7 tips for good survey questions

Summary

This script offers seven essential tips for crafting effective survey questions. It emphasizes clarity and specificity to ensure consistent interpretation, the importance of asking questions respondents are willing to answer, and the need for truthful responses, addressing social desirability bias. It also advises on ensuring questions are answerable, avoiding double-barreled questions, eliminating biased language, and the crucial step of pre-testing questions. The goal is to create meaningful, non-wasteful survey questions that yield valuable insights.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Ensure questions are clear and specific to avoid varied interpretations.
• 🗣️ Craft questions that respondents are willing to answer, especially when personal topics are involved.
• 😌 Design questions to encourage truthful responses, considering social desirability bias.
• 🧠 Make sure questions are answerable, taking into account the respondent's knowledge and memory.
• 🚫 Avoid double-barreled questions that combine two distinct inquiries into one.
• 🛡️ Steer clear of biased terms or wording that could sway responses.
• 🔬 Conduct pre-tests with real people to gather feedback and identify any issues with the questions.
• 📝 The goal is to create meaningful questions, not perfect ones, to make the most of survey resources.
• ⏰ Surveys are time and cost-intensive; thus, it's crucial to avoid wasting resources on poorly designed questions.

Q & A

What is the first criterion for a good survey question according to the transcript?

A good question is one where all respondents interpret the question in a consistent manner.

Why is it important to ensure clarity and specificity in survey questions?

Ensuring clarity and specificity helps to avoid different interpretations of what constitutes a 'serious crime' or any other term that might vary among respondents.

What is an example of a personal question that might make people unwilling to answer?

Questions about sexual behavior or drug use are examples of personal questions that might make people unwilling to answer due to privacy concerns.

How can survey designers encourage truthful responses to personal questions?

Survey designers can encourage truthful responses by carefully crafting questions, explaining the need for the information, and assuring respondents of confidentiality or anonymity.

What is social desirability and how can it affect survey responses?

Social desirability is a psychological phenomenon where respondents might answer questions in a way that they believe will be viewed favorably by others, potentially leading to dishonest or exaggerated responses.

Why is it important for survey questions to be answerable by respondents?

Questions should be answerable to ensure that respondents can provide accurate information, avoiding vague answers like 'I'm not sure' that do not contribute to meaningful data collection.

What is a double-barreled question and why should they be avoided in surveys?

A double-barreled question is one that combines two different parts into a single question, making it difficult for respondents to answer if they only agree with one part. They should be avoided because they can lead to confusion and inaccurate responses.

How can biased terms or wording in survey questions affect the results?

Biased terms or wording can lead respondents to answer based on their perception of the term rather than the actual question, resulting in different answers depending on the language used.

What is the purpose of pre-testing survey questions?

Pre-testing survey questions helps to identify any confusion or unexpected responses, allowing for adjustments to be made before the full survey is conducted.

Why is it crucial to avoid wasting time and resources on bad survey questions?

Bad survey questions can lead to inaccurate or unusable data, wasting the time and resources of both the survey creators and respondents, and potentially leading to incorrect conclusions.

What is the ultimate goal of creating good survey questions as per the transcript?

The ultimate goal is to create questions that elicit meaningful responses, ensuring that the survey results are valuable and contribute to the intended research or decision-making process.