Before accessing the UBC Survey Tool for the first time, it is important you review the following information. The UBC Survey Tool is an online research core survey platform service that is available to the following:
- UBC staff,
- UBC faculty members,
- actively enrolled UBC students
- sponsored users with a CWL Guest account (see “Sponsored Users” below)
- external collaborators (see “Survey Data Ownership and Sharing” below)
If you do not fall into any of the above categories, you cannot use the Survey Tool.
As part of the academic license arrangement, the Survey Tool can be used for all academic and research purposes. The Survey Tool must not be used for commercial or personal purposes, or to collect credit card, bank account, or similar financial information for payment purposes.
Sponsored Users
UBC staff and faculty members may sponsor a third party for a CWL guest account. The sponsored user will then be eligible to use the UBC Survey Tool. More information on how to sponsor a CWL guest account is available here: https://it.ubc.ca/services/accounts-passwords/campus-wide-login-cwl/how-sponsor-guest
Data Security
The Survey Tool is a cloud-based service provisioned by Qualtrics, a service provider contracted by UBC. The survey information collected using this tool is stored in Toronto, Ontario and backed up in Montreal, Quebec. The Survey Tool has completed UBC’s Privacy Impact Assessment process, which assesses the privacy and security of UBC systems. Information collected using the Survey Tool is kept secure using measures including data encryption.
Qualtrics does not sell or make available any information about their customers or their data without their express permission, except as might be required by a law enforcement agency in regards to copyright/patent violations or unlawful acts. At no time will Qualtrics voluntarily disclose customer information without a court order and the consent of the customer.
Survey Data Ownership and Sharing
The person who creates a survey using the Survey Tool is called the “UBC Survey Owner”. The UBC Survey Owner owns and is responsible for the survey data. Qualtrics is not responsible for any data lost or stolen through hacking or negligence by the UBC Survey Owner. Ownership of a survey can be transferred by the UBC Administrator by user request.
Groups can be created on the Survey Tool for collaborative processes and may be designated as the owner of a survey. Members of Groups are granted privileges to view data associated with it. Groups can requested by a user and implemented by the UBC Administrator.
Individual surveys may be collaborated (or shared) with other Survey Tool users or Groups, inside or outside UBC (“Collaborators”) using the Survey Tool interface. When collaborating, the UBC Survey Owner can specify which permission the Collaborators should have, including access to view associated data. Access to collaboration functions may be restricted on a per user basis.
Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
Collection of personal information by UBC is governed by the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). When personal information is collected, the FIPPA requires you to provide a consent statement using the following template:
Privacy Notification: Your personal information is collected under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). This information will be used for ________________. Questions about the collection of this information may be directed to ________________.
The use and disclosure of personal information by UBC is also governed by the FIPPA. Personal information is confidential and must be stored securely. This information may be shared between UBC faculty and staff and their Collaborators on a “need to know” basis but should not be shared with anybody else without the consent of the individuals the information is about.
More information about the collection, use and disclosure of personal information is available at: https://universitycounsel.ubc.ca/subject-areas/access-and-privacy-general/useful-resources/
Survey Governance
UBC has established a Survey Governance Committee to provide a centralized and coordinated approach, with the aim to reduce survey duplication while also helping to increase response rates and improve the quality and use of feedback. The committee, which comprises UBC students, faculty, staff and senior administrators, will review surveys intended for broad distribution to the university community, in adherence with privacy legislation and the Data Governance Program. They will help coordinate the timing of surveys to avoid potential conflicts, and will offer additional survey support if needed. The committee will prioritize surveys that are being conducted for academic research, institutional surveys, and those strongly supporting the strategic priorities of the university. They will also evaluate requests by external agencies to conduct surveys with UBC students, faculty, staff and alumni.
For more information about the Survey Governance Committee please visit: https://pair.ubc.ca/surveys/survey-governance/ or email survey.governance@ubc.ca.
Use of Survey Tool for Research Purposes
If you are planning to use the Survey Tool to collect personal information for the purposes of a research project, you may be required to seek approval from the relevant Research Ethics Board before proceeding.
Service Access for Support
When a UBC Survey Owner asks the Qualtrics support team for help, they may be asked to grant the support representative temporary access to the account. This is required to allow the support representative to view an individual survey in order to give advice or isolate a problem. This option may be disabled by the customer for a period of time or permanently.
Qualtrics technical support may ask for personal information before accessing a user’s account, if the request is by phone or by email, in order to verify the identity of the UBC Survey Owner. However, Qualtrics technical staff will never ask for a user’s password. Passwords are salted-hashed values and not viewable by any Qualtrics employee.
The UBC Administrator(s) have full control over the Survey Tool and may log-in to any user account to help administer the account, to help troubleshoot or to migrate survey information between instances. UBC Administrator(s) will perform these functions with the consent of the UBC Survey Owner. If access is required for business purposes and it is not feasible to secure consent, access may be granted to the account by the Office of the University Counsel, and the Administrative Head of Unit pursuant to UBC Policy SC14. In cases where the user is no longer associated with UBC, ownership of the account may be transferred to a new UBC Survey Owner.
Note: By agreeing to use this service your CWL-associated email will be automatically opted-in and added to the UBC Qualtrics support mailing list which we will use to contact you in the event any changes are made to the existing survey tool that could impact your data collection.
Qualtrics Terms of Service
In addition to these terms, users of this Survey Tool are required to understand the Qualtrics terms of service including all acceptable and non-acceptable use of the service; further details can be found via https://www.qualtrics.com/terms-of-service/.
