BASIC ATTRIBUTES OF BASIC ATTRIBUTES OF QUESTIONSQUESTIONS

EFFECTIVE SURVEY QUESTIONS HAVE EFFECTIVE SURVEY QUESTIONS HAVE THREE IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES :THREE IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES :

FOCUSFOCUS

BREVITY (BRIEF)BREVITY (BRIEF)

CLARITYCLARITY

FOCUSFOCUS

SHOULD FOCUS DIRECTLY ON SHOULD FOCUS DIRECTLY ON A SINGLE,SPECIFIC TOPIC.A SINGLE,SPECIFIC TOPIC.

For e.g.; For e.g.;

1)1) WrongWrong : Which brand do you like : Which brand do you like the best ? the best ?

Right Right : Which of these brands are : Which of these brands are you most likely to buy ?you most likely to buy ?

In the first setIn the first set the researcher seeks to the researcher seeks to

measure purchase preference & it would be measure purchase preference & it would be

a mistake to ask which they liked best, a mistake to ask which they liked best,

because they may like a very elegant and because they may like a very elegant and

expensive brand, but may not be willing to expensive brand, but may not be willing to

buy because of its price.buy because of its price.

Example – 2)Example – 2)

Wrong : When do you usually go to walk ?Wrong : When do you usually go to walk ?

Right : What time do you ordinarily leave Right : What time do you ordinarily leave home for walk ? home for walk ?

In this example, asking when the respondent In this example, asking when the respondent usually goes to walk also lacks the usually goes to walk also lacks the necessary focus. It does not indicate the necessary focus. It does not indicate the point from which the respondent point from which the respondent ‘goes' to walk, nor does it ask for a time ‘goes' to walk, nor does it ask for a time of the day.of the day.

The best way to be sure The best way to be sure that a question is focused that a question is focused directly on the issue is to directly on the issue is to ask as precisely as ask as precisely as possible exactly what the possible exactly what the sponsor needs to know.sponsor needs to know.

BREVITYBREVITY It means, keeping questions as short or It means, keeping questions as short or

brief as possible.brief as possible.

The reasons for keeping survey questions as The reasons for keeping survey questions as short as possible are ;short as possible are ;

The longer the questions, the more difficult The longer the questions, the more difficult the response task will be.the response task will be.

Short questions are less subject to error.Short questions are less subject to error. When questions become too long, When questions become too long, respondents are likely to forget the first part of respondents are likely to forget the first part of the question by the time they read or hear the the question by the time they read or hear the last part.last part.

For e.g. ;For e.g. ;

1)1) Wrong Wrong :Can you tell me how many children you :Can you tell me how many children you have, whether they are boys or girls, & how old have, whether they are boys or girls, & how old they are ? they are ?

Right Right : What is the age & gender of each of your : What is the age & gender of each of your children ?children ?

If a person is asked the brief form of the first question, If a person is asked the brief form of the first question, the respondent might reply, “I have a nine year old the respondent might reply, “I have a nine year old boy & a four year old girl.” The interviewer would boy & a four year old girl.” The interviewer would know the age of the boy and the girl. know the age of the boy and the girl.

If the longer version of the 1If the longer version of the 1stst example were used and example were used and the respondent could remember everything that the respondent could remember everything that was asked, the response might be, "I have 2 was asked, the response might be, "I have 2 children. A boy and a girl. They are four & nine children. A boy and a girl. They are four & nine years old." The interviewer might either assume the years old." The interviewer might either assume the boy was four and the girl nine years old.boy was four and the girl nine years old.

CLARITYCLARITY

The meaning of the question must be The meaning of the question must be

Completely clear to all respondents.Completely clear to all respondents.

Clarity demands that virtually everyone interprets the question in Clarity demands that virtually everyone interprets the question in exactly the same way.exactly the same way.

For e.g. :For e.g. :

1)1) Wrong Wrong : Ordinarily, do you take aspirin when you feel: Ordinarily, do you take aspirin when you feel

some discomfort or when you feel actual pain ?some discomfort or when you feel actual pain ?

Right Right : Do you usually take aspirin as soon as you feel some : Do you usually take aspirin as soon as you feel some

discomfort, or only when you feel actual pain ?discomfort, or only when you feel actual pain ?

This example is supposed to present a This example is supposed to present a dichotomy. It assumes that the respondent dichotomy. It assumes that the respondent does use aspirin, and that the individual does use aspirin, and that the individual either takes aspirin at the first sign of either takes aspirin at the first sign of discomfort or else waits until there is the discomfort or else waits until there is the perception of actual pain. The dichotomy perception of actual pain. The dichotomy is lost in the unclear version of the is lost in the unclear version of the question, and respondents might simply question, and respondents might simply respond with, “Yes, I do.” The researcher respond with, “Yes, I do.” The researcher would not learn at which point the aspirin would not learn at which point the aspirin were consumed, & such data would be were consumed, & such data would be useless.useless.

When constructing questions, the researcher must ask again & again:

Does the question focus precisely on the issue ?

Is this as brief as the question can be stated ?

Is it completely clear what is being asked ?

Expressing the QuestionsExpressing the Questions

Survey Questions are, of course, expressed in Survey Questions are, of course, expressed in words. To obtain meaningful answers, words. To obtain meaningful answers, questions must be expressed with the questions must be expressed with the appropriate words. In addition, the words must appropriate words. In addition, the words must be combined and arranged in a way that is be combined and arranged in a way that is appropriate to the respondents. Thus, both appropriate to the respondents. Thus, both vocabularyvocabulary and and grammargrammar are important when are important when forming survey questions.forming survey questions.

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