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Qualtrics - FAQ

What survey tool does OIT support?

OIT provides support for Qualtrics, a full-featured, web-based tool for creating, distributing, capturing, and analyzing surveys.

Who can use Qualtrics?

Qualtrics is available to faculty, staff, students, and affiliates with an active IdentiKey. This includes those with a primary affiliation on the CU Boulder Campus of Student, Staff, Officer/Professional, Faculty, POI, Affiliate, Retiree, or Emeritus. 

How much does it cost to use Qualtrics?

Qualtrics is provided as a common-good service to the campus which means there is no direct cost to the individual or department.

How do I access Qualtrics?

Qualtrics can be accessed at https://qualtrics.colorado.edu.

How do I get a Qualtrics account?

When you log into Qualtrics for the first time an account will be automatically created for you. Log in to Qualtrics using your IdentiKey username and password.

*Note: Because Qualtrics uses CU Boulder's Federated Identity Service, you may be prompted to verify the information on your Digital ID card when you log in. For more information, visit the Federated Identity Service page.

I have an existing account on a non CU Boulder instance of Qualtrics. How can I combine/merge that with my CU Qualtrics Account?

In order to combine a non CU Boulder (i.e. an account that resides at Qualtrics.com or another institutions instance), with your CU Boulder account, you first need to have an active account through CU Boulder. Activate your CU account by logging in to Qualtrics using your IdentiKey and password.

Once you have activated your account, fill out the Request to Merge Qualtrics Accounts Form. As part of the merging process your Non CU Boulder account will be deleted.

Where should I go if I have questions about using Qualtrics?
  • To access extensive online training materials, to receive technical support, make a feature request, or provide feedback please contact Qualtrics Support through the Qualtrics Support Center and select login with SSO log in with “cuboulder” as the Organization ID.
  • When logged into Qualtrics, click Help and log in using “cuboulder” as the Organization ID.
  • You can also search for help tutorials through Qualtrics Support.
  • Call the Qualtrics Support Center at 1-800-340-9194.
  • For Accessibility concerns, visit the Check Survey Accessibility page.
I went to the Qualtrics Service Page and it gives me an error message. What should I do?

Contact the IT Service Center via email at oithelp@colorado.edu or by phone at 303-735-4357. Provide a detailed description of the error message you received.

When a survey is emailed from within Qualtrics to me what is the “from” address?

When a survey is emailed to you from within Qualtrics the “from” Address will be qualtrics_survey@colorado.edu.

Which web browsers does Qualtrics support?

Qualtrics recommends you use the latest version of your browser of choice. The web browsers officially supported by Qualtrics are Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge.

Older versions of these browsers may still work, but are not recommended, as they are not as well suited for the latest web technologies, may not function as intended, and may expose the user to inherent security vulnerabilities.

OIT does not support all browser versions. If you are not on an OIT supported Browser, OIT recommends you update your browser to one that is supported. Learn more on the Supported Software and Hardware page.

Do I need to consider IRB when using Qualtrics?

All research conducted by faculty, staff, or students involving human subjects at CU Boulder must be reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to conducting the research.  The primary goal of the IRB is to facilitate ethically responsible human subjects research.

I need to get approval from the IRB to use Qualtrics. Where can I get information on how Qualtrics secures data?

Contact the Qualtrics Support Center to receive information on how they secure their data. 

  1. While logged into Qualtrics, click Help and login using “cuboulder” as the Organization ID.
  2. Click Contact Support
How do I get the ownership of a project/survey transferred from one user account to another?

To transfer ownership of a Project/Survey from one user account to another submit the Request to Transfer Ownership of a Project Form.

Where can I find existing CU survey data?

Qualtrics survey developers can review the Office of Data Analytics (ODA) Survey page to see the types of studies that have already been conducted to avoid duplicating similar research questions or studies.

How do I use Contact Lists in Qualtrics?

Instructions on using Contact Lists (Distribution Lists) are available at the Qualtrics Support website.

How do I share a project with someone from CU Boulder?

The individual(s) you want to Share with must have an account on the CU Boulder instance of Qualtrics (They must have logged into the Qualtrics system at least once with their IdentiKey).

Instructions on the process of sharing your project with an on campus user are available on the Qualtrics University website in the Sharing Inside your Organization section.

*Note: When adding a user within the campus that you would like to share your project with, be sure to search for the user by name, rather than IdentiKey or email address.

How do I share a project with colleagues from other universities?

Instructions on the process of sharing your project with colleagues at other universities on the Qualtrics University website in the Sharing Outside your Organization section.

What information should I use to cite Qualtrics in my research?
Name of Company: Qualtrics Labs, Inc.
Development Company: Qualtrics Labs, Inc.
Year of Development: 2005 year of first release, but current version is 2009. Please check the tool for the current copyright year. The current copyright year should match the year of development.
Location: Provo, Utah, USA.
Version: 12,018 and counting. The version changes with each update, and can be found at bottom of page after the copyright notice when logged into the tool.
What URL should I use to bookmark Qualtrics?

To bookmark Qualtrics, go to your browser’s bookmark configuration settings and enter the URL for this service: https://qualtrics.colorado.edu

Is there a limit to the amount of names I can place on a Contact List?

Yes. Each contact list can contain up to 10,000 names. See the Bulk Messaging policy for more information. 

Is there a limit on the number people I can email surveys to?

Yes, Individual users can distribute up to 50,000 emails per week. This helps Qualtrics maintain a high rate of email deliverability while ensuring added security. Each contact list can contain up to 10,000 names. If your survey is being sent to more recipients, you may request an exception. To request that your Qualtrics account permissions be adjusted to accommodate your business needs, please contact the IT Service Center at oithelp@colorado.edu or 303-735-4357 (or 5-HELP) and provide the business need. See the Bulk Messaging policy for more information. 

What if the survey distribution limit does not meet my business needs?

Contact the IT Service Center at oithelp@colorado.edu to request a higher survey distribution. Please provide the following information in your request:

  • Background information as to why your account would need to send more than 50,000 emails/per week
  • How many emails you are requesting to be sent per week

OIT will forward this information to Qualtrics and will facilitate communication with them.

Why is the question type I want to use unavailable?

Some question types like Rank Order and Sliders have been made unavailable to members of the CU Boulder campus because they are inaccessible to individuals using assistive technology. These question types will appear greyed-out in Qualtrics to ensure that all surveys sent out by our students, faculty, and staff are accessible to all recipients. Exceptions can be made in the case of a pressing business or research need; if you would like to request access to one of these question types, please do so using the Qualtrics Accessibility Exception Request Form.