In recent years, the use of online surveys to conduct academic research has skyrocketed. There are many advantages of administering surveys online as compared to traditional paper-and-pencil methods, including relatively lower costs, greater access to diverse participant pools, and the ability to incorporate innovative functionality such as logic that adaptively adjusts a survey according to each participant’s unique characteristics or responses. However, platforms used to design and distribute online surveys generally have a steep learning curve. There is an absence of formal training or reliable guidance on how to effectively use those platforms, or more broadly, how to rigorously administer online surveys. As a result, many online surveys lack academic rigor, posing a grave threat to the validity of published survey research. In this workshop, we will provide a hands-on tutorial for three leading survey design and administration platforms: Qualtrics, Prolific, and CloudResearch (which provides additional screening tools for Amazon’s Mechanical Turk). We will begin the workshop with an overview of Qualtrics, introducing members to basic and more advanced Qualtrics features. Then, we review common technical, design, and administration mistakes, followed by offering best practice guidance. Next, we will provide an overview of Prolific and CloudResearch, as well as tips and tricks for the effective distribution of online surveys. We will conclude with a question and answer session. In this hands-on, tutorial format workshop, members are encouraged to bring their laptops and follow along in their own Qualtrics accounts.
