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

1. Survey Scanning Services - The Definitive Survey Design Checklist
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

2. 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!
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