How To Write a Survey or Questionnaire

Design succinct and unambiguous questions with familiar words, and no abbreviations or double negatives. Be specific about timing, for instance, by stipulating “Every three hours” instead of “Often.”

Separate questions rather than making them dependent on previous or subsequent questions. Dependent questions can confuse, alienate, and add a level of uncertainty in your findings.

Avoid writing a survey or questionnaire that uses leading questions that, intentionally or not, preserve the likelihood of a certain result. Offer clearly distinct choices.

Ask questions that anticipate and encompass all possible responses.

Group the questions logically. Make them simple, direct, and unthreatening. If someone suspects an agenda, they will not answer truthfully.

Test your questionnaire or survey on a small but similar group before starting the official study. Get feedback about how questions were interpreted and suggestions on how to fix problems. Revise the survey based on your results, and you will be on your way to creating a clear study.