Category Archives: Questionnaire Design

Open-ended questions are those in which respondents type a response in a text box rather than selecting from a predefined set of responses (radio buttons, checkboxes, drop-down lists, etc). When open-ended questions are used properly, they can provide a number … Continue reading →

In online surveys, open-ended questions are those in which the respondents type their responses in a text box rather than selecting from a set of predefined responses such as radio buttons, checkboxes, or drop-down lists. When used properly, open-ended questions … Continue reading →

A leading question (also known as a “loaded question”) is one that suggests an answer by the way in which the question or response options are worded. Here’s an example of leading the respondent by the way the question is … Continue reading →

Ambiguous questions (those that could be understood in more than one way) are one of the more common mistakes in questionnaire design. Take this question for example: How often do you visit our website? O Very Often O Often O … Continue reading →

One of the most common mistakes I see in questionnaire design is the problem of overlapping scales. Take this question for example: Which of the following includes your age? O 18-25 O 25-35 O 35-45 O 45-55 O 55+ If … Continue reading →

Closed-ended questions should be one-dimensional. That is, they should ask about one and only one topic at a time. Questions that use more that one dimension are called “double-barreled” Double-barreled questions often leave the respondent with no way to respond … Continue reading →