Step by Step Guide to setting up a Survey

One of the best ways to clarify your study goals is to decide how you intend to use the information. Do this before you begin designing the study. This sounds obvious, but many researchers neglect this task.

Rule 1: Follow your Study Objectives

Always write down your survey objectives. You can always refer to your study objectives whenever you are unsure of a question. Ask only questions that directly address the study objectives. Avoid the temptation to ask questions because it would be “interesting to know”. These questions are not necessary.

Rule: 2 Include questions that address your survey objectives only

As a general rule, with only a few exceptions, long questionnaires get less response than short questionnaires. Keep your questionnaire short. In fact, the shorter the better. Response rate is the single most important indicator of how much confidence you can place in the results. A low response rate can be devastating to a survey. Therefore, you must do everything possible to maximize the response rate. One of the most effective methods of maximizing response is to shorten the questionnaire.

Also use less open end questions as these take more time to administer. If your survey is over a few pages, try to eliminate questions. Many people have difficulty knowing which questions could be eliminated. For the elimination round, read each question and ask, “How am I going to use this information?” If the information will be used in a decision-making process, then keep the question… it’s important. If not, throw it out. Give your questionnaire a title that is short and meaningful to the respondent.

A questionnaire with a title is generally perceived to be more credible than one without. Use simple and direct language. The questions must be clearly understood by the respondent. The wording of a question should be simple and to the point. Do not use uncommon words or long sentences. Make items as brief as possible. This will reduce misunderstandings and make the questionnaire appear easier to administer. One way to eliminate misunderstandings is to emphasize crucial words in each item by using bold, italics or underlining. Leave adequate space for respondents to make comments.

One criticism of questionnaires is their inability to retain the “flavor” of a response. Leaving space for comments will provide valuable information not captured by the response categories. Leaving white space also makes the questionnaire look easier and this increases response. Place the most important items in the first half of the questionnaire. Hold the respondent’s interest. We want the respondent to complete our questionnaire. One way to keep a questionnaire interesting is to provide variety in the type of items used.

Varying the questioning format will also prevent respondents from falling into “response sets”. At the same time, it is important to group items into coherent categories. All items should flow smoothly from one to the next. The wording of a question is extremely important.

Researchers strive for objectivity in surveys and, therefore, must be careful not to lead the respondent into giving a desired answer. Unfortunately, the effects of question wording are one of the least understood areas of questionnaire research. Many researchers have confirmed that slight changes in the way questions are worded can have a significant impact on how people respond.

Several authors have reported that minor changes in question wording can produce more than a 25%t difference in people’s opinions. Several researchers have looked at the effects of modifying adjectives and adverbs. Words like usually, often, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, and rarely are “commonly” used in questionnaires, although it is clear that they do not mean the same thing to all people. Some adjectives have high variability and others have low variability.

The following adjectives have highly variable meanings and should be avoided in surveys: a clear mandate, most, numerous, a substantial majority, a minority of, a large proportion of, a significant number of, many, a considerable number of, and several. Other adjectives produce less variability and generally have more shared meaning. These are: lots, almost all, virtually all, nearly all, a majority of, a consensus of, a small number of, not very many of, almost none, hardly any, a couple, and a few. If a questionnaire is more than a few pages and is held together by a staple, include some identifying data on each page (such as a respondent ID number).Pages often accidentally separate.

Rule 3: Consult Experts

If you are not a professional market researcher, one important way to assure a successful survey is to consult experts and relevant decision-makers in the questionnaire design process. Their suggestions will improve the questionnaire and they will subsequently have more confidence in the results.

Rule 4: Think about the Data Analysis

Formulate a plan for doing the statistical analysis during the design stage of the project. Know how every question will be analyzed and be prepared to handle missing data. If you cannot specify how you intend to analyze a question or use the information, do not use it in the survey.

Rule: 5 Always Pilot a Questionnaire

The final test of a questionnaire is to try it on representatives of the target audience. If there are problems with the questionnaire, they almost always show up here. If possible, be present while a respondent is being interviewed. of the best ways to clarify your study goals is to decide how you intend to use the information. Do this before you begin designing the study. This sounds obvious, but many researchers neglect this task.

To your Success!!!