Question and choice responses:

• Allow a “Don’t Know” or “Not Applicable” response to all questions, except to those in which you are certain that all respondents will have a clear answer
• Include “Other” or “None” if either of these is a logically possible answer

3 basic types of questions:

• multiple choice,
• numeric open end
• text open end question and answer

Question and choice order:

• Ideally, the early questions in a survey should be easy and pleasant to answer
• Whenever possible leave difficult or sensitive questions until near the end of your survey
• Leave your demographic questions (age, gender, income, education, etc.) until the end of the questionnaire
• Always present agree-disagree choices in that order

Reduce habituation

• Randomize the order of related questions
• Present a series of questions in a random order
• Change the “positive” answer (applies mainly to level-of-agreement questions)
• People tend to pick the choices nearest the start of a list when they read the list

Do not put two questions into one.

Watch language:

• Try to make sure the wording does not favor one answer choice over another.
• Avoid emotionally charged words or leading questions
• Avoid technical terms and acronyms

Leave a space at the end of a questionnaire entitled “Other Comments.

Online – take advantage of html and computer technologies

a. add maps
b. picture examples
c. require information to continue
d. limit choices