Summary: Here is some answers to some frequently asked questions.
Projects
- How do I view/accept a shared project?
- When a collaborator shares a project with you, it is automatically shared to your account. If the project does not appear immediately, refresh your account. These shared projects can be found in the Shared Projects folder in your Projects module.
- Can I restore a deleted project?
- Yes, usually. You will need to contact your Qualtrics Administrator whose information can be found in Account Settings > Account Usage. Ask them to view your account information and see if your project is still able to be restored.
- Yes, usually. You will need to contact your Qualtrics Administrator whose information can be found in Account Settings > Account Usage. Ask them to view your account information and see if your project is still able to be restored.
Survey
- Can I edit an active survey that is currently being taken?
- Yes, but there are a few caveats. Only those who have not yet started your survey will see the changes you make. All previously completed surveys will see the original survey, not the updated one. This may change your data, so refrain from editing an active survey. If you notice typos or fonts you wish to change, that shouldn’t be an issue. Adding questions and options is also a viable option, however, deleting a question can severely alter you data, so avoid it unless you are 1000% sure you will never need the data from that question.
- How do I save/undo edits to my survey?
- Qualtrics, like Google Drive, automatically saves whenever you click on an actionable item outside of the are you are working on. When you edit a question, your work is saved once you begin editing a new question. Qualtrics will often allow you to undo a change by using Ctrl + z or Cmd + z (for Mac); however, not all actions are undoable.
- How do I recode the values to answers in my survey?
- Recode values are assigned in the order the answer choices are created. If you delete an option and add another, the values may appear out of order, because new answer choices get added to the sequential list that already exists. (Example, options Bob 1, Bob 2, and Bob 3, will be coded as such, but if you delete Bob 2 and add a different Bob 2, it will be recoded as 1, 3, and 4, instead of replacing the 2.
- To edit the question’s recoded values:
- 1. Click on the Question Options gear
- 2. Choose Recode Values
- 3. Select the Recode Values checkbox
- 4. Change the number values that appear next to each option
- To edit the question’s recoded values:
- This is most useful for extracting data and importing it into SPSS.
- Recode values are assigned in the order the answer choices are created. If you delete an option and add another, the values may appear out of order, because new answer choices get added to the sequential list that already exists. (Example, options Bob 1, Bob 2, and Bob 3, will be coded as such, but if you delete Bob 2 and add a different Bob 2, it will be recoded as 1, 3, and 4, instead of replacing the 2.
- How do I insert a back button to my survey?
- Open the Survey Options and select the Back Button checkbox. (Back buttons do now work across Branch Logic.)
- How do I add a consent form to my survey?
- Add a Multiple Choice question to the beginning of the survey and paste the consent form text into the question text area. Add Yes/No answer choices and use Skip Logic or Branch Logic to terminate the participant if they do not consent to complete the experiment. You can make the same question is two parts using Descriptive Text and a separate Multiple Choice question for the Yes/No. You can also utilize the Signature question type which allows you to receive identity verification through a digital signature via the mouse.
- How do I test my survey before distributing it?
- Preview Survey in the upper right hand corner of the survey module allows you to see/take the survey like a participant. You can also Test Survey under Tools and generate test results which can be used to examine idnum, reports, and data analysis to verify that the survey is functioning properly.
- How do I add a “please specify” box to an “Other” question option?
- Right click on the “Other” answer choice in your question and choose “Allow Text Entry”
- How do I add a progress bar to the top of my survey?
- Go to “Look & Feel,” next to the “Survey Flow” tab. You can add a progress bar here.
- Go to “Look & Feel,” next to the “Survey Flow” tab. You can add a progress bar here.
Distributions
- How can I make sure the participant only takes the survey once?
- If you are distributing your survey through the Qualtrics mailer or Individual Links, these links can only be used once and then become invalid. If you are distributing your survey through the Anonymous Link, there are two options to prevent participants from retaking your survey:
- Prevent Ballot Box Stuffing: you can enable this function in Survey Options. It will place a cookie in the participant’s browser that will restrict them from retaking the survey on that browser. However, if your participants are savvy enough to clear their cache or use a different browser/computer, they can get around this function.
- Authentication: you can use the Authenticator element in the Survey Flow. This will require the participant to be a member of a contact list you have previously set up within your account.
- If you are distributing your survey through the Qualtrics mailer or Individual Links, these links can only be used once and then become invalid. If you are distributing your survey through the Anonymous Link, there are two options to prevent participants from retaking your survey:
- What is the differences between Anonymous Link and an Individual Link?
- The Anonymous Link is a universal link that can be used as many times as needed (depending on whether you use the Prevent Ballot Box Stuffing option). The Anonymous Link will not collect any personal information on the participant except their geographical location (based on IP address). This link is optimal for publishing on MTurk.
- The Individual Link is automatically generated when you email your survey through the Qualtrics mailer or create Personal Links. They can only be used one time and will automatically collect contact information.
Data & Analysis
- How do I delete my previous responses or test responses?
- Check the boxes next to the responses you wish to delete. Then, click the button above the boxes that says With Selected and choose Delete. Be sure to click the box that says “I am sure I want to delete responses.”
- How do I set which columns I see in the response viewer?
- Click Tools and hover over Choose Columns. Then select the columns you want to show and deselect the columns you want to hide.
- How can I better understand the values I am seeing in my downloaded data file?
- In the exported file, the first eleven columns in any downloaded data file contain basic survey participant information such as Response ID, IP address, name etc. Some of these columns may be empty depending on the type of survey. Any embedded data fields will come next in the data file (only if you have Embedded Data in the Survey Flow).
- Questions and their results follow that all headed with the question labels (which you can edit in the survey module) and a few lines of question text. Simple questions like Text Entry, Multiple Choice, etc. will be contained in one column while more complex questions (Matrix, Side by Side, etc.) will be broken across columns. Examine question labels and recode values to better navigate the results.
- The final few columns are geographical information.
Library
- What is the max file size I can upload?
- The max file size for all files is 16 MB. The only exception is contact lists which can be up to 100 MB.
- How can I copy a survey/block/question to my library?
- Navigate to your Survey Library.
- Click Copy to this Library.
- Choose the element type (survey, block, question).
- Choose the survey you want to copy (if copying a block or question, also select the desired block or question).
- Choose the folder you want to add the copy to and name the copy.
- Click Save.
If you have any more questions, visit the Qualtrics Support – Frequently Asked Questions page.