Appropriate formatting is a vital component of effective online surveys. The right formatting will engage respondents, make it easier for them to navigate through the survey, and increase the survey response rate. Here are a few tips for how and when to use grid responses.
Grid Response
A grid response typically consists of rows of questions and columns of response options.
Recommendations:
- Use a grid when it enables the respondent to provide responses more quickly and effectively.
- Use only one scale in a grid (e.g., rating of 1 to 5, 1 to 7, 1 to 10)
- Avoid using too many grids and/or too many different scales in a survey (e.g., one grid with a 5-point scale, one with a 7-point scale, and another with a 10-point scale).
- When using multiple grids, avoid changing the flow of the scale from one grid to another (e.g., one grid with the left column as the highest rating and another with the right column as the highest rating).
- Define each point on the scale (e.g., “Agree completely” “Agree somewhat” “Neither agree nor disagree” “Disagree somewhat” “Disagree completely”). Do not leave the meaning of the scale open to interpretation.
