Writing surveys is easy; Or is that 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 framing the questions and structuring the responses, surveys can be used in many ways and for a variety of reasons. When compiling a survey, don’t lose sight of its purpose.
2. Title of the survey
The survey title is a golden opportunity to instantly summarize the purpose of a survey and grab the attention of invited respondents. Respondents are going to spend time completing the survey, so make them feel like their investment is worth it.
3. Don’t make the survey longer than necessary
Every question that is asked should be asked for a reason. Focus on “need to know” questions and minimize “good to know” information.
4. Use plain language, avoid jargon and acronyms, stay consistent, and don’t ask questions that might lead to ambiguous answers.
Care should be taken when wording a question. If a question is unclear, there is a chance that respondents will interpret the question differently than the editor intended, making any analysis of the data meaningless or at least misleading.
5. Avoid long questions
Try to use short sentences whenever possible. Long questions tend to make respondents uncomfortable and can lead to a higher level of incidents where respondents drop out of a survey.
6. Ask one question at a time
Avoid confusing the respondent with a question like ‘Do you like soccer and tennis?’
7. Avoid influencing the response
It is important not to load the question. ‘Should irresponsible traders who sell tobacco to children be prosecuted?’ it is unlikely to have any value.
8. Make sure the response 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. As you compile the survey, consider how the data collected will be analyzed when the survey is complete.
If a question is asked that allows for an open-ended, free-text response, be aware that such information is likely to be difficult to score and/or summarize. Consider grouping responses. For example “How long have you worked here?” – ‘less than 1 year’, ‘between 1 and 3 years’ and ‘more than 3’.
10. Make sure the quiz flows
When asking questions, group questions into clear categories, as this makes it easier for participants to complete the survey.
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 respondents, consider including questions/answers that allow you to filter out respondents who don’t fit your target profile.
12. Allow respondent to expand or comment
Allowing additional feedback from the respondent will increase their level of satisfaction and also provide valuable feedback on specific questions and/or the survey as a whole. Remember, however, for a large collection of samples it can be difficult to analyze free-text open-ended responses.
13. If the survey you are taking is to be kept confidential, make sure your promise is kept.
If you have assured respondents that the survey is confidential, make sure that individual data will not be shared with anyone and the information will not be used for any other purpose. Confidentiality must be maintained at all times and any identifying information must be destroyed after the survey is completed.
14. Weigh the benefits of allowing respondents to be anonymous or identifiable
If your respondents are going to be anonymous, keep in mind that you won’t be able to track or match “pre” or “post” surveys. However, in some cases, allowing people to remain anonymous will allow people to respond without potential peer pressure.
15. Carefully consider the best response format
It is good practice to maintain consistency in the format used for responses. Note that when analyzing data, radio buttons are easier to analyze than checkboxes that offer multiple responses to the respondent. Do not use a checkbox if a radio response would suffice.
16. Give the respondent an idea of how long the survey will take.
Respondent attrition can occur if the survey appears to be an endless stream of questions. It is good practice to give an indication of how long the survey may take so that respondents can choose the best time to complete the survey.
17. Inform respondents of the end date of the survey
Encourage respondents to complete the survey as soon as possible, but let respondents know the end date of the survey so they have a chance to schedule the time needed.
18. Test the survey
Before publishing a live survey, publish a small pilot survey to check for ambiguous or confusing questions and to make sure the survey is aesthetically pleasing.
19. Before posting the survey test, read the survey several times.
Check and double check that the survey is grammatically correct and makes sense. If possible, have someone else proofread the survey before you post it; if no one else is available, take a break before checking back.
20. Remember to say thank you
To complete the surveys, respondents must invest their time and be thanked in a cover letter, at the end of completing the survey, or in a follow-up letter. You can even consider incentives like a giveaway or a reward.
For more information, visit http://www.SurveyGalaxy.com