu.edu with your MSU NetID and password, you will be in your My Projects space.

Click the button that says “+ Create Project.”

Next, type in your project name and a folder name if you want to file your survey project in a certain way.

Then click the “Create Project” button.

Qualtrics creates your survey project using amultiple choice default question type, though you can customize the default or upload your own questions.

Branding a Survey

The default branding in MSU Qualtrics is the Michigan State University template.

Add your department or unit name to any survey by clicking on “Look & Feel” at the top menu under the “Survey” tab.

Then click on “Advanced” and add “Header” text. This will show below the Michigan State University heading and above the your survey content on each page of the survey.

Using the header text deafults are recommended.

It’s also recommended you add some introduction text before the survey questions. This text could provide an overview of the survey, the purpose, whether the survey is anonymous or not, the date when the survey will be closed, and an approximate time the survey will take.

Edit Questions

If you want to use a different types of questions other than multiple choice, click the green “Multiple Choice” button on the right. This pulls up the full Question Type menu.

To change the text on your question, click on the default text. An edit field will open for you to select the text, delete the default text, and insert your own text. The down arrow next to the edit field allows you to use more advanced features as needed.

Add as many questions as you need to by clicking the “+ Create a New Question” button. Then the system will add a new Multiple Choice default question for you to customize.

Preview a Survey

After you have added all your questions, click the blue “Preview Survey” button at the top of your survey. A new window will open up, showing what your survey will look like in a desktop web browser and mobile browser format to survey takers.

You can test your survey by responding to the questions in the preview. If you click the button with the two side arrows (>>) at the bottom of a page, it will take you to the next page in your survey or to the end of the survey, depending on how many questions you have.

If you want to test out different question options, you can click the green “Restart Survey” button at the top and it will refresh the page for you. Clicking the “Close Preview” button at the top left corner will return you to your survey editing window.

NOTE: If you preview your survey and submit it, the data you entered during the preview test will be part of your data set at the end, so you’ll want to go in and clean out the test data.

Send a Survey

After you are happy with how your survey looks, you will need to send your survey. It is strongly recommended that you allow some trusted reviewers to also preview the survey for you. You can do this by sharing with them an anonymous link (see below for instructions).

To use the mailing option within the Qualtrics platform, click the green “Compose Email” button. This option allows you to create a new contact list or type in individual email addresses.

To send an anonymous link that can be used by repeatedly and isn’t tied to an individual, click the green “Get a single reusable link” button. Qualtrics creates a link that you can paste into an email or post in any messaging or sharing platform outside of the Qualtrics platform.

View Survey Data and Reports

Once your survey is distributed, it will begin to collect data as people respond to it. You can click on the “Data & Analysis” tab at the top to view the responses you’ve received.

In order to see graphical reports based on your data, click on the “Reports” tab. Different visualization options can be selected to change the type of graph you see.

After you have collected as many responses as you need, you should close your survey. This will deactivate the survey link and not allow any more survey responses to come in.

On your main “My Projects” page, click the down arrow on the right next to the name of your survey. Then select the “Close” option when the window opens.