A contact list includes the names and email addresses of individuals to which a survey is sent. There are a variety of different ways to get a contact list. Below are some options recommended by the University.
External Contact List (Users Outside of UMN)
- Qualtrics: Respondents can be purchased directly from Qualtrics. Contact Qualtrics to request a quote.
- Dynata: Dynata is one of the global leaders for survey sampling.
With access to participants in over 90 countries, they can help you find
the perfect sample for your project. Dynata will allow you to build your
own survey, but requires that they distribute the survey on your behalf.
University Survey & Assessment Services (USAS) can work with Dynata to build the survey, obtain the sample, and coordinate distribution through Qualtrics. Request a quote from Dynata. - Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk): Mturk is an online marketplace where you can recruit and pay individuals to take your survey. Mturk is usually a cheaper alternative than paid samples, but it does have limitations: It's difficult to determine the validity of the sample, and it can be a challenge to apply eligibility criteria. Find out how to use Mturk with Qualtrics.
Internal Contact List (UMN Community)
Please note that internal contact lists should only be used if your survey project requires that you collect data specifically from students, faculty, and staff at the University of Minnesota. It is rarely appropriate to survey an entire group or University population. Before you request an internal contact list, make sure to review information on sampling best practices.
WARNING: Oversampling (sending your survey to more people than you need to ensure your results are representative of the population) leads to institutional survey fatigue and decreased response rates, and negatively impacts data quality. Survey fatigue is an issue with many causes and consequences. Response rates for online surveys conducted at the University are lower than desirable, which can create difficulty in extrapolating meaningful and representative data. The issue of low response rates both contributes to and is an effect of oversampling.
- UMN Office of Institutional Research: If you have a survey, but need a list of participants, the Office of Institutional Research may provide contact lists if your project satisfies a University business or educational need. Fill out the U-SAT Approval & Assistance Form to request a Contact List.
- Note: The Office of Institutional Research can release public data, but cannot release private data (learn more about the difference between private and public data).