New Gen Research

This is the second in a series of blog posts providing tips for designing online surveys.
Click here to read the first entry in the series: Think Simple

All of a sudden you have determined that there is something you want to know.  Maybe you want to find out how many of your coworkers would be interested in starting a carpool, how happy your customers are, or if your clients would be interested in a new service offering.  Where do you begin?

I think the instinct for someone not used to survey design is to open up their word processor and immediately start drafting questions.  I have many times had the experience of working with colleagues and clients that came prepared with a questionnaire.  It might even be formatted and have the look of something they are ready to send out.  So often though, after reading through the survey, it turns out that it really is not setup to do what they want it to do.

Instead of opening up your word processor begin with a simple brain storm.  Try not to start thinking about how you would ask a question.  Instead, think about what type of information you would like to know.  Do not worry about how the ideas are formatted right now, just jot out ideas.

Next, look at your brain stormed ideas.  Why do you want/need to know these things?  Which pieces are critical and which are just in the “would be nice to know” category.  Then prioritize your ideas.  It’s always tempting to want to ask too much but the longer the survey the less likely you will get a response.  You also don’t want a respondent answering questions on page 10 rushing just to get through the survey.  This does not lend to accurate results.

If you are having problems prioritizing, ask for a friend or colleague to read through your ideas.  Can you explain why you want to know or need to know certain elements.  It might give you a better idea of how you can prioritize.

Now you are set to write the questions.  Take your time and ask yourself if the questions will really provide you with the information you want.  Be as direct and clear as possible, confusion does not lead to reliable answers and you should not need to trick the respondent into answering a question.  Also be aware that questionnaire development is seldom as easy as you would hope.