Email Lists
The Office of the Registrar frequently receives requests for student email lists to support campus-wide surveys. University guidelines specifically restrict the use of mass email for research recruitment. Instead, we recommend working with University Communications (often a school’s specific unit communicator) to employ best practice alternatives to mass email.
General Survey Guidelines
No formal university policy currently governs campus-wide surveys. In collaboration with campus partners including the Office of the Registrar, the UO Survey Committee acts in an advisory role to promote best practices and provide guidance. As a first step, we suggest reviewing the survey guide.
Successful surveys usually entail significant coordination in at least several areas: a) advisement from the UO Survey Committee on best practices and de-confliction with other surveys; b) human subjects review with Research Compliance Services and in some cases external IRB(s); c) legal review with the Offices of the Registrar and/or General Counsel (for example, FERPA and/or HEA compliance); and d) implementation of a best-practice communication and recruitment strategy with University Communications. All of this takes time—typically months rather than weeks, particularly at busy times of year (e.g., the start of fall term and around winter holidays).
Deadlines
We therefore recommend submission of complete survey proposals to the UO Survey Committee with the following general deadlines:
- Fall term administration: July 1
- Winter term administration: September 1
- Spring term administration: January 1
- Summer term administration: March 1
Required Information
Proposals must include this information, at a minimum, to be complete:
- Name and purpose of the survey
- Person and unit responsible for the survey
- Description of the proposed sample and rationale for sample selection
- Method of survey administration (e.g., web, mail, etc.)
- Proposed survey administration schedule (i.e., dates for administration, reminder notifications, pre- and/or post-notifications to encourage participation, and frequency of survey administration—e.g., once, annually, biannually)
- Description of any planned incentive program for respondents
- Explanation of how the surveyor will ensure voluntary participation and address issues of confidentiality and anonymity
- Affirmation that survey administration and analysis will comply with all applicable law and university policy (e.g., Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); Higher Education Act (HEA); university standards for data confidentiality and security; university policy on Human Subjects Protection in Research; and university accessibility policies)
- A draft of any proposed survey communications (e.g., invitation to participate, reminder, thank you)
- A draft of the survey items
- A Research Compliance-IRB Approval Letter and/or complete draft of human subjects review materials
Late or incomplete submissions may require revision to the instrument, requested population/sample, and/or administration timeline. Revisions may also be required based on any of the coordination steps noted above.