One major reason behind successful surveys is well thought survey questions design. An Excellent survey will always have a good set of well laid out survey questions which are straight to the point and easy to understand for the respondents. While designing a survey various factors need to be taken into consideration. As an example survey questions need to be simple and easy to understand; it should relate to something the respondents are familiar with. A researcher also needs to avoid lengthy survey questions, because when the questions are too long they frequently become ambiguous and may make the whole process sound boring.
These are some tips for a good set of survey questions:
Avoid ambiguous wording.
Don’t ask : Do you usually work alone?
Ask : Choose the best option that describe you
- No, I never work alone
- Yes, I work alone less than half the time
- Yes, I work alone most of the time
Decide whether general or specific questions are needed
It may be enough to ask : How well did you like the book?
It may be preferable also to ask : Have you recommended the book to anyone else?
Decide whether the question should be open or closed
Open : It is believed that some people in this community have too much power.
Do you think this is true? Who are they?
Closed : It is believed that some people in this community have too much power.
a. True b. False c. Don’t know
If true who are they?
a. Politicians b. Businessmen c. Thinkers d. Scientists
Decide whether you need a direct question, an indirect question, or an indirect question followed by a direct one.
Direct : Do you ever steal on the job?
Indirect : Do you know of anyone ever stealing on the job?
Combination : Do you know of anyone ever stealing on the job? Have you ever taken anything from the job?
If you are after unpleasant orientations, give your respondent a change to express positive feelings first, so that he or she is not put in an unfavorable light.
Ask : What do you like about X?
Then : What don’t you like about X?
Avoid biased or leading questions
Don’t Ask : Did you exercise your right as an American citizen to vote in the last election?
Ask : Did you vote in the last election?
Surveyo™ comes with built-in question templates ready for you to use. You can even use a fully tested survey template for your specific survey need. Learn More ›
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