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How to Build Better Surveys Build Surveys that Generate Answers to Your Questions By Janis Ramey Start with questions that have easy, quick answers. Allow respondents to ease into the task. Once they write something down or make a check mark, they're more committed to the task. Divide the survey questionnaire into sections so it doesn't appear too intimidating. Use cheerful but appropriate graphics and a relaxed layout to encourage people to fill out the form. Ask questions that force responses that are useful to you. And try to imagine the possible answers -- the "what if's". For example, "How many PCs do you have in your home?" seems straightforward -- but consider the family that has two old ones they never use. What you really want to know is "How many PCs are being used regularly in your home?" And then what about Macintosh computers? Are they PCs? -- Not in some contexts. Provide extra space for comments and extra information. Maybe put extra space several places on the questionnaire. Use familiar rating scales ("1 to 5" or "1 to 10"). Make it very clear whether the high number or the low number is the "best" answer. In fact, this type of scale can be so easily misunderstood, that you may want to avoid using numerical rating and use words instead ("High-Medium-Low" or "Poor-Fair-Good-Very Good-Excellent"). If you need to quantify for your analysis, you can convert "Poor" to 1 and "Excellent" to 5. Don't change the rating method within the questionnaire, especially the direction of best to worst. For example, make sure the first choice listed is always the best or highest rating or always the worst or lowest rating. Don't ask for name and phone number, etc., unless you really need it. Give respondents a reason for taking the survey (maybe a prize of some kind). There's a difference between surveying a few people and surveying hundreds or thousands. It may be impossible to read and understand lengthy free-form answers from large numbers of respondents, even though that type of response may be more meaningful. You may need to reduce the number of people you survey, or you may have to use multiple choice answers that can be machine read. In planning your survey, the obvious place to start is to list and prioritize the information and opinions you are trying to elicit and then write questions that will generate that information. If most everything on your list is factual, you can probably develop a checklist or yes/no type questionnaire. However, if a lot of it is opinion, you'll need to ask open-ended questions and allow space and freedom to respond in a less structured manner. Checklists or questions with multiple choice or yes or no answers are easy to quantify but are difficult to write so that they elicit useful information. They only work well when the answers are facts rather than opinions. ("When did you last use our technical support?") Consider calling or visiting individuals and asking the questions in person. Write down or record their answers. They'll feel flattered and needed, and you'll probably get a better idea of what they really think (especially if you ask open-ended questions rather than questions with yes or no answers). Try out a draft questionnaire on a small number of people to see if your questions are effectively worded. Give several options for returning the questionnaire (electronic form, fax, email, U.S. mail, etc.) Follow up with a thank you phone call, letter, or something. This is especially important if the responder is a customer or client. Copyright (c) 2001 by Janis Ramey This article appeared in Blue Pencil, the newsletter of the Pittsburgh Chapter, Society for Technical Communication in September 2001. This was the first online issue of this 45-year-old newsletter. Website: http://www.stcpgh.org/newsletter/01_Sept/default.htmdefault.htm return to list of articles by Janis Ramey

email: ramey@technical-writing.net