The document provides guidance on designing effective surveys. It discusses types of survey questions such as open-ended, closed-ended, Likert scale, and multiple choice questions. Specific tips are provided, such as keeping questions short and simple, avoiding double-barreled or biased questions, and pre-testing surveys. Different data collection techniques like interviews, observations, and online surveys are also overviewed, including their pros and cons. Resources for writing good survey questions and online survey tools are listed.

1. Designing a SurveyDesigning a Survey
EDUU600EDUU600
Adapted from McMillan & SchumacherAdapted from McMillan & Schumacher

2.  Make items clearMake items clear
 Avoid double-barreled questions (avoidAvoid double-barreled questions (avoid
and)and)
 Respondents must be competent toRespondents must be competent to
answer (and provide reliable information)answer (and provide reliable information)
 Questions should be relevantQuestions should be relevant
 Short, simple items are bestShort, simple items are best
 Avoid negative itemsAvoid negative items
 Avoid biased items or termsAvoid biased items or terms
Writing Questions andWriting Questions and
StatementsStatements

3. Types of ItemsTypes of Items
 Closed Form – Structured response whereClosed Form – Structured response where
subject chooses between predeterminedsubject chooses between predetermined
responsesresponses
 Open Form – subject writes in any responseOpen Form – subject writes in any response
 Scaled itemsScaled items
– Gradations, levels, or valuesGradations, levels, or values
– Likert scaleLikert scale
– Semantic differential scaleSemantic differential scale
– Ranked itemsRanked items
– Checklist itemsChecklist items

4. Data Collection TechniquesData Collection Techniques
Pros and ConsPros and Cons
 Paper/pencilPaper/pencil
– Economical/standardEconomical/standard
– Norms inappropriateNorms inappropriate
– Must be able to readMust be able to read
 Alternative AssessmentAlternative Assessment
– Holistic/authenticHolistic/authentic
– Subjective ratingSubjective rating
– Costly/time-consumingCostly/time-consuming
 Questionnaire or SurveyQuestionnaire or Survey
– Economical/easy to scoreEconomical/easy to score
– Response rate/inability to probe and clarifyResponse rate/inability to probe and clarify
– Biased/ambiguous itemsBiased/ambiguous items

5. Interview and ObservationInterview and Observation
 InterviewInterview
– Flexible/include nonverbal responsesFlexible/include nonverbal responses
– Costly/time consumingCostly/time consuming
– Can be anonymousCan be anonymous
– Effect of interviewer and interviewer biasEffect of interviewer and interviewer bias
 ObservationObservation
– Captures natural behaviorCaptures natural behavior
– Costly/time consumingCostly/time consuming
– Observer biasObserver bias
– Not anonymousNot anonymous

6. Designing a QuestionnaireDesigning a Questionnaire
StronglyStrongly
AgreeAgree
AgreeAgree NeutralNeutral DisagreeDisagree StronglyStrongly
DisagreeDisagree
AlwaysAlways Most of theMost of the
TimeTime
SometimesSometimes RarelyRarely NeverNever
Very happyVery happy SomewhatSomewhat
happyhappy
Neither sadNeither sad
or happyor happy
SomewhatSomewhat
sadsad
Very SadVery Sad
Use a Likert Scale, (or combination of Likert, ranking and differential)
Like Dislike
Important Unimportant

7. Smileys for KidsSmileys for Kids
 Questions must be readQuestions must be read
 Child can respond by circling correctChild can respond by circling correct
responseresponse
 May respond verbally or by pointingMay respond verbally or by pointing

8. Open-ended QuestionsOpen-ended Questions
 Questions to which there is not one definiteQuestions to which there is not one definite
answer.answer.
 May be a good way to break the ice with a surveyMay be a good way to break the ice with a survey
 Gives respondents an opportunity to answer inGives respondents an opportunity to answer in
their own words.their own words.
 Example: "Are there any other comments aboutExample: "Are there any other comments about
the course you would like to add?"the course you would like to add?"
 Responses to open-ended questions can be veryResponses to open-ended questions can be very
useful, often yielding quotable material.useful, often yielding quotable material.
 Drawback is that the responses are more difficultDrawback is that the responses are more difficult
to catalogue and interpretto catalogue and interpret
From types of survey questions -
http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/surveyquest/index.htm

9. Closed-ended QuestionsClosed-ended Questions
 Have a finite set of answers from which theHave a finite set of answers from which the
respondent chooses.respondent chooses.
 One of the choices may be "Other" but need toOne of the choices may be "Other" but need to
provide a write-in responseprovide a write-in response
 Easy to standardizeEasy to standardize
 Data gathered from closed-ended questions lendData gathered from closed-ended questions lend
themselves to statistical analysisthemselves to statistical analysis
 More difficult to write than open-ended questionsMore difficult to write than open-ended questions
 Design choices must include allDesign choices must include all the possiblethe possible
answers a respondent could give for eachanswers a respondent could give for each
questionquestion
From types of survey questions -
http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/surveyquest/index.htm

10. Likert ScaleLikert Scale
 When you want to know respondents'When you want to know respondents'
feelings or attitudes about somethingfeelings or attitudes about something
 Respondents must indicate how closelyRespondents must indicate how closely
their feelings match the question ortheir feelings match the question or
statement on a rating scale.statement on a rating scale.
 Number at one end of the scale representsNumber at one end of the scale represents
least agreement, or "Strongly Disagree”least agreement, or "Strongly Disagree”
 Number at the other end of the scaleNumber at the other end of the scale
represents most agreement, or "Stronglyrepresents most agreement, or "Strongly
Agree"Agree"
From types of survey questions -
http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/surveyquest/index.htm

11. Multiple ChoiceMultiple Choice
 When you want respondents to pickWhen you want respondents to pick
the best answer or answers fromthe best answer or answers from
among all the possible options,among all the possible options,
 Multiple-choice questions are easy toMultiple-choice questions are easy to
lay out on a written survey.lay out on a written survey.
 Include specific directions about howInclude specific directions about how
many answers to select directly aftermany answers to select directly after
the question.the question.
From types of survey questions -
http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/surveyquest/index.htm

12. Other Closed QuestionsOther Closed Questions
 Ordinal: When you need all possibleOrdinal: When you need all possible
answers to be rank orderedanswers to be rank ordered
 Categorical: When the possibleCategorical: When the possible
answers for a question are categoriesanswers for a question are categories
– Each respondent must "belong" inEach respondent must "belong" in
exactly one of themexactly one of them
 Numerical: When the answer mustNumerical: When the answer must
be a real numberbe a real number
From types of survey questions -
http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/surveyquest/index.htm

13. When to Use What Type Question
Type of question... Best Used for...
Open-ended
Breaking the ice in an interview; when respondents' own
words are important; when the surveyor doesn't
know all the possible answers.
Closed-ended
Collecting rank ordered data; when all response choices
are known; when quantitative statistical results are
desired.
Likert-scale To assess a person's feelings about something.
Multiple-choice
When there are a finite number of options (remember to
instruct respondents as to the number of answers to
select).
Ordinal To rate things in relation to other things.
Categorical
When the answers are categories, and each respondent
must fall into exactly one of them.
Numerical For real numbers, like age, number of months, etc.
http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/surveyquest/index.htm

14. InfoPoll Survey TipsInfoPoll Survey Tips
 Write a short questionnaireWrite a short questionnaire
 Use simple wordsUse simple words
 Relax your grammarRelax your grammar
 Assure a common understandingAssure a common understanding
 Start with interesting questionsStart with interesting questions
 Don't write leading questionDon't write leading question
 Avoid double negativesAvoid double negatives
 Balance rating scalesBalance rating scales
http://www.accesscable.net/~infopoll/tips.htm

15. InfoPoll Survey TipsInfoPoll Survey Tips
 Don't make the list of choices too longDon't make the list of choices too long
 Avoid difficult conceptsAvoid difficult concepts
 Avoid difficult recall questionsAvoid difficult recall questions
 Use Closed-ended questions rather thanUse Closed-ended questions rather than
Open-ended onesOpen-ended ones
 Put your questions in a logical orderPut your questions in a logical order
 Pre-test your surveyPre-test your survey
 Name your survey to pique interestName your survey to pique interest
 Include cover memo or introductionInclude cover memo or introduction
http://www.accesscable.net/~infopoll/tips.htm

16. Online Survey EnginesOnline Survey Engines
 Survey Monkey - (Basic Account Free)Survey Monkey - (Basic Account Free)
http://www.surveymonkey.comhttp://www.surveymonkey.com
 Survey Suite (14 days free) -Survey Suite (14 days free) -
http://intercom.virginia.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/intercom/http://intercom.virginia.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/intercom/
 Other Surveys -Other Surveys -
http://www.surveymonkey.com/Pricing.asphttp://www.surveymonkey.com/Pricing.asp
 Zoomerang -Zoomerang - http://info.zoomerang.com/http://info.zoomerang.com/
 Advanced Survey -Advanced Survey -
http://www.advancedsurvey.com/http://www.advancedsurvey.com/
 Online Survey Builder -Online Survey Builder -
http://freeonlinesurveys.com/http://freeonlinesurveys.com/
 Create Survey -Create Survey - http://www.createsurvey.com/http://www.createsurvey.com/

17. ResourcesResources
 Types of Survey Questions -Types of Survey Questions -
http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/surveyquest/index.htmhttp://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/surveyquest/index.htm
 Writing questions -Writing questions -
http://www.ryerson.ca/~mjoppe/ResearchProcess/WriteBetterQuehttp://www.ryerson.ca/~mjoppe/ResearchProcess/WriteBetterQue
stion.htmstion.htm
 U of Texas - Survey Questions -U of Texas - Survey Questions -
http://www.utexas.edu/academic/diia/assessment/iar/how_to/methttp://www.utexas.edu/academic/diia/assessment/iar/how_to/met
hods/survey.phphods/survey.php
 How to write a good survey -How to write a good survey -
http://www.accesscable.net/~infopoll/tips.htmhttp://www.accesscable.net/~infopoll/tips.htm
 Super Survey - http://knowledge-base.supersurvey.com/survey-Super Survey - http://knowledge-base.supersurvey.com/survey-
questions.htmquestions.htm
 Writing Effective Survey Questions -Writing Effective Survey Questions -
http://www.custominsight.com/articles/effective-survey-http://www.custominsight.com/articles/effective-survey-
questions.aspquestions.asp
 Designing Surveys that Count -Designing Surveys that Count -
http://www.keene.edu/crc/forms/designingsurveysthatcount.pdfhttp://www.keene.edu/crc/forms/designingsurveysthatcount.pdf