At a Glance
Which tools to use?
- Microsoft Forms can be used to make simple surveys and self-graded quizzes, but by requesting help from the Service Desk, you can use Forms to automate things like:
- Approval processes with multiple steps and approvers
- Custom email notifications based on response criteria
- Qualtrics is a powerful survey platform with a wide variety of question types, email triggers, distribution options, and collaboration settings ideal for data collection and research projects.
- REDCap - Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) is a secure, web-based application for building and managing online surveys and databases for research applications. REDCap is ideal for projects collecting data in community settings and in multi-site projects such as clinical trials.
Feature Comparison
| Feature |
Microsoft Forms |
Qualtrics |
REDCap |
| Question type: Multiple choice |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Question type: File upload |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Display logic & branching |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Allows for anonymous responses |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Built-in distribution via email |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Built-in distribution via SMS |
No |
No |
No |
| Ability to track which individuals have responded |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Automated email reminders |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Other configurable email triggers |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Download raw response data |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Automated accessibility/usability review |
No |
Yes |
No |
Question Type
| Question Types |
Microsoft Forms |
Qualtrics |
REDCap |
| Multiple Choice |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Text Entry |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Rank Order |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Matrix Table |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Slider |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Side by Side |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Constant Sum |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Hot Spot |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Graphic Slider |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Drill Down |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Pick Group and Rank |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Heat Map |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Net Promoter® Score |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Highlight |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Signature |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Timing |
No |
Yes |
No |
| File Upload |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Screen Capture |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Captcha Verification |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Likert |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Branching |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Meta Info |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Distribution Option
| Distribution Option |
Microsoft Forms |
Qualtrics |
REDCap |
| Via email |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Via link |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Via social media |
No |
Yes |
No |
| Via SMS |
No |
No |
No |
| Via QR code |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Allows anonymous submissions |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Ability to track individual respondents |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Set start and end dates for response collection |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Collaborative Option
| Collaborative Option |
Microsoft Forms |
Qualtrics |
REDCap |
| Allows multiple collaborators |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Allows non-OHIO collaborators |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Allows OHIO collaborators |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Configure whether an individual collaborator can activate/deactivate a survey |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Configure whether an individual collaborator can copy a survey project |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Configure whether an individual collaborator can distribute a survey |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Configure which survey data individual collaborators have access to |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
