Designing Quality Survey Questions

Surveys are a cornerstone of social and behavioral research, and with the use of web-based tools, surveys have become an easy and inexpensive means of gathering data. But how researchers ask a question can dramatically influence the answers they receive. This text addresses a distinct gap in the literature that specifically addresses question wording beyond the basic, often repeated and highly general advice. Sheila B. Robinson and Kimberly F. Leonard aim to address the following challenges: language preferences for standard demographic and other questions (e.g. How to ask about gender), creative question design to keep respondents engaged and avoid survey fatigue, web-based survey formats, culturally-responsive survey design, and factors that influence survey responses (memory, social desirability, etc.). The book will include numerous examples of questions to illustrate each identified principle of question construction. The authors’ point of view is practitioner-focused, however, the text will have appeal for students and academic researchers, those engaged in large-scale studies, and those using surveys at the local or program level.