Survey Research - Constructing the questionnaire

5 important questions on Survey Research - Constructing the questionnaire

What dilemma do you encounter when you write survey questions?

Identical question wording does not equal identical meaning among all people. Yet, if you tailor question wording to each respondent, you cannot pool all data and easily make comparisons.

Which 12 things should you try to avoid when writing survey questions?

  1. Avoid jargon, slang and abbreviations.
  2. Avoid ambiguity, confusion and vagueness.
  3. Avoid emotional language.
  4. Avoid prestige bias.
  5. Avoid double-barreled questions.
  6. Do not confuse beliefs with reality.
  7. Avoid leading questions.
  8. Avoid asking questions that are beyond respondents' capabilities.
  9. Avoid false premises.
  10. Avoid asking about intentions in the distant future.
  11. Avoid double negatives.
  12. Avoid overlapping or unbalanced response categories.

What is the problem with recalling events?

It requires more time and effort than the five seconds that respondents typically take to answer survey questions and a person's  ability to recall accurately declines over time.
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Which two wording issues do you face in surveys?

The use of simple vocabulary and grammer to minimize respondent confusion and how specific words or phrases can influence respondents.

What are wording effects?

The interpretation of the meaning of specific words or a question differntly than intended, introducing bias into the survey.

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