What form should I use?
PDF Forms
Learn more about making PDF Forms accessible.
- Great option for: Documents that must be printed. (Documents intended for print must still meet WCAG 2.1 AA.)
- Pros: Easily printed and distributed physically. Can be completed without internet access.
- Cons: Difficult to make accessible and difficult to complete on mobile. Time consuming and expensive to update.
- Cost: Professional remediation needed. Costs vary between $60-$120 per page.
- Protection Level: P1- P4. The Protection Level for PDFs depends on where the document is stored. Learn more: Keeping Sensitive Data Safe
- CalNet Authentication Required? No
- Save and Resume? Yes
- Training Required? Yes. Training is available to learn how to make PDF forms accessible on LinkedIn Learning.
- Creating Accessible PDFs - LinkedIn Learning (5 hours)
- Advanced Accessible PDFs - LinkedIn Learning (6 hours)
- Complete on Mobile? Yes, but very difficult
Google Forms
Learn more about making Google Forms accessible.
- Great option for: Intake forms, reporting forms, request forms, and simple surveys.
- Pros: Easy to make accessible. Easy to set up, update, and distribute. Multiple people can edit the form simultaneously.
- Cons: Low complexity, with very limited conditional logic. Minimal customization available.
- Cost: Free. Included with campus Google Workspace.
- Protection Level: P1 - P3
- CalNet Authentication Required? Yes
- Save and Resume? Yes, with restrictions. Learn more: Autosave your response progress on a Google Form
- Training Required? No
- Complete on Mobile? Yes
Qualtrics Forms
Learn more about making Qualtrics Forms accessible.
- Great option for: Sensitive information intake or reporting forms. Complex surveys.
- Pros: Easy to make accessible. Customizable and supports complex 'skip logic', randomization, and branching. Professional built-in tools for statistical analysis.
- Cons: Check with your account manager to ensure you have the correct account permissions for the P level data you are collecting. Some elements are not fully accessible.
- Cost: Free. Available to campus faculty, staff, and students.
- Protection Level:
- P1- P2 (Standard Account)
- P3 - P4 (Elevated Account)
- CalNet Authentication Required? Yes
- Save and Resume? Yes, with setting updates.
- Training Required? No, but there is a steep learning curve.
- Complete on Mobile? Yes
Docusign
Learn more about making Docusign Forms accessible.
- Great option for: Contracts.
- Pros: Documents that require an eSignature.
- Cons: Users can't easily 'skip' fields or save progress. Additional training and account permissions needed to distribute Docusign forms.
- Cost: Free. Available for campus faculty, staff, and student employees.
- Protection Level: P1 - P4
- CalNet Authentication Required? Yes
- Save and Resume? Yes
- Training Required? Yes
- Complete on Mobile? Yes, but very difficult.