Survey Design

Writing solid and unbiased surveys may seem like a daunting and unapproachable task. However, it is not as overwhelming as one may think! Creating well structured, simply written questions will help in collecting valid survey responses. An important goal as a survey author is to construct clear, direct questions and answers using the language that survey participants will understand. While there are no set rules on the wording of these survey questions, there are some basic principles that do work to improve the overall design. The intent of this guide is to provide tips on utilizing those principles for constructing effective surveys that collect accurate and valid data.

What's inside

• Avoid loaded or leading words or questions
• Misplaced questions
• Mutually non-exclusive response categories
• Nonspecific questions
• Confusing or unfamiliar words
• Forcing answers
• Non-exhaustive listings
• Unbalanced listings
• Double barreled questions