Rules for creating a survey
We have collected 13 survey rules, failure to follow them can greatly distort the quality of the collected data.
1. Make the wording specific
Try to use unambiguous terms. It is very important that the text means the same thing to both the interviewer and the respondent. A good example of this is when we ask about quantities or frequency. Avoid expressions such as: sometimes, usually, many times, rarely or often. Often means something different to everyone, so everyone will answer according to their own interpretation. Specify a specific time, time interval, or unit of measure.
2. Let's provide filling instructions
For all questions where there is even a little justification, we can help you fill them in and add comments to the questions. Even if the filler doesn't use it, let's give him the chance to do so. During the testing, it should be revealed which questions need comments.
3. Let's not force an answer!
It is often very important that "I don't know" is optional. It greatly distorts the results if, without this option, the person filling in is forced to give the smallest bad or the closest to it, but still not really typical, as their answer.
It is also good to give the respondent the opportunity to skip certain questions or indicate that he does not wish to answer. It is better to lose an answer to a question that is uncomfortable for them, than for someone to stop filling out our survey because of this.
4. Conditional display of questions
Let's strive to spare the applicant from irrelevant questions. For example, if someone answers in one question that he does not drink coffee, he may lose patience if this is followed by 5-6 other questions about his coffee drinking habits. It's even worse when, for example, a woman who is infertile or has experienced multiple miscarriages has to answer questions like "When did you first feel your baby move?" or "How many months old did you get your baby blanket?". This is what the display/hide conditions you can choose for the given question are for.
5. Do not influence the filler!
Don't ask suggestive questions. Don't try to covertly give the answer to the question. Let's try to ask completely neutrally.
6. Gradual structure
It helps the person completing the survey to tune in if we always start with the simpler questions first and gradually move towards the more complex ones. This is also true for topics.
7. Don't make it too long
If the size of the survey exceeds the tolerance of the person completing it, it will lead to inaccurate answers. If it is essential that it be long, then prepare the filler for this and let them know that you can do it in several parts. SurviNator gives you the option to interrupt the filling and to continue it later. The person filling in can interrupt the filling process at any time, if he opens the survey again in the same browser, he can continue where he left off. It is possible to continue on another computer or in another browser, for which you must request the link for reloading before exiting.
8. Precise wording
Many times it is clear to us what we are interested in with a question, but we must try to be as specific as we can. For example, this question: "How many children are there in your family?" leaves more options open. Do you mean only children living in the same household as the respondent? Do only those under 18 years of age have to be included, or the older children of the applicant? This is more precise: "How many children under the age of 18 live in your household?"
9. Don't give too many answer options!
Since the patience of the respondents is finite, if too many answer options are given, they may be described too long, or they are too complicated, which can greatly distort the results. In such cases, they often do not even read all of them, they simply choose the first acceptable one immediately and move on. Randomizing the answer options can help with this, but it is safer to keep in mind that - sometimes less is more.
10. Favorite questions
It is important that the survey is not boring. It is good to start each topic with more interesting, so-called teaser questions. The goal is always that the person filling in doesn't lose patience while filling in, because that will greatly distort their answers.
11. Let's use control questions
There are answers where it is particularly important whether the person filling in has really written the truth. In order to reveal the reality of an answer, a good feedback is a control question. We have to act very carefully and smartly, because if the person filling in notices that we are asking him the same thing several times, he will feel very bad about himself. Let's try to extract the same information in a different block - preferably as far as possible from the question to be checked - and in a different form.
12. The survey should be beautiful!
The shape of our survey will matter a lot. It is not certain that the questions will be sparklingly interesting, because they still have to focus on what we want to know during our research. On the other hand, the format of the survey leaves room for any creative ideas that can make it more interesting. SurviNator gives you the opportunity to customize almost any part of the survey to your liking. Make the background beautiful, kind, cute or funny. Include pictures, videos, or logo. The questions, answer options, buttons, etc. they are all formable. We can even rewrite the "continue" text that goes to the next question. Any small consideration that is just for the filler will be appreciated and will count for a lot!
13. Always test before live sharing!
It is a good idea to test the first version when compiling the survey, but if this is not possible, for example due to lack of time, we will still test the survey before sending it to the real respondents. It will be a thousand times more work to correct the remaining errors later, if we have the opportunity at all. In addition, we can lose a lot of fillers if the filling has to be repeated due to a serious error.