Types of Survey Questions

Selecting the right survey question types is one of the most important factors in obtaining reliable and actionable data when conducting market research. This article will explore the different types of survey questions, clarifying their applicability, benefits, and limitations, to help you optimize your surveys for more precise and insightful results.

Type of Survey Question: Closed-Ended Questions

Closed-ended survey question types provide respondents with a set of predefined options, making the response process seamless and the subsequent data analysis straightforward. Let’s examine the different types of closed-ended questions:

Multiple Choice Questions

Multiple choice questions are the most popular and widely used type of survey questions. They offer the convenience of selecting one or more answers from a predefined list of survey answer options. This format is intuitive, versatile, and yields structured and easily analyzable data, ensuring that the choices are mutually exclusive and exhaustive. However, the constraint of fixed responses may lead to biased results. This can be mitigated by incorporating an “other” option or comment field.

Example: What is your preferred method of communication?

• Email
• Phone call
• Text message
• Video call
• Other (please specify):

Rating Scale Questions

Rating scale questions, or ordinal questions, present a scale of numerical survey answer options, such as 0 to 100 or 1 to 10, allowing respondents to choose a number representing their answer. One example is the Net Promoter Score question, which uses a scale to measure the likelihood of a customer recommending a product or service. However, remember that providing context is crucial. A number scale without clear values can be ambiguous.

Example: On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is extremely unsatisfactory and 10 is extremely satisfactory, how would you rate our customer service?

Likert Scale Questions

A Likert scale question is similar to a rating scale question in that it asks a respondent to provide their opinion by choosing from a predetermined set of answer options. However, instead of numbers, Likert scales use words to express a set of answer options that range from one extreme to another. Likert scales are primarily used to assess opinions and feelings and are ideal for obtaining specific feedback. Some of the most utilized Likert scales are for determining levels of importance and agreement.

Example: Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement: “The product is user-friendly.”

• Strongly disagree
• Disagree
• Neutral
• Agree
• Strongly agree

Matrix Questions

Matrix questions allow a series of similar types of survey questions in a questionnaire to be asked with the same set of response options, simplifying content and improving user experience. Most often, the columns of a matrix question are a Likert scale, and the rows are answer options. When designing matrix questions, remember that overly extensive matrices can be confusing for respondents, especially on mobile devices.

Example: Please rate the following aspects of our service…

Columns

• Very poor
• Poor
• Average
• Good
• Excellent

Rows

• Responsiveness
• Professionalism
• Knowledge

Ranking Questions

Ranking questions enable respondents to organize survey answer options based on their preference, revealing not just opinions but also the relative popularity of each option. These types of questions require more time and familiarity with each option and can be a burden to respondents if overly complicated.

Example: Please rank the following fruits based on your preference, where 1 is your most preferred and 4 is your least preferred.

• Apple
• Banana
• Grape
• Orange

Type of Survey Question: Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended survey question types require respondents to input their responses in a comment box, without predefined survey answer options. These are invaluable for qualitative data collection but pose challenges in quantification and analysis. To gain actionable insights, pairing open-ended and closed-ended questions is advisable, allowing for a deeper understanding of quantitative data.

Example: Can you provide more details on why you chose the rating you did for our customer service?

Summary

Understanding the different types of survey questions is crucial for effective market research. Multiple choice questions, rating scales, Likert scales, matrix questions, open-ended questions, and ranking questions each have their unique advantages and challenges. Selecting the appropriate type of survey questions based on the research objective and respondent familiarity can significantly enhance the reliability and applicability of the survey data, leading to more informed and strategic business decisions.