Skip to main content

Qualtrics Guide

This guide explains how to generate and import the M2C2 Qualtrics survey, configure participant identifiers, test the study, and export the CSV file required for processing and scoring.

Open the M2C2 Qualtrics QSF Generator

⚠️ Required Qualtrics capability

Custom JavaScript must be enabled in your Qualtrics account. The M2C2 assessments will not run without it.

JavaScript is not included with every Qualtrics license and may also depend on permissions assigned by your institution's Qualtrics brand administrator. Confirm this capability before beginning setup.

This workflow also uses Qualtrics QSF import and CSV response-data export.

:::

Acknowledgment​

The Mobile Monitoring of Cognitive Change (M2C2) assessments were developed as part of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Grant U2CAG060408 and Open Measures Network Initiative for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (OMNI ADRD) NIA Grant U24AG092760, and the TEMPO-ADRD: Temporal Evaluation of Midlife Performance and Outcomes for ADRD (TEMPO-ADRD) NIA Grant U19AG087932. Please acknowledge these grants in your presentations and publications, as this recognition helps us track and report to the NIA about our dissemination activities and their impact. Your support in this regard is greatly appreciated!

Please use the following acknowledgment for presentations and manuscripts:

"This work utilized Mobile Monitoring of Cognitive Change (M2C2) assessments developed under NIA Grants U2CAG060408, U24AG092760, and U19AG087932."

1. Generate the Qualtrics QSF file​

The QSF Generator creates a Qualtrics Survey Format (.qsf) file containing the assessment configuration and JavaScript required to run the selected M2C2 assessments.

  1. Open the M2C2 Qualtrics QSF Generator in your browser.
  2. Drag and drop the assessments into the desired administration order.
  3. Enter the number of trials for each assessment.
    • Enter 0 to exclude an assessment.
    • Assessments with 0 trials will be moved to the end when the QSF is generated.
    • Number of trials will be the default unless changed.
  4. Enter a short, human-readable Study ID that includes NO spaces (e.g., demo_study)
  5. Review the default parameters for each assessment.
  6. Add parameters only when needed.
    • Use key=value or key=value::type.
    • Separate multiple parameters with commas.
    • Example: show_quit_button=false::boolean
  7. Select the assessment language.
  8. Enable Auto Next/Submit unless participants should advance manually.
  9. Select Generate Qualtrics QSF File.
  10. Download the generated .qsf file.

⚠️ Do not edit the contents of the generated .qsf file. You may rename the file without changing the .qsf extension.

:::

2. Import the QSF file into Qualtrics​

  1. Sign in to Qualtrics and create a new project.
  2. Select Survey, then Get Started.
  3. Enter the project name.
  4. Choose Import a QSF file.
  5. Select the .qsf file generated in the previous section.
  6. Select Create Project.

See the Qualtrics guide to importing a QSF survey for additional instructions.

3. Build the study in Qualtrics​

After importing the QSF:

  • Add any survey questions needed for your study.
  • Build and review the survey flow.
  • Configure distribution and scheduling manually.
  • Keep each generated M2C2 runner question and its associated hidden data fields in place.
  • Do not edit, remove, move, or randomize the generated M2C2 runner questions.
  • Test the full participant experience on the devices and browsers that will be used in the study.

This workflow does not provide automated EMA scheduling. Repeated survey delivery must be configured and managed by your team.

4. Configure participant and session identifiers​

The generated QSF supports the following fields:

FieldPurposeGuidance
M2C2_PARTICIPANT_IDIdentifies the participantKeep this value constant for the same participant across sessions.
M2C2_SESSION_IDIdentifies one administration or sessionAssign a distinct value for each administration. Qualtrics and M2C2 do not generate this automatically.
M2C2_GROUP_IDIdentifies an optional group or conditionMay be text or numeric, such as control or 2.
M2C2_WAVE_IDIdentifies a wave, burst, or longitudinal timepointMay be text or numeric, such as baseline, Wave1, or 3.

You can provide these values through either a Qualtrics contact list or URL parameters.

Option A: Qualtrics contact list​

Create a contact list that includes columns with the following exact names:

M2C2_PARTICIPANT_ID
M2C2_SESSION_ID
M2C2_GROUP_ID
M2C2_WAVE_ID

Confirm during testing that the values are correctly recorded in each response.

Append the identifiers to the Qualtrics anonymous survey link:

?M2C2_PARTICIPANT_ID=xyz&M2C2_SESSION_ID=abc&M2C2_GROUP_ID=123&M2C2_WAVE_ID=001

When a link already contains a question mark, add subsequent parameters with & rather than adding a second ?.

IMPORTANT:

The generated QSF maps these fields to internal variables prefixed with __js_. Do not manually replace or reconfigure those internal variables in Survey Flow.

:::

5. Test and finalize the survey​

Before collecting participant data:

  1. Test every selected assessment from beginning to end.
  2. Confirm that participant, session, group, and wave identifiers are recorded correctly.
  3. Complete test responses and inspect the resulting Qualtrics data.
  4. Confirm that the M2C2 trial-data fields are populated.
  5. Export a test CSV using the instructions below and confirm that it can be read by the M2C2 processing and scoring pipeline.
  6. Complete one final end-to-end test.
  7. Publish the survey only after the final test and CSV processing check are successful.

6. Export the CSV required for scoring​

The M2C2 processing and scoring pipeline requires the original CSV response-data export produced by Qualtrics.

M2C2 trial records are stored as structured text within fields in that CSV. A separate JSON export is not required.

Export the file from Qualtrics​

  1. Open the survey in Qualtrics.
  2. Go to Data & Analysis.
  3. Select Export & Import, then Export Data.
  4. Select CSV as the file format.
  5. Select Download all fields so the M2C2 trial fields and embedded data are included.
  6. Remove any unintended data filter, or verify that the filter includes every response you intend to process.
  7. Download and retain the original CSV file.

Preserve the original export​

  • Do not delete columns or Qualtrics header rows.
  • Do not remove fields beginning with M2C2_ or __js_M2C2_.
  • Do not convert the file to Excel, SPSS, JSON, or another format before processing.
  • Avoid opening and resaving the source CSV in a spreadsheet application.
  • Run cleaning and scoring scripts on a copy when required by your local workflow.

7. Contact the M2C2 team for our records​

Note. By letting us know that your study uses M2C2, you help us demonstrate the grant’s impact and support the continued development of these assessments.​

Contact the M2C2 team after you have:

  • Confirmed that custom JavaScript is enabled
  • Decided to proceed with a Qualtrics deployment
  • Generated and imported the QSF
  • Successfully exported a test CSV and confirmed that it works with the M2C2 processing and scoring pipeline
  • Finally, your study has or is ready to go live.

Contact us