How to Write Survey Questions

Writing survey questions or a questionnaire may seem straightforward, but it’s an intricate task that requires meticulous attention to detail. When done right, it leads to insightful data, but when done wrong, your results can be misleading. This guide on how to write survey questions ensures you gather reliable and clear data every time.

Keep Questions Simple and Clear

When writing a survey or questionnaire, simplicity and clarity are key. Utilize everyday words and avoid complex terms or jargon. If a complex concept is unavoidable, provide clear definitions or examples.

• Poor example: What is the level of efficacy of the obtained comprehension from the orientation course?
• Good example: Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the orientation course?

Craft Easy to Answer Questions

Ensuring your questions are easy and not time-consuming is important for maintaining questionnaire clarity. Overwhelming respondents with too many items to rank, or with overly difficult questions, will likely lead to survey drop outs, question refusals, or guesses.

• Poor example: Please rank the following 35 items in order of their importance to you when interacting with this service.
• Good example: Please rank the following 4 items in order of their importance to you when interacting with this service.

Steer Clear of Leading Questions

To learn how to write good survey questions, avoid leading questions to maintain neutrality and avoid bias in responses. Leading questions can sway respondents to one side of an argument due to their wording.

• Poor example: How awesome was your experience with this service?
• Good example: How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with this service?

Avoid Double-Barreled Questions

Double-barreled questions, which contain two questions in one, should be avoided to prevent confusion and ensure accurate responses. When questions are mixed, respondents may struggle if they feel differently about each part of the question, leading to unclear or inaccurate answers. Separating these into two distinct questions is a key aspect of how to write effective survey questions.

• Poor example: Please rate your level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with pay and work benefits at your job.
• Good example (question 1): Please rate your level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with pay.
• Good example (question 2): Please rate your level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with work benefits.

Balancing Answer Choices

Balanced survey answer choices are essential for avoiding bias and obtaining genuine feedback. Unbalanced answer choices can inadvertently lean the respondent towards a specific response, compromising the integrity of the data. This principle is crucial when considering how to write great survey questions.

• Poor example (Unbalanced):
  • Very helpful
  • Helpful
  • Neither helpful nor unhelpful
• Good example (Balanced):
  • Very helpful
  • Helpful
  • Neither helpful nor unhelpful
  • Unhelpful
  • Very unhelpful

Avoiding Absolutes in Questions

Absolutes like “always,” “all,” and “never” can be too inflexible when you are considering how to write a questionnaire and should not be used in questions, though they can be used in response options.

• Poor example: Do you always exercise at this recreation facility?
• Good example: In the previous 12 months, on average, how many times per week have you exercised at this recreation facility?

General Tips to Write Great Survey Questions

Start with Light and Straightforward Questions

Treat your survey like a conversation, initiating with lighter, straightforward questions and progressively moving to more personal ones. This approach eases the respondent into the survey, making them more comfortable and willing to share truthful information.

Maintain Survey Brevity

When writing a survey or questionnaire, respecting respondents’ time is crucial. Keeping the survey concise ensures higher completion rates and elicits more thoughtful responses. A succinct survey is a courteous acknowledgment of the respondents’ time and effort, and it contributes to the quality of the data collected.

Focus on Closed-Ended Questions

When considering how to write survey questions, focusing on closed-ended questions, which provide pre-populated answer choices, are preferable as they are easier for respondents to answer and yield quantitative data for analysis.

Summary of How to Write Survey Questions

Effective questionnaire or survey writing is pivotal for acquiring insightful and reliable data. To write an effective questionnaire or survey, keeping questions simple, clear, and easy to answer is crucial. By following the guidelines outlined above on how to write survey questions, you ensure the acquisition of unbiased and accurate responses, making your survey a powerful tool in market research. Keep these best practices in mind to elevate the quality and reliability of your survey data.