6 Potential Question Issues When Developing Your Feedback Solution
Many survey software and feedback solutions providers offer solutions for multi-mode administration of surveys and forms – online, paper, scanning, mobile, kiosk, face-to-face interview, or a combination of research modes. Each mode of research can gather valuable feedback, and has its own advantages and disadvantages. When developing any feedback tool, no matter what mode, you will want to take potential question issues into consideration as you plan your research.
The types of questions that you want to ask respondents, the chosen topics for discussion, and the volume of feedback you can expect will likely determine your mode of survey research.
Consider these 6 important question issues when planning your feedback research.
- What types of questions do you plan to ask respondents? The types of questions you ask can have an impact on response rates. Will you ask personal or demographic questions? Do you require very detailed responses? Can you anticipate what the most frequent or important types of responses will be, and develop logical closed-ended questions?
- Will your questions be complex? At times, the topic or subject matter can be very involved. The questions you ask will be multifaceted. Consider branching to sub-questions or route respondents to questions that are relevant to them based on answers given in previous questions.
- Do you need to screen respondents? Including a screening question may be necessary. A screening question can help determine whether the respondent is qualified to complete your questionnaire or form. For example, you wouldn’t want to ask someone their opinions about a specific product without first screening them to find out whether they have any experience using that product. Additionally, you may have to screen on several variables (e.g., gender, age). Multifaceted screening is much easier using online surveys or mobile surveys, but can become more difficult with paper surveys as you run the risk of confusing or frustrating the respondent.
- Will you control the sequence of questions? Is the layout of your survey or form constructed in a manner that has a logical sequence of questions? Would you rather randomize the order of questions? Or, do you want to keep the same question sequence, but randomize the question options.
- Will you ask lengthy questions? If your topic or subject matter is complex, you may need to provide your respondents with some background detail for each complex question or section of questions. Will your respondents be receptive to complex questions or will they lose interest, risking low response rates.
- Will you use long response scales? If you are asking respondents for feedback about the different household kitchenware products they use, you may have a very lengthy list of response options (microwave, food processor, blender, hand mixer, slow cooker, double boiler, waffle maker, etc.). If you are conducting a face-to-face interview, it may be difficult to ask about each of these products in such a short period of time.
