Writing surveys is easy; or is
it? The truth is that writing surveys is easy but writing effective surveys
is more difficult. The following are twenty tips that if followed will help
you write more effective surveys.
1. What is the purpose of the survey?
Surveys are conducted for many reasons. By phrasing the questions and
structuring the answers surveys can be used in a multitude of ways and
for a variety of reasons. When compiling a survey don't loose sight
of its purpose.
2. Title the survey
The survey title is a golden opportunity to instantly summarise a survey's
objective and grab the attention of invited respondents. Respondents are
going to invest time in completing the survey so make them feel that their
investment is worthwhile.
3. Do not make the survey any longer than it needs to be
Every question that is asked should be asked for a reason. Focus on 'need
to know' questions and minimise 'nice to know' information.
4. Use plain English, avoid jargon and acronyms, maintain consistency
and don't ask questions that may result in ambiguous answers
Care must be taken in wording a question. If a question is not clear
then there is every chance that respondents may interpret the question
differently to that intended by the publisher making any analysis of the
data meaningless or at the very least misleading
5. Avoid long questions
Try to use short sentences wherever possible. Long questions tend to
cause respondents discomfort and can lead to a higher level of incidents
where respondents abandon a survey.
6. Ask one question at a time
Avoid confusing the respondent with a question like 'Do you like
football and tennis?'
7. Avoid influencing the answer
It is important not to load the question. 'Should irresponsible
shop keepers who sell tobacco to children be prosecuted?' is unlikely
to have any value.
8. Ensure that the answer format used allows the respondent to answer
the question being asked
Allow the respondent to answer how they really feel or they may be less
inclined to complete the survey. As a last resort consider the benefit
of including a "Don't know", "Can't say"
or similar response option.
9. At the same time that you compile the survey consider, when
the survey is complete, how the compiled data is going be analysed
If a question is asked that allows a free text open ended response appreciate
that such information is likely to be difficult to score and/or summarised.
Consider grouping answers. For example "How long have you worked
here?" - 'less than 1 year', 'between 1 and 3
years' and 'more than 3'.
10. Ensure that the questionnaire flows
When asking questions group the questions into clear categories as this
makes the task of completing the survey easier for the participants.
11. Target your respondents
In some cases you will want to target a specific group, in others a cross
section. If you can't easily control the respondents consider including
questions/answers that will allow you to filter out respondents who don't
fit your target profile.
12. Allow the respondent to expand or make comments
Allowing the respondent to make additional comments will increase their
satisfaction level and will also give valuable feedback on the specific
questions and/or the survey as a whole. Remember though for a large sample
collection it may be difficult to analyse free text open ended responses.
13. If the survey you are conducting is to be confidential ensure
that your pledge is upheld
If you have assured the respondents that the survey is confidential ensure
that the individual data is not to be shared with anyone and the information
is not going to be used for any other purpose. Confidentiality must be
maintained at all times and any identifying information destroyed after
the survey is complete.
14. Weigh up the benefits of allowing respondents to be anonymous
or identifiable
If your respondents are to be anonymous then appreciate that you will
be unable to follow up or match "pre" or "post"
surveys. However in some cases allowing people to remain anonymous will
allow people to respond without possible peer pressure.
15. Give careful consideration to the best response format
It is good practice to maintain a consistency in the format used for
responses. Keep in mind that when analysing the data radio buttons are
easier to analyse than check boxes that offer the respondent multiple
responses. Do not use a check box if a radio response would do.
16. Give the respondent an idea of how much time the survey will
take
Respondent drop out can occur if the survey appears to be a stream of
never ending questions. It is good practice to give an indication as to
how long the survey is likely to take so the respondents can choose the
best time to complete the survey.
17. Inform the respondents of the survey end date
Encourage respondents to complete the survey as soon as possible but
advice respondents as to the surveys end date so that they have the opportunity
to schedule the necessary time.
18. Pilot the survey
Before publishing a live survey publish a small pilot survey to check
for questions that are ambiguous or confusing and to ensure that the survey
is aesthetically pleasing.
19. Before publishing the survey proof read the survey several
times
Check and check again that the survey is grammatically correct and makes
sense. If possible get someone else to proof read the survey before you
publish, if no one else is available then take a break before checking
again.
20. Remember to say thank you
To complete surveys respondents need to invest their time and should
be thanked either in a covering letter, at the end of completing the survey
or in a follow up letter. You may even want to consider incentives such
as a prize draw or reward.
