On this page, you will find the Terms of use for SoSci Survey.

Preamble
Requirements for use and costs
User responsibilities
Recommendations for use (Best Practices)
Data protection
Changes to the terms of use
Final provisions

Preamble

SoSci Survey enables individually designed online surveys with the integration of images, audio, and video. Commercial licenses are available for surveys that collect personal data as well as for collaborations with companies. RWTH institutions can purchase these licenses through the Software Shop.
 

Requirements for use and costs

RWTH Aachen institutions can purchase commercial SoSci Survey licenses through the RWTH Software Shop. These licenses may also be used without restrictions in cooperation with companies.
Since these are institutional licenses, the Bestellung IT role is required to purchase them through the Software Shop. Students and external users may not use commercial licenses directly. In such cases, an authorized RWTH user must create the project and invite additional participants. To use a commercial license, a user account must first be created and then linked to the campus license. Authentication for assigning commercial licenses is performed via RWTH Aachen's Single Sign-On (Shibboleth) service.
 

User responsibilities

• If personal data is collected as part of a survey, the commercial survey license must be used. The collected data must be coordinated with the Data Protection Officer and submitted to the Staff Council for co-determination.
• If highly confidential data is collected as part of the survey, the person creating the survey must first obtain the explicit consent of the participants. Further information can be found on the Data Classification page in the RWTH intranet (only available in german).
• The use of SoSci software is governed by the current version of the SoSci Privacy Policy.
• The responsible organizational unit must ensure that the processing of personal data when using the software complies with the GDPR, in particular by relying on an appropriate legal basis and fulfilling the information obligations pursuant to Articles 13 and 14 GDPR. For special categories of personal data pursuant to Article 9 GDPR, explicit consent is generally required.
• The use of SoSci is intended for activities related to RWTH Aachen and exclusively for official university purposes. Accordingly, private use is not permitted.
• When using SoSci, all applicable laws and regulations (including licensing law, data protection law, copyright law, and others) must be observed.
• Users are authorized to use the software and services only during the licensed period.
• Students and external users are not permitted to use commercial licenses directly. In such cases, an authorized person (employee) must create the project and invite the additional participants.
• All software must be deleted and/or services must no longer be used if RWTH Aachen terminates the agreement, fails to submit a participation request or renewal order before the end of the licensed period, or does not acquire perpetual licenses, whichever occurs first.
• Before leaving RWTH Aachen, employees are responsible for deleting all data, including their SoSci account.
   

Recommendations for use (Best Practices)

On the manufacturer's website, the license is assigned to you for three months, or until the end of the license term, whichever comes first. Before the three-month period expires, the assignment can be extended by linking the account to the campus license again.
 

Data protection

In addition, please refer to the RWTH Aachen Privacy Notice for SoSci as well as the SoSci Privacy Information.
  

Changes to the terms of use

1. RWTH Aachen IT Center reserves the right to amend these Terms of Use at any time, with or without prior notice.
2. Users will be informed promptly of any significant changes to these Terms of Use. Such information may be provided by email or published on the RWTH Aachen IT Center website.
3. As of the effective date, the current version of the Terms of Use will be available on the RWTH Aachen IT Center website and will replace all previous versions. All users should regularly check for updates.
    

Final provisions

1. If one or more provisions of these Terms of Use are or become wholly or partially invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected. The contracting parties shall endeavor to replace the invalid provision with a valid one that most closely reflects the intended economic purpose of the invalid provision.
2. Any amendments or additions to these Terms of Use must be made in writing unless expressly agreed otherwise. No verbal agreements ancillary to these Terms of Use shall apply.
3. These Terms of Use shall enter into force upon their publication on the RWTH Aachen IT Center website and shall apply in their current version.