How to Create a Survey?

[RR151]

I have opened this thread to start a discussion about the "How To" step by step processes used to create a survey for your clients and/or products.

Here is my check list to making Surveys:

How to Design a Successful Survey

The Simple Way to Write Surveys

It is easy to decide to survey people. However, it can be difficult to create a survey. We do our best to make it simpler. Surveys may be like a science or art, but they are not meant to be rocket science.
The first thing that you must determine what your objective is. What's the purpose behind your survey? What are you hoping to learn? You must be absolutely clear about this purpose, so that you can make your survey a successful one.

The Basics behind Survey Construction

You have many different options when it comes to writing a survey. By following these rules, you will be able to make the right choices all of the time. These 10 tips for making a survey will help you find your answers.

1. Format the Survey - Put similar questions together in order to create a focused survey. Instructions are excellent, as well as page breaks and titles. Let people know why you are asking the questions.

2. Be Repetitive - It is a good idea to use the same or similar questions within the same survey or over a series. This way, you can measure the changes in your respondents' opinions and attitudes.

3. Make it Short - Keep the survey as brief as you can. That way, your respondents will stay interested and want to finish it.

4. Start Out Casually - Don't ask more sensitive or personal questions right at the beginning. You may end up turning people off from finishing the survey. If the questions are necessary, leave them for the end.

5. Be Specific - Make your questions be as specific as possible, around one idea. Then, your respondents will have an easier time understanding. Try to avoid using multi-part questions, or ones that are vague.

6. Be Clear - Be sure to spell things out. If you are asking about a particular aspect of something, it is important to specify.

7. Relevance Is Key - Keep the respondents focused when you only display the questions that are applicable to them. You can use a skip logic function to get rid of questions that are irrelevant.

8. Don't Use Yes/No Questions - When you use these types of questions, you likely won't get an accurate answer from people who are on the fence. You want to get the details of their opinions, as well.

9. Avoid a Matrix - When they are presented with a matrix, respondents may not pay as close attention to the questions. This will decrease the quality of your data.

10. Stick to Words - The degree of preference should be expressed by words such as "slightly" or "extremely", instead of using a number scale. People will be able to understand the choices better this way.

[Runum]

Thanks for the tips. Do you have any tips for administration of the survey? I see surveyors at the malls sometimes. Is an online survey more fair than face to face?

[RR151]

Hey surveys can be administrated pertly much any way.

I can't mention sources but Google is an amazing tool so Google "surveys"

[TimKnight]

This is useful. Thanks pal for taking time to share.