What is Microsoft Forms?
Microsoft Forms is a quick and simple way to create web based forms, allowing you to gather information via surveys, questionnaires or quizzes, and easily see results as they come in.
- Feedback forms
- Simple surveys and questionnaires
- Quizzes which show participants the correct choices once they have submitted their answers
Features include:
- Forms field types - including Text, Date, Rating and multiple choice
- Data - saved to an excel spreadsheet by default
- Share - you can share your form with an individual , a group or to a wider audience still.
Why use Forms?
Whilst we still recommend that staff and researchers use more comprehensive Online Survey Tools for surveys that are either more complex or collect sensitive or research data, MS Forms offers a simple alternative for quick surveys and quizzes.
As it comes as part of the University's subscription to Office 365, Microsoft Forms it is a better choice for your University surveys than tools such as Google Forms or Survey Monkey because:
- MS Forms integrates with the University's user account management system and can therefore capture the details of respondents with a University log-in, e.g. a sign-up sheet for a staff workshop will automatically record the user ID of the person who signs up; or the user ID of each student completing a quiz will be recorded
- The University cannot guarantee that external survey tools like Google Forms comply with data protection regulations, nor can we guarantee the availability of data on external sites
How do I access Forms?
Microsoft Forms is available through the Office 365 portal at
- from the Forms app within your Office 365 online account
- from within your OneDrive for Business - using this method will save the results to an Excel file within your OneDrive, making it easier to track the results and share results with others
Your GDPR responsibilities when using Online surveys
If you are collecting , you must ensure that the processing is compliant with Data Protection legislation. Failure to do so could lead to significant fines or institutional risk. If you are at all unsure, or want further information, please contact the University's Information Compliance Manager.
Further Help and Guidance
Microsoft Documentation & Videos