What survey or data collection software can I use for human subjects research?
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Indiana University has strict policies (such as RCDM-01 IU policy regarding the management of institutional data catalog entrydirect linkRCDM-01IU policy regarding the management of institutional dataDM-01 and RCDM-02 IU policy regarding disclosure of institutional information to third parties catalog entrydirect linkRCDM-02IU policy regarding disclosure of institutional information to third partiesDM-02) that govern how institutional and research data must be handled, which means not all commercial or cloud-based tools are appropriate or permitted, especially for work involving human subjects, identifiable personal data, or regulated data (e.g., HIPAA, FERPA, GDPR-related information).
Some of the common platforms that are currently available for IU Researchers and may be appropriate for some types of research data collection:
RCREDCap Secure web platform for self-managed data collection catalog entrydirect linkRCREDCapSecure web platform for self-managed data collectionREDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture)
RCQualtrics Instructions for making Qualtrics account & appropriate uses for the platform catalog entrydirect linkRCQualtricsInstructions for making Qualtrics account & appropriate uses for the platformQualtrics
IU strongly encourages the use of university-supported platforms that have undergone a thorough review for security, compliance, and integration with IU systems. For data collection, platforms like REDCap are recommended for sensitive data because they offer secure, IU-hosted environments that support RCHIPAA compliance HIPAA provides standards for protecting patient health information catalog entrydirect linkRCHIPAA complianceHIPAA provides standards for protecting patient health informationHIPAA compliance, audit trails, and flexible form creation. The RCCenter for Survey Research (CSR) State-of-the-art qualitative and quantitative research services catalog entrydirect linkRCCenter for Survey Research (CSR)State-of-the-art qualitative and quantitative research servicesCenter for Survey Research (CSR) has advanced capabilities in RedCap and Qualtrics programming and has the capacity to assist researchers in data collection.
For qualitative analysis, researchers often inquire about tools like RCDedoose Web-based application for organizing & analyzing research data catalog entrydirect linkRCDedooseWeb-based application for organizing & analyzing research dataDedoose or RCNVivo Qualitative data analysis software package catalog entrydirect linkRCNVivoQualitative data analysis software packageNVivo for analysis purposes. These can be used in some cases, but researchers must ensure that their use complies with IU's third-party data processing policies, particularly if the tools are cloud-based or involve external data servers, or if the data is being shared across teams.
Before using any external service or tool, researchers should ensure it is appropriate for the security level required for their data. For assistance, consult with RCSecureMyResearch Free resources & consulting to help researchers protect data catalog entrydirect linkRCSecureMyResearchFree resources & consulting to help researchers protect dataSecureMyResearch to determine whether a platform is approved. Using an unapproved tool for regulated data collection can violate university policy and funder requirements, and may put sensitive data at risk. If a tool is not on the pre-approved list, researchers may need to request a Third-Party Assessment before using it with institutional or sensitive data.
IU's goal is to provide researchers with the tools they need while also protecting the data, the university, and the individuals whose information is involved. To that end, early consultation with a RCData Steward Data Stewards are responsible for the governance of each subject area catalog entrydirect linkRCData StewardData Stewards are responsible for the governance of each subject areaData Steward and/or SecureMyResearch is highly encouraged when planning to use any third-party software. Doing so can help avoid compliance issues and ensure that data workflows are secure, ethical, and institutionally supported.
