Iowa State University
College of Human Sciences


Office of Distance Education and Educational Technology

Resources - Surveys, Quizzes, Polls


Online survey options:

ODEET provides support services for three methods of online survey delivery:

    1. Custom programmed web form

    2. WebCT

    3. SurveyGizmo (http://www.surveygizmo.com)

Survey characteristics
(as supported by ODEET staff)
Custom form
WebCT
SurveyGizmo*
can include user authentication by netID
yes
yes
no
anonymous submission option
yes
yes
yes
easy for non-ISU users to access
yes
no
yes
can restrict to single submission per user
yes
yes
no
can randomize questions
no
yes
no
can change questions based on responses
no
no
yes
can use multiple pages
no
no
yes
has unique URL for distribution
yes
no
yes
can include links, images
yes
yes
yes
each kept submission as separate record
no
yes
yes
can export results in Excel compatible format
yes
yes
yes
generates response statistics report
no
yes
yes
customizable appearance (color, font)
limited
no
yes
option for researcher to edit code directly
no
yes
no
optimal survey length (questions)

short (<25)
any length
any length
number of question format options
least
middle
most

 

* additional delivery features are available with SurveyGizmo that are not directly supported by ODEET staff at this time


Presently there is no fee to college faculty and staff for survey support provided via one of the 3 methods listed above. Other survey support services are available on campus, including AccessPlus (AccessPlus survey policy & user guide) and RISE, but they have an associated cost.



Development policies KEY points
(see complete ODEET Research Survey Support Policies & Best Practices)

    • Please consult with us about survey layout and allowable question formats.

    • Submit the appropriate work order form.

    • Plan on 2-3 weeks for survey coding.

    • The researcher is responsible for obtaining Human Subjects Testing (IRB) approval or exemption.

    • The researcher is responsible for pilot testing the coded survey to verify form accuracy.

    • We will send you your data file as a tally (customizable form), or Excel compatible file (WebCT, SurveyGizmo) upon your request.

    • If your survey asks for personal information that must remain separate from other responses to preserve anonymity (e.g. optional incentive drawing), we can strip the personal data from the responses and send it to you in separate files.

    • Handout describing and comparing the 3 survey formats that are supported in-house.


Support & Services:

 

SurveyGizmo Software

The College has a license to deliver online surveys through SurveyGizmo, a hosted survey service. Assistance with coding surveys for instruction, research, and administrative use is available through ODEET. Contact hsonline@iastate.edu.