Designing surveys capable of generating quality data and actionable insights can be a complex process. In this post we will discuss the steps and strategies involved in effective survey design.

Defining the Research Objectives

The first step in survey design is to clearly establish the objectives of the survey. Researchers need to know what they want to learn before they can figure out how to learn it. The objectives should be attainable, specific (rather than general), and represent the most important takeaways the researcher hopes to receive from the study. Once the objectives are set, they will help guide what topics are included in the survey, what questions are asked, and even how questions are worded.

Choosing Survey Question Types

Before writing the survey questions, researchers first have to decide the types of questions to ask. Survey questions can be divided into two distinct categories: closed-ended questions and open-ended questions.

• Closed-ended questions: In closed-ended survey questions, respondents select from a finite set of pre-defined responses. Examples of closed-ended questions include simple yes/no questions, multiple choice questions, and Likert Scale or ratings questions.
• Open-ended questions: In open-ended survey questions, respondents are asked to reply to each question in their own words in a free-form text box, rather than selecting from a set list of options.

Although open-ended questions provide deep insight into the feelings and thought processes of respondents, they are not as objective or easily quantifiable as closed-ended questions. They also take more time and effort for respondents to answer which can lead to survey fatigue. With these factors in mind, most survey designs primarily consist of closed-ended questions followed by one or two open-ended questions near the end of the survey.

Writing Survey Questions

Taking the time to write clear, concise, well-worded survey questions helps to ensure reliable responses and improves response rates. Although writing well-worded questions is as much an art as a science, the list below offers general guidelines for effective question design:

• Keep wording simple. Use simple words and simple sentence structure. Clear, concise wording asks respondents to do less guesswork and increases the accuracy of the resulting data.
• Keep questions neutral. Avoid opinion, bias or loaded words that might lead the respondent toward a particular response.

• Avoid double-barreled questions. Questions that ask for feedback on two different things within the same question are difficult to answer and analyze.

• Do not use absolutes. Terms such as “always,” “all,” “every,” etc., force respondents to agree or disagree completely without nuance or scale.

• Use reference frames. Make sure respondents are all considering the same time and place when answering a question.

• Avoid negative and double-negative questions. Using negative words like “not” or “prevent” and double-negative questions confuse respondents about whether to answer “yes” or “no”.

• Avoid jargon, technical terms and acronyms. Make sure the entire target audience understands the language level and what the question is asking.

• Anticipate all answer choices. Make sure the answer choices are unique (do not overlap) and include all possible options. If an exhaustive list of options is not known, include an “Other-Specify” option.
• Explain sensitive or unexpected questions. Provide a short explanation to justify why a potentially sensitive question is important to the research and reassure respondents that their responses will remain confidential.

Determining Survey Length and Question Sequence

Even with clear, concise, well-worded questions, respondents will eventually lose interest in or abandon surveys that are too long or disorganized.

Optimal Survey Length

To avoid survey fatigue, keep the questionnaire as short as possible. GeoPoll recommends that from start to finish, surveys take no more than 10 minutes to complete, which usually equates to a maximum of 30 questions. Open-ended questions take longer to complete than close-ended questions, allowing for fewer questions overall. By testing the survey both internally and with a pilot group of respondents, researchers can see if the drop-off rates for their survey are higher than expected and adjust before sending the survey to the full sample.

Question Sequence Guidelines

The order in which questions are asked in a survey can influence how they are answered. It can also impact completion rates. General guidelines to consider when organizing the sequence of questions in a survey include:

• Similar to a natural conversation, start the survey with general impersonal questions that will be easy for the respondent to answer. This helps to warm-up respondents and get them interested and involved in the survey.
• Gradually increase question complexity and specificity but avoid overwhelming respondents by asking multiple difficult questions one after the other.
• Group questions by topic and in a logical sequence (again, similar to the natural flow of a conversation). Questions asked out of context can frustrate and confuse respondents.
• Save more sensitive questions until later in the survey. Research suggests respondents may be more willing to answer sensitive questions after already putting in the effort to answer earlier questions, and if they are offended by a sensitive question late in the survey, it will not influence their responses to previous questions.
• Conclude the survey with more general easy to answer questions such as demographics as a warm-down to leave respondents with a positive final impression of the experience.

Conduct Surveys Around the World with GeoPoll

GeoPoll has experience designing and administering surveys all over the world for clients ranging from global brands and international development organizations to local media stations and NGOs. Survey design can be a difficult task and due to its impact on the outcome of a study, GeoPoll’s research experts offer assistance at varying levels based on each client’s needs. We understand that every project is unique and are committed to using our expertise to guide our clients through key decisions to produce the most accurate insights possible. To learn more about GeoPoll’s survey development processes and various research modes, please contact us here.

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Survey questions can be divided into two distinct categories: closed-ended questions and open-ended questions. Deciding whether to use closed-ended questions, open-ended questions, or a combination of the two comprises a critical step in the survey development process. While designing a survey questionnaire, it is important to understand the benefits and limitations of each question type.

Closed-ended Survey Questions

In closed-ended survey questions, respondents select from a finite set of pre-defined responses. Common types of closed-ended survey questions include:

In each of the closed-ended question types above, respondents are not allowed to provide unique or unanticipated answers. Instead, they are asked to choose from a list of pre-defined options.

The narrow and structured focus of closed-ended survey questions provides quantitative research data that is quickly and easily measured. The data gathered from these questions forms the foundation of all statistical analysis applied to surveys. Because the quantitative analysis methodology is scientific and statistics-based, it yields data that is conclusive and projectable to a larger population.

The drawback of closed-ended questions is that respondents are limited to the responses offered by the researcher. Therefore, the researcher must have a clear understanding of the research topic before drafting the survey, not only to pose the right survey questions but to provide an applicable and comprehensive set of responses to choose from for each question. Without providing a complete and accurate list of survey responses, respondents may be forced to select the best available answer rather than the answer they would prefer, resulting in erroneous information and insights.

In addition to providing the right response options, researchers must also pay careful attention to the wording of each option, the number of options offered, and the order in which the options are read. Studies by Pew Research indicate that all four factors can influence how respondents answer closed-ended research questions.

To ensure that the results of a survey are both quantifiable and accurately reflect the target audience’s true thoughts and experiences, many surveys consist primarily of closed-ended questions that can be quickly analyzed, plus several open-ended questions that provide deeper insights into the topic being studied.

Open-ended Survey Questions

In open-ended survey questions, respondents are asked to reply to each question in their own words. The questions should be written purposefully not to lead the respondent in any particular direction, but rather to give them the freedom to provide unstructured and unguided feedback.

Some of the ways and reasons why open-ended questions are used in surveys include:

Open-ended survey questions provide qualitative research data. They elicit free-form candid responses that are only limited by respondents’ imagination and ability to express themselves.

Although open-ended questions provide deep insight into the feelings and thought processes of respondents, they are not as objective or easily quantifiable as closed-ended questions. Analyzing open-ended research questions requires the researcher to label and categorize responses to identify key themes and patterns – a process known as coding. Coding qualitative data can be significantly more time-consuming and laborious than analyzing quantitative data.

Most researchers find significant value in asking both closed-ended and open-ended survey questions. Understanding the differences between the two helps researchers ask the right questions in the right way to attain more accurate and actionable insights.

Conduct Surveys Around the World with GeoPoll

GeoPoll has experience administering surveys all over the world for clients ranging from global brands and international development organizations to local media stations and NGOs. Our solutions can be tailored to reach any audience via a variety of survey modes, including SMS, CATI, CAPI, mobile web, and our mobile application. We understand that every project is unique and are committed to using our expertise to guide our clients through key decisions to produce the most accurate insights possible. To learn more about GeoPoll’s research modes and data collection processes, please contact us here.

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