Whether you are gathering data for a small research study or managing a large-scale research project, selecting the right platform depends on your specific needs. Key factors to consider include the complexity of the logic in your survey, how responses will be collected and analyzed, and the level of collaboration required. Some platforms are designed for basic surveys, while others offer advanced features like branching, conditional logic, and multilingual support. Understanding what you need your survey to do will guide you in finding the best fit for your research.

This resource provides guidance on using institutionally-supported tools for online surveys involving human participants. Explore each option to understand access permissions, data and security considerations, ethics and research compliance, accessibility and compatibility features, and survey design and functionality as well as which McMaster unit provides or hosts the tool.

Before you begin: Explore key considerations for data privacy, security and compliance

Before exploring the platform options, take a moment to familiarize yourself with key information that will help you make informed decisions about using digital platforms for data collection and management. Online data collection introduces potential privacy and security risks, making it essential for researchers to understand how to protect research participants and comply with Tri-Council Policy Statement Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 (2022), specifically Chapter 5: Privacy and Confidentiality.

Consider important topics such as privacy policies, how services use your data, and the implications of security certifications. Understand the security claims made by different platforms, the risks of companies using your data to train AI models, and where your data is being stored. Additionally, learn how to control access to your account to ensure the security of your research data.