Hints for Writing Survey Questions

Source: Dillman, Don A. Mail and Internet Surveys. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000.

• Choose simple instead of specialized words
• Choose as few words as possible to pose the question
• Use complete sentences
• Use equal numbers of positive and negative categories for scalar questions
• If "undecided" category is used, place at the end of the scale
• Eliminate check-all-that-apply question formats
• Avoid compound/double-barreled questions
• Avoid asking respondents to make unnecessary calculations
• Group questions from most salient to least salient to the respondent
• The first question is crucial. It should be easy, interesting, apply to everyone, and be directly connected to the purpose of the survey.

TOP