Last Updated: October 1, 2021 Show
How to choose the most effective survey question typesThe success of a survey depends largely on asking the right questions to get the information you want. In this post, we’ll guide you through choosing great survey questions that will engage your respondents. Have you got a clear idea in mind of what you need to learn from your survey audience? Good. Roll up your sleeves, brace yourself…Let’s dive in! 3 Survey question formatsDid you know that, essentially, there are only three ways of asking a question? They form the base of all other question types and are the first decision you make when writing your survey. 1. Closed-ended questionsClosed-ended questions give the survey respondent a list of predefined answers to choose one or more items from. These questions don’t allow the respondent to explain their chosen answer. Examples of closed-ended questions include simple yes/no questions, multiple-choice questions and rating questions. Advantages of a closed-ended question:
Disadvantages of a closed-ended question:
Discover more reasons to choose (or avoid!) closed-ended survey questions here. 2. Open-ended questionsOpen-ended questions allow respondents to give a personal explanation or point of view. It offers room for a respondent to give a very specific and detailed answer (if they choose to do so!). You can usually recognize these questions because they tend to start with words such as “what”, “why”, “how” and “describe”. Advantages of an open-ended question:
Disadvantages of an open-ended Question:
3. Semi closed-ended questionQualitative input, quantitative input, or both? Let’s compromise! Perfect for when you need to gather both very specific answers and context. Semi Closed-Ended questions give you uniform data, explained with a few personal insights where they truly matter. This is your spot to find truly engaged respondents. Use their enthusiasm to turn them in potential ambassadors for your brand. Now we’ve covered the very basics! If you want to dive a little deeper, take a look at this great guide by Zapier: A simple guide to asking effective questions 5 Popular survey question typesWhen you start building your survey, practice the questions you’re using on some of your coworkers or someone close to you. Are they answering it the way you would expect? Is it getting you the info you need? This is a reliable way to judge the difference between good survey questions and great survey questions. 1. Dichotomous questions
This is our first example of a closed-ended question. Dichotomous questions are also known as Yes/No questions. When forming a Yes/No question, keep the following verbs in mind: BE, DO, HAVE or a modal verb. Without one of these, it’s impossible to answer your question with a simple “yes” or “no”. This type of survey question is perfect for a respondent to answer quickly and without having to put too much thought and effort into it. But make sure you mix it up with some other question types to avoid careless skipping through questions. 2. Ratings/ scale questionsAnother closed-ended question is a rating scale, where you can uncover a certain degree of opinion. So many options here! First, you’ll need to make a choice between a bipolar construct and a unipolar construct. Bipolar is used when you have a construct that ranges from negative to positive. Always remember to put a “neutral” in the middle of such a scale.
You can choose between question types such as a numeric rating scale, a graphic rating scale or a descriptive rating scale. The Likert-type scale is the most well-known numeric rating scale. A good rating scale should be easy to interpret, especially the meaning of each scale point should be clear. It should include enough points to differentiate respondents from one another as possible. Do you think you’ll be measuring your responses through ratings? Take a closer look at the rating scale and all its variants here. 3. List of items/ multiple-choice questionsThe one we hated when taking tests! But it’s also the one that scored you points if you had a knack for guessing. This closed-ended question offers your respondents a certain number of answers. It’s up to you if you’ll allow them to answer with one or more possible options. 4. Ordinal questionsThe one where respondents can rearrange the answers any way they like! The basic principle of this question type is to sort the answers in order of importance, according to the respondent. The old-fashioned way (assigning numbers) can now be replaced by a more interactive drag and drop variant.
Learn everything you need to know on ranking questions here. 5. Demographic questionsTime to get a little personal 😉 These questions are used to form an image of the respondent taking the questionnaire. They gather info on characteristics such as gender, age, place, income, … These data will help you define a clear picture or context of the audience you’re surveying and, ultimately, will help you to better understand their choices. Not only are these helpful survey questions to ask, but it’s an easy way to discover how you can reach them with upcoming communication or campaigns you have planned as well.
Find some great examples and learn how to use demographic questions here. Why skip logic and contingency questions are effectiveI get it. When you’re creating a survey, it’s useful to apply Skip Logic. In a nutshell, here’s how it works: For example, when a respondent answered they don’t enjoy reading thrillers, it’s no use asking them what their favorite thriller is afterward. Using Skip Logic will make your respondents fly through your amazing survey, not losing any time on questions that aren’t relevant.
Go here if you want to learn more about using Conditional Branching (skip logic). Survey question-wording: It’s a big dealThese pointers are great to keep in mind when formulating questions. While you’re coming up with survey ideas, it’s easy to lose yourself in thinking of what you hope to learn instead of what you need to learn. This is translated into the way you ask your questions. By forcing yourself to take a step back ever so often, you’ll keep the greater goal of your research in mind. Focus: Ask for only one thing per survey questionHow many books have you read this past month? Instead of Do you read less because you have too much work? This last question isn’t great (at all!) for a number of reasons:
Be precise: Don’t ask ‘leading questionsDo you enjoy reading detective novels? Instead of Detective novels are extremely popular, do you enjoy reading them? Phrasings can be interpreted in many ways: a specific problem is asking ‘leading questions’ where you add too much of an opinion into your question. Reduce the chance of misinterpretation by clearly defining the terms used in the question and answer format and even by giving some extra context if necessary. Avoid using words that are loaded or emotional. Let your respondent decide if Detective novels are exciting! 😉 Entertain!If you’re setting up your survey in such a way that it allows you to “interact” with your respondents: Great work! Another thing that might help is adding a bit of fun or entertainment. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t focus on getting serious results out of it, it does mean that you can get more results by making sure the respondent feels good about taking the survey.
Take a minute to discover more about the benefits and ways to unbore the common survey. Keep your survey short and simpleBe brief. The longer the question, the higher the risk your respondent will misinterpret or will stop reading halfway. I am not saying that you should leave out necessary info or an explanation if it’s needed. But a pro tip here is to separate the explanation from the actual question, to make the info more digestible. Additionally, keep an eye on timing. Test how long it takes for a respondent to finish these questions, compared to how much time the respondent actually has. InteractTo capture the respondents’ attention and give them the opportunity to connect to your brand, the use of “human language” is important. Try to formulate your questions in an easy and relatable way, avoid unnecessary jargon. There are some very easy, quick ways to lift your survey to a higher level, take a look at these 6 ways to make your survey more conversational. With these tips, you’re all set to build a successful questionnaire. ? Ready for the next step? Learn to write up the PERFECT survey introduction. Create your questionnaire for free!Which type of question provides option that respondents choose from?A closed-ended question is made up of pre-populated answer choices for the respondent to choose from; while an open-ended question asks the respondent to provide feedback in their own words.
Which type of question allows respondents?Open questions, which are also known as free-answer questions, allow the respondent to answer in their own words.
What are the 4 types of survey questions?6 main types of survey questions. Open-ended questions.. Closed-ended questions.. Nominal questions.. Likert scale questions.. Rating scale (or ordinal) questions.. 'Yes' or 'no' questions.. Is a type of question which provides the respondents with multiple answer options?A multiple-choice question is a type of questionnaire/survey question that provides respondents with multiple answer options. Sometimes called objective response questions, it requires respondents to select only correct answers from the choice options.
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