Build Better Surveys - Survey Question Types Explained

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Build Better Surveys - Survey Question Types Explained

By Steven Ray
2007-06-18

Build Better Surveys – Survey Question Types Explained

Asking the right questions in your online survey can be the difference between a successful data gathering exercise and a data gathering exercise that just leaves you with, well, more questions. The first step toward building the best online survey you can make is understanding the types of questions commonly asked in a survey. These are outlined for you here – think about which questions will get the most effective results for you.

The Dichotomous Question
Dichotomous questions are straight forward, typically asking respondents to choose yes or no. The dichotomous question is an effective tool if you want to screen the survey participants for a particular quality.

Rank Order Questions
When you’ve got a number of products, services or traits you need to have your respondents assess, a rank order question is just the ticket. You literally list the things you want them to rate, and tell them to number them one to five according to the attribute you specify. Rank order questions are useful for establishing particular services or products that are popular or need refining.

Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple-choice questions are the most common. A good multiple-choice question has at least three mutually exclusive answers. Sometimes respondents are invited to choose just one of the answers, and in other circumstances they’re allowed to “choose all that apply”.

Likert Scale Questions
A Likert scale question is designed to help you understand how your clients perceive your brand, products or services by asking them to rank something on a gradual scale with specific points. For example, a Likert scale question will ask customers to rate their checkout experience as: very efficient, somewhat efficient, neither efficient nor inefficient, somewhat inefficient or very inefficient.

Multiple Choice Matrix Questions
If you’ve got a series of questions that can use the same scale of answers, you can create a multiple-choice matrix using tick boxes or radio buttons. Multiple-choice matrix questions can also be used to allow respondents an easy way to assess particular products for a host of variables.

Semantic Differential Scale
A semantic differential scale asks the respondent to rate a product or service based on a numeric scale with opposing adjectives on either end. So, for example, you ask the customer to rate their satisfaction with the purchase on a scale of one to five, where five is excellent and one is rubbish.

Open-Ended
Perhaps the best way to understand the people you’re trying to survey is to allow them an open forum for response. Many surveys include a comments field, which allows respondents to enter a limited amount of text. Most often, an open-ended question is used at the end of a survey and invites respondents to make further suggestions, comment on areas that haven’t been covered by the rest of the survey or provide recommendations for service improvement.

The key to building a survey that generates great results is using the right combination of questions. So, before you design your survey, consider the sort of information you hope to gather and reflect on the types questions you’ll need to ask to acquire it.

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