Service LimeSurvey

LimeSurvey-Update

21.02.2024: The LimeSurvey dashboard will announce when expired surveys will be deleted (in accordance with the terms of use).

Plan, conduct and analyze online surveys for administration, study, teaching and research

With the online survey system LimeSurvey, you can create and conduct online surveys. It is also possible to evaluate the results of the survey, as well as export the data into CSV or Excel formats. his software solution is locally hosted platform at Heidelberg University.

Target group

  • Students
  • University employees
  • Researchers
  • Instructors
  • Doctoral candidates

Use

Students

  • e.g. scientific surveys for terms papers and theses

Employees

  • e.g. departmental surveys

Researchers

  • e.g. scientific surveys for research projects

Instructors

  • e.g. course surveys (but not for teacher evaluations)

Doctoral candidates

  • e.g. scientific surveys for doctoral projects

 

Access and requirements

This software can be used for a variety of purposes in administration, study, teaching and research; however, it cannot be used for teaching evaluations nor for private or commercial uses.

Before you can create your survey, you must complete a the linked registration form (to use LimeSurvey as a survey administrator) and confirm that you acknowledge and agree to the terms of service.

The privacy statement (German) outlines how we will handle your personal information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Table filters

Table

How do I create anonymous surveys?

If your survey should be conducted anonymously, i.e. you are not saving any personal information about the survey participants, then use the following settings: 

  1. Anonymized survey: 
       For open surveys: Yes 
       For closed surveys: No 
  2. Save IP address: No 
  3. Save referrer URL: No 

The following must also apply: 

  • For closed surveys, tokens, also called "participants", must be so-called “dummy” tokens, i.e. without a name or email address. In this case, the e-mails must be sent independently from LimeSurvey. 
  • (For open surveys there are no tokens.) 
  • The participants will not be allowed to save in the middle of the survey, as in order to do this and continue the survey at a later time, the IP address of the participant must be saved. 
  • Goggle Analytics and Google Maps are not activated. (Deactivated at the URZ by default.) 

More detailed instructions are linked in the "How-tos".

Can I attach a PDF or other document to the invitation email?
Unfortunately not, LimeSurvey does not support file attachments for the invitation emails. However, you can place the desired documents in a heiBOX library and include the download links in the invitation text. This procedure also helps to save space on the mail server.
What should I do if a LimeSurvey poll is still active but I, as its owner, have to leave the university (or department)?

Transfer ownership of the survey to another LimeSurvey survey admin. 

If you share a LimeSurvey user group with the new owner, you can do this yourself via the menu option "General settings".

If no user group has been set up, the LimeSurvey administrators at the Computing centre will do it for you. For this purpose, write an email to the IT-Service of the Computing centre (it-service(at)uni-heidelberg.de) with the future owner in copy (CC), indicating the survey ID and the Uni ID of the new owner.

After the transfer, you still have to adjust the name of the poll owner, the administrator name(s) and the administrator and bounce email addresses via the menu under "General settings".

 

Can surveys be created with the university's corporate design?
Yes! To do this, choose the “fruity” design template with the “Apple Blossom” variant.
In this template, the logo has been integrated and the colours are very similar to those of the original CD.

How-tos

LimeSurvey Manual

Manual by the LimeSurvey developers

Conduct anonymous surveys with LimeSurvey

Surveys with LimeSurvey

Instructions from Graz University

Export a survey from LimeSurvey

Save responses to a survey as well as the survey's settings, questions, and response options outside of LimeSurvey.

All how-tos

Additional information

LimeSurvey Data Protection Information (German)

Data processing and privacy information for LimeSurvey survey administrators.

LimeSurvey Terms of Use