Qualtrics - Acceptable Use Policy

Purpose and Use

Qualtrics is a web-based survey service available for use by all OU faculty, administrators, staff and students. The Qualtrics survey research tool allows users to conduct research and gather information in support of the university's educational mission and organizational goals.

This Acceptable Use Policy outlines the terms and conditions governing the use of Qualtrics and establishes guidelines for appropriate behavior and usage.

Usage Guidelines

1. Qualtrics surveys can only be used for purposes directly related to the university's mission. Such uses include academic research, surveys carried out under the auspices of a university course, surveys conducted by schools/colleges/divisions and other appropriate campus units, and surveys conducted under student government's auspices. The use of Qualtrics for non-university related activities is prohibited.
2. All usage of Qualtrics, distribution of surveys, and use of university computers must comply with the Acceptable Use Policy, Cybersecurity Policy and Email Transmission and Use Policy mandated by OU Information Technology.
3. Surveys must protect the privacy and confidentiality of student, faculty, staff, patient, and/or other institutional information as required by FERPA, HIPAA, and all other applicable university policies, state laws, and federal law including the federal copyright laws. Specifically, surveys may never be used to collect:
   • Social Security Numbers (SSN)
   • Payment Card Information (includes credit cards, bank cards, and other forms of payment)
   • Financial account numbers
   • Driver's License or State Identification Numbers
   • Employer or Taxpayer Identification Numbers (EINs or TINs)
   • Passport or national identification numbers
   • Biometric data (including fingerprints or retinal scans)
   • Usernames and Passwords
4. The University of Oklahoma has established a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Qualtrics allowing the Health Science Center health care components (HCC) to utilize the Qualtrics online survey and analytics tool with ePHI. With this update, please know that the use of University PHI for research, analytics, and reporting is still governed by the University’s HIPAA polices. If you have any questions, please reach out to the University’s HIPAA Compliance Team at oucompliance@ouhsc.edu
5. Qualtrics is also compliant with handling FERPA data. Users can use Qualtrics for academic research and surveys, ensuring compliance with FERPA regulations and maintaining the confidentiality of student information. For detailed information on FERPA, please refer to the OU FERPA Information Page.
6. In accordance with federal regulations and University policies, all research involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to any research intervention with participants. Please visit the OU IRB for more information. Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with federal regulations and OU research policies.
7. The use of OU’s logos, seals, or trademarks within survey must conform to relevant university polices and brand guidelines as outlined by the OU Brand Guide.
8. Surveys may not contain any inappropriate, foul, disrespectful, or prejudicial language, questions, or comments. Information regarding harassment and discrimination can be found here: https://www.ou.edu/eoo/about/policies-procedures/non-discrimination
9. Qualtrics indefinitely archives survey tools and responses, but users must ensure data is stored securely. To comply with FERPA and HIPAA regulations, archival must use compliant storage such as OU IT Network File Storage, Microsoft Teams/SharePoint, OneDrive, or encrypted drives. Departments may face penalties for improper storage, especially if unencrypted drives with survey data are misplaced or stolen.
10. Qualtrics administrators will routinely monitor the volume of surveys and survey respondents for system management purposes. Usage may also be subject to auditing and security testing.