Surveys are powerful tools for gathering data and understanding your audience. But a poorly designed survey can lead to inaccurate, unusable results. The key lies in crafting clear, concise, and unbiased questions. This post will delve into examples of good and bad survey questions, helping you create effective questionnaires that yield valuable insights.
What Makes a Good Survey Question?
A good survey question is characterized by several key features:
- Clarity and Simplicity: Avoid jargon, technical terms, or complex sentence structures. The question should be easily understood by everyone in your target audience.
- Specificity: The question should be focused and address a single issue. Avoid double-barreled questions (asking two things at once).
- Unbiased and Neutral: The wording should not influence the respondent's answer. Avoid leading questions that suggest a preferred response.
- Relevant: The question should directly relate to the overall goals of your survey.
- Appropriate Length: Keep questions concise and to the point. Long, rambling questions are often ignored or answered poorly.
Examples of Good Survey Questions:
Here are some examples of well-crafted survey questions, categorized by question type:
Multiple Choice Questions:
- Good: "On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, how satisfied are you with our customer service?" (Clear, concise, uses a Likert scale)
- Bad: "How was your experience with us?" (Too vague, lacks specificity)
Rating Scale Questions (Likert Scale):
- Good: "How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend? (1-Very Unlikely, 5-Very Likely)" (Clearly defined scale, easy to understand)
- Bad: "Rate your experience." (Too vague, doesn't provide context or scale)
Open-Ended Questions:
- Good: "What could we do to improve your experience?" (Allows for detailed, qualitative feedback)
- Bad: "Tell us what you think." (Too broad, doesn't provide direction)
Dichotomous Questions (Yes/No):
- Good: "Have you purchased from our online store before?" (Simple, straightforward, easy to answer)
- Bad: "Do you like our product?" (Doesn't provide context for what "like" means)
Examples of Bad Survey Questions:
Let's examine some examples of poorly constructed survey questions and why they are ineffective:
- Leading Question: "Don't you agree that our new product is amazing?" (Suggests a specific answer)
- Double-Barreled Question: "How satisfied are you with our website's design and functionality?" (Asks about two separate things)
- Ambiguous Question: "What do you think of our company?" (Too vague, lacks direction)
- Complex Question: "Considering the current economic climate and the impact of recent technological advancements, how would you rate our company's strategic direction?" (Overly complicated and confusing)
Optimizing Your Survey for Better Results
Remember, the goal is to gather accurate and insightful data. By avoiding the pitfalls outlined above and focusing on creating clear, concise, and unbiased questions, you'll significantly improve the quality of your survey results. Consider A/B testing different question wordings to see what resonates best with your audience. Always pilot test your survey on a small group before launching it to a larger audience. Careful planning and attention to detail will ensure your survey provides the valuable insights you need.
