We are fortunate that Qualtrics users are comfortable asking us questions. Many of our questions are about writing better survey questions. Here are a few tips to remember while writing questions:

Use Mutually Exclusive Responses: Be sure to make your response categories mutually exclusive. Consider the question:

What is your age?

• 18-31
• 31-40
• 40-55
• 55+

Respondents that are 31 years old have two options, as do respondents that are 40 and 55. As a result, it is impossible to predict which category they will choose. This can distort results and frustrate respondents. It can be easily avoided by making responses mutually exclusive. The following question is much better:

What is your age?

• 18-30
• 31-39
• 40-54
• 55+

This question is clear and will give us better results.

Ask Specific Questions: Nonspecific questions can confuse respondents and influence results.

Do you like orange juice?

• Extremely Like
• Like
• Neither Like nor Dislike
• Dislike
• Extremely Dislike

This question is very unclear. Is it asking about taste, texture, price, or the nutritional content? Different respondents will read this question differently. A specific question will get more specific answers that are actionable.

How much do you like the current price of orange juice?

• Extremely Like
• Like
• Neither Like nor Dislike
• Dislike
• Extremely Dislike

This question is more specific and will get better results. You can also include multiple questions to get more information. (Do you like the taste of orange juice? Do you like the nutritional content of orange juice? etc.)

Following these tips will improve your research. Check back next Wednesday for our weekly tips on writing surveys.