In our previous blog, we outlined the basic principles of questionnaire design for writing great, effective survey questions. Of course, your overall survey design will include more than just the questions. You will also need to include a survey title, provide instructions and add a thank-you closing statement, as well as review and test the effectiveness of each element before launch. If only there were a simple survey design checklist to follow to ensure you didn’t miss anything.

Well, you’re in luck. We’ve created a handy checklist of all the essential elements to include in your survey, including style and content considerations. We present to you … the Definitive Survey Design Checklist:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Objectives

____ Your survey objectives have been documented

____ You are clear on how you plan to use the data

Survey Design

Introduction

____ Your survey has a clear title

____ You explain the purpose and importance of your survey

____ An estimate of survey duration and length of questionnaire is included

____ You included a confidentiality guarantee or ask permission to share their responses and identify with whom

____ You provided brief company background information

____ You referred to your survey incentive (if any) and provided information about it

Questions

____ The survey begins with a simple question

____ The questions go from general to specific

____ Sensitive questions appear toward the end of the survey

____ Sensitive questions include a “prefer not to answer option”

____ Demographic data appears at the end of the survey

____ Questions are organized by topic

____ All questions relate to your objectives

____ All questions are simple and concise

____ Jargon, acronyms and technical terms have been avoided

____ Response options include all possibilities, using “other” or “none” as necessary

____ The majority of questions are closed-ended for easier data analysis

____ Directions on how to answer are placed before each question

____ Rating scale questions include the rating scale before the question

____ Rating scale questions include a midpoint answer and an equal balance of positive and negative choices

____ Response options are placed vertically when possible, except for tabulated questions

____ Multiple choice questions display the most positive answer first

____ Open-ended questions are voluntary

Closing

____ You thanked your respondents

____ You offered them the possibility to receive the results (if possible)

____ You provided details on receiving the incentive

Final Review

____ You have sent the survey to colleagues or friends to validate wording and timing

____ You have pre-tested the survey by sending to a small group of respondents in the target population

____ The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete

____ You have made appropriate revisions to address any issues uncovered

By following this guide, you will be well on your way to survey research success. For more information on survey design or any aspect of survey mail management, contact us today!