In the age of digital innovation, the simplicity of creating online surveys can sometimes overshadow the craft of designing them effectively. Drawing from the wisdom of Marguerite Cox, a distinguished biostatistician, this blog post introduces essential principles, adapted for the tech community, to elevate your survey design process.
Initial Considerations
Before diving into question formulation, several key steps must be addressed:
- Clarifying the Survey Goals: What are you seeking to understand or measure?
- Identifying Your Audience: Who will be providing the information?
- Determining Sample Size: How many responses are needed for reliable insights?
- Selecting the Survey Method: Will it be online, telephonic, face-to-face, or another format?
The Ten Guiding Principles
Precision in Questioning:
Craft questions with accuracy. For instance, ask “How frequently do you perform system backups monthly?” rather than “Do you regularly perform system backups?”
Simplicity in Language:
Keep questions straightforward and free from technical jargon, ensuring they are easily understood by all respondents.
Avoiding Dual Queries:
Split compound questions. Instead of asking “How effective is our software in functionality and user interface?”, break it down into two distinct queries.
Steering Clear of Leading Questions:
Questions should be neutral and unbiased, like avoiding “Isn’t our app incredibly user-friendly?”
Minimizing Question Count:
Strive for a concise survey, balancing the need for comprehensive data with the likelihood of response fatigue.
Logical Sequencing:
Begin with broad, general questions and gradually move to more specific or sensitive topics, ensuring a smooth flow.
Comprehensive Answer Options:
Include a diverse range of responses, especially in tech-related queries like assessing programming skill levels.
Balanced Ordinal Scales:
Use a clear and balanced rating scale, mindful of biases that may arise from the order of responses.
Distinct Categories:
Ensure response options are mutually exclusive to avoid confusion, particularly in quantitative questions like “How many coding languages are you proficient in?”
Pilot Testing Your Survey:
Conduct a trial run to fine-tune questions and format, ensuring the survey is ready for a wider audience.
Conclusion
Effective survey design is as much an art as it is a science, especially in the tech world where precision and clarity are paramount. By integrating these principles into your survey strategy, you can achieve more meaningful and actionable insights.
Ready to create surveys in Concrete CMS? Check out our tutorial on How to Create Surveys in Concrete CMS to get started!
Bonus Insight:
Adaptability is key. Be ready to modify your survey based on initial feedback and evolving trends in technology and user behavior.
Have you implemented any of these strategies in your tech surveys?
Learn More How to Make a Survey Using Concrete CMS