Forms & Surveys
Part of Business survey software: selection framework
Checking response export and anonymity settings
Check raw survey exports, collector settings, identifiers and access before promising respondents anonymity.
Check the collector settings, downloaded response file and sharing permissions together before inviting respondents. A survey link labelled “anonymous” may still collect IP or location data, and contact fields or other added data may identify someone. Decide which fields analysts need, who may download individual responses and what you can accurately promise respondents.
Pre-launch survey export and anonymity verification checklist
- Confirm collector settings for anonymityEnsure Anonymous Responses is enabled in SurveyMonkey and Anonymize Responses is enabled in Qualtrics before sending invitations.
- Test all response routes including incomplete submissionsSend test responses through each distribution method, including unanswered optional questions and incomplete entries if stored.
- Verify exported file contains intended dataCheck that rows represent complete responses, columns include codes, labels, skipped questions and statuses, and identifiers match promises made to respondents.
- Review access permissions for individual responsesRestrict download and view access to authorised roles only; ensure analysts can’t see respondent-level data unless necessary.
- Match promised anonymity to actual recordsDo not promise full anonymity if IP or location data is collected; disclose what data is retained and how it’s used.
Define the file and access you need
List the fields needed for analysis, such as question codes or wording, answer values, response status, dates and group labels. Decide whether analysts need a summary or individual responses, and who may view or download respondent-level data. If reviewers need only broad themes, limit access to individual responses and free-text comments.
Send test submissions through each survey route, including an optional question left unanswered and an incomplete response if the product stores one. Export using the role that will analyse the results, not only an administrator account.
Check the test file for the intended responses and usable columns, including question codes or wording, answer values, skipped questions and statuses. Compare identifiers against the promise to respondents, including contact fields, IP or location data, custom variables and embedded data where applicable.
Choose a format suited to the next step. Qualtrics offers CSV, TSV, XLSX, XML and SPSS: TSV works better than CSV when data contains special characters or languages with characters beyond the English alphabet; XLSX and XML cannot be imported back into Qualtrics. Use SPSS only if you have access to SPSS.
SurveyMonkey exports are a paid feature and offer PDF, PPT, XLS, CSV and SPSS formats. If a survey has more than 100,000 responses, or the number of respondents multiplied by the number of questions exceeds 100,000, only CSV exports are available; downloads may arrive as a ZIP file. Custom variables appear in Individual Responses exports.
| Check | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Rows | Intended responses are present and no active filter narrows the file unexpectedly |
| Columns | Codes, labels, skipped questions and statuses can be interpreted |
| Identifiers | Contact fields, IP data and added variables match the collection statement |
| Access | Only authorised roles can view or download individual responses |
| Repeatability | Later exports use the same definitions or document changes |
Export format availability by platform
- SurveyMonkey export formatsPDF, PPT, XLS, CSV, SPSS (paid feature); ZIP file for surveys >100,000 responses or >100,000 question-response combinations.
- Qualtrics export formatsCSV, TSV, XLSX, XML, SPSS; TSV recommended for non-English text; XLSX and XML cannot be re-imported into Qualtrics.
- Typeform export formatsCSV, XLSX, JSON; available via Data & Analysis module after survey completion.
Check documented product boundaries
In SurveyMonkey, go to Publish survey, select the collector and open Anonymous Responses. Turn it on before sending; if you use multiple collectors, turn it on for each one. Web Links record IP addresses in results by default.
For SurveyMonkey Email Invitations, results include email and IP addresses by default, and may include first name, last name and contact custom data. In the collector options, choose whether to exclude all respondent information or only personal information; even when Anonymous Responses is on, invitation tracking can remain tied to the invitation rather than survey results. SurveyMonkey records IP addresses in backend logs and deletes them after 13 months, so do not promise that no IP record exists anywhere.
In SurveyMonkey, check both Question Summaries and Individual Responses: individual responses include metadata such as the collector, start and end times, response completeness and IP address, and may show who submitted the response if tracking is enabled. Question Summaries show responses from only the first 10 survey pages; export results to view all responses when the survey has more than 10 pages.
For Qualtrics, an anonymous link does not collect a name or email address unless the survey asks for them, but it collects IP address and IP-based location data by default. If the test should not collect those data, enable Anonymize Responses in the survey options before collecting; submit a test response and inspect the resulting record and export.
To export in Qualtrics, go to Data & Analysis, select Data, then Export & Import and Export Data. Each row represents a respondent; columns can include answers, survey metadata such as Recorded Date and IP Address, contact fields and embedded data. Check these fields against the promise, and confirm that no active filter has narrowed the export to only filtered responses.
Try the Qualtrics export using the analyst’s account. If Export Data is unavailable, export permission may be disabled; contact the Brand Administrator. For Typeform, export a test response and check the downloaded fields against the analysis need and the respondent identifiers that may be shared.
Survey platform data collection and anonymity settings
- Qualtrics – Anonymous LinkCollects IP address and location data by default; use Anonymize Responses setting to disable. No name or email collected unless explicitly asked.
- Typeform – Exported IdentifiersExported files may contain contact fields, IP addresses or embedded data depending on survey design; review test exports carefully.
Match the respondent promise to the records
Say plainly whether answers are anonymous, restricted to a limited team or linked to a person for follow-up. “Anonymous” should not stand in for “only managers can see the results”. If follow-up details are collected separately, explain that route and its purpose.
Removing names may still leave someone identifiable through a rare role, date or detailed comment. Review what report recipients may already know, and combine or suppress small groups where appropriate before sharing results.
The Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles govern the handling of personal information, including information about someone who is identified or reasonably identifiable. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is Australia’s independent privacy regulator and oversees the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme; involve the organisation’s privacy owner and refer to OAIC guidance for consequential collection or disclosure decisions.
Before launch, send harmless test answers through each invitation route. Inspect the response record, raw export and shared report using the intended roles, then record the settings used.
For SurveyMonkey, changing Anonymous Responses after collection begins applies only to new responses; existing responses cannot be made anonymous by changing the setting. Check earlier records separately before relying on a later setting change.
Process for verifying anonymous survey exports
- Send test responsesUse each invitation route (web link, email, etc.) and submit a test response with optional questions left blank.
- Export using analyst roleDownload the export file using the account that will analyse results—not an admin account.
- Inspect identifiersCheck for contact fields, IP addresses, custom variables or embedded data that could identify a respondent.
- Record settings and document changesNote the exact collector settings, export options and anonymisation status used for future reference.
