Survey tools
Information about survey tools available for researchers
What survey software should I be using for my research?
The University does not mandate the use of survey software for your research and the choice of tool will depend on your application.
The University has licenses for QuestionPro and REDCap:
- QuestionPro is suitable for most standard surveys and is the default recommended option. It is supported by Information Services and the data is hosted within Australia.
- REDCap is particularly suited for longitudinal studies and is used predominantly for health research. It is managed by Information Services and the data stored on La Trobe servers.
Other survey tools are listed below, but researchers should note that these options are not supported by IS and are used at your own risk.
QuestionPro
Capabilities
Easy to use, suitable for most surveys and flexible. The University currently provides QuestionPro access for staff and students to conduct surveys. It is also supported by Information Services and the data is hosted within the USA. Please note that if you are contractually obliged to store your data in Australia only, then you should use REDCap, not QuestionPro.
How can I access the QuestionPro licence?
The University’s Surveys Policy requires a formal application to be made prior to the conduct of any survey of prospective, current and past students or La Trobe staff. This is to ensure that surveys do not overlap with our La Trobe core surveys.
For La Trobe internal surveys that fall under the policy, please refer to the PIPU website for further information and to submit your enquiry and application via PIPU’s Online Enquiry Form.
The surveys policy approval process does not apply to minor student projects and research surveys approved by the University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) or its Low-Risk Sub-Committees. However, research surveys require HREC or Low-Risk Sub-Committee approval prior to release.
For research surveys, La Trobe’s QuestionPro licence can be accessed here:
Access QuestionPro [La Trobe login required]
For researchers, please contact the Digital Research team for any further support or queries.
Help and further information
QuestionPro provides online tutorials and webinars, 24/7 live chat support, email and phone support. Their Australian number is +61 2 8074 5080.
The Help Center has basic instructions on the use of the software. Access the Help Center by clicking here
Training
The following on-demand training videos are available:
- Session 1- Getting Started with QuestionPro
- Session 2 - Survey Distribution and Offline App
- Session 3 - Data Analytics & Reporting, Qualtrics Migration, Integrations
Self-paced training videos and webinars can be accessed by clicking here.
Upcoming online training webinars can be accessed by clicking here.
REDCap
Capabilities
REDCap is a secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases, which can be used to collect virtually any type of data, but it is specifically geared to support data capture for research studies. It is particularly well-suited to longitudinal studies and patient data.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I access REDCap at La Trobe University as a staff member?
REDCap for La Trobe researchers can be accessed here. All the La Trobe University staff have access to REDCap by default. They can login using their single sign on user account and their email password. If you do not know your single sign on user name, please refer to this link to learn more about it.
- Can I access REDCap as a Higher Degree Research (HDR) student?
Yes, all HDR students (PhD and Masters by research) can access REDCap by default using their institutional account. Here is the link that explains an institutional account.
- Can I access REDCap as an honours or a non-HDR student?
All non-HDR students including honours and masters students do not have access to REDCap by default. However, their supervisors can apply for them to get an account using this form. These students will get an account with a one year expiry but they will not be able to create projects. Their supervisors will need to add them to the project on which these students will work.
- Can my collaborators be added to a La Trobe REDCap project?
Yes, you can request that your collaborators are added to the La Trobe REDCap system using this form. They will get an account with a one year expiry and will not be able to create new projects. The local sponsor would need to add them to the relevant projects.
- How much training is required to use REDCap?
You will need a minimal level of training to be able to use REDCap on your own. Digital Research Training program provides both basic and advanced training on REDCap regularly which can be accessed from this page.
- Is there any additional support available?
Yes, if you have any specific questions about use of REDCap in your projects, you can request help using this request form. You can also send an email to redcap-admin@latrobe.edu.au.
REDCap Community Hour:
Many users have considerable knowledge and experience in using REDCap and the Community Hour provides an opportunity for collaboration between researchers here at La Trobe. Whether you are just about to create a project in REDCap, are in the middle or the end of data collection and are unsure what to do next, the Community Hour will help you decide.
Hosted by La Trobe’s Digital Research Analyst and REDCap Administrator, Dr Sam Ryan, the REDCap Community Hour occurs fortnightly on Tuesday 2 to 3 pm via Zoom.
- Is there any cost associated with attending training or accessing REDCap?
No, the access to REDCap as a system and training and support is completely FREE!
- Where is my REDCap data stored?
The REDCap is deployed on the servers within La Trobe and data is stored locally at La Trobe.
- Is the data in REDCap backed up?
Yes, the data stored in REDCp is backed up according to the La Trobe policies.
- Can other people see my project in REDCap?
No, only the people that you add to your project will be able to access your project.
- Is REDCap recommended by ethics?
Yes, REDCap is a tool recommended to manage all types of projects by La Trobe’s ethics committees.
- How do I access the collected data for advanced analysis at various points during the study?
Data from your study can be easily exported into Microsoft Excel and analysis packages such as SPSS, SAS, R, and STATA.
- Where to from here?
Please feel free to ask any questions you might have about REDCap by filling in this form.
Other survey software options
There are a number of other tools available that you are welcome to investigate, however please note that these are not supported by the University. In exploring suitable options, you should be asking where your survey data will be stored and who has access to it. Also ensure that your choice complies with the University's Research Data Management Policy.
- Survey Monkey – Free customisable surveys. For a fee, there is a suite of back-end programs that include data analysis, sample selection, bias elimination and data representation tools. Large-scale enterprise options for companies interested in data analysis, brand management, and consumer-focused marketing. Data is hosted in the USA. For further information visit the website.
- LimeSurvey - Unlimited number of free surveys with many available features, however, pricing is based on the number of responses above 25. It provides for surveys in multiple languages and surveys can be anonymous and may include graphics or video. Data is hosted overseas in USA, Canada or Germany. For further information visit the website.
- SurveyAnalytics - A suite of interconnected and easy-to-use information collection and analysis tools, including online surveys, mobile data collection, advanced analysis and data visualization. Hosted overseas in USA. For further information visit the website.
- EpiData – Used to define data entry by entering quantitative data and documenting the quality of the data. Also used for basic statistical analysis and graphing of data, including creating and grouping variables (data management). For further information visit the website.