An user-friendly questionnaire
Use an expert when writing the questionnaire
A good questionnaire asks stimulating, clear and unambiguous questions, worded appropriately for the target group. An expert can build an instrument that is welcoming to respondents and draws them in. Designing a questionnaire that helps us understand what people need takes talent, expertise, experience and the humility that comes with practice.
Make answering easy
Order the topics in a logical sequence and pay attention to the questionnaire’s visual and content ergonomics. Proofread the text carefully. Adapt the questionnaire to different platforms and devices. Put screening questions right at the start. Allow for the needs of different groups of respondents: let them enlarge the text, navigate simply, go back and correct answers.
Watch the length
The time a respondent spends answering is precious. In a long questionnaire people lose attention and the quality of answers falls. Keep an eye on length in relation to the method and the subject. Cut questions that are not essential to the objective. Find a better solution for the points at which respondents usually break off.
Test the questionnaire before you launch it
Leave enough time to write it. Try filling it in yourself and ask for feedback from someone who was not involved in writing it; distance matters. Then test it on a small sample of respondents, review the feedback, and only then send it into the field.
Measure satisfaction with the questionnaire
Review questionnaire quality regularly. Monitor, for example, the share of respondents who break off, and satisfaction scores. Compare the results with earlier questionnaires and with those of other projects. Set up a regular feedback process for the people who design new questionnaires.
Show respondents why they answered
Thank your respondents. Explain that their feedback will help, and be as specific as you can. Publish the findings and, where possible, show what changed as a result.
A video with six recommendations on how to get good, happy data and satisfied respondents is here:
