Creating Survey Creating Survey QuestionsQuestions

A Few Basic IdeasA Few Basic Ideas

What’s a SurveyWhat’s a Survey

Surveys:Surveys: Surveys are a form of Surveys are a form of questioning that is more rigid questioning that is more rigid than interviews and that involve than interviews and that involve larger groups of people. Surveys larger groups of people. Surveys will provide a limited amount of will provide a limited amount of information from a large group information from a large group of people and are useful when of people and are useful when you want to learn what a larger you want to learn what a larger population thinks. (From: population thinks. (From: http://owl.english.purdue.edu)http://owl.english.purdue.edu)

Why Survey?Why Survey?

To test a hypothesis with actual To test a hypothesis with actual data from real opinions.data from real opinions.

To see what people think.To see what people think. To get real live people into your To get real live people into your

research.research. To provide a data set to work To provide a data set to work

with.with.

Ethical Considerations in Ethical Considerations in Primary Research Primary Research You should have the permission of the people who you You should have the permission of the people who you

will be studying will be studying You don’t want to do anything that would cause physical You don’t want to do anything that would cause physical

or emotional harm to your subjects. or emotional harm to your subjects. This could be This could be something as simple as being careful how you word something as simple as being careful how you word sensitive or difficult questions during your sensitive or difficult questions during your interviews.interviews.

Be sure your own personal biases and opinions do not get Be sure your own personal biases and opinions do not get in the way of your research in the way of your research

Many types of research, such as surveys or observations, Many types of research, such as surveys or observations, should be conducted under the assumption that you will should be conducted under the assumption that you will keep your findings anonymous. keep your findings anonymous.

You should choose your subjects based on what would You should choose your subjects based on what would most benefit your research. most benefit your research.

When reporting your results be sure that you accurately When reporting your results be sure that you accurately represent what you observed or what you were told. represent what you observed or what you were told.

DON’T ASK LEADING OR BIASED QUESTIONS.DON’T ASK LEADING OR BIASED QUESTIONS.

(From: http://owl.english.purdue.edu)(From: http://owl.english.purdue.edu)

Things to Consider when Things to Consider when Conducting SurveysConducting Surveys Who are you planning on Who are you planning on

surveying?surveying? How many people are you going How many people are you going

to survey?to survey? How are you going to survey How are you going to survey

people?people? How long is your survey going to How long is your survey going to

be?be? What questions are you going to What questions are you going to

ask?ask? (From: http://owl.english.purdue.edu)(From: http://owl.english.purdue.edu)

When Creating Questions You When Creating Questions You Want to Avoid Want to Avoid

Biased questions Biased questions Questions that assume what Questions that assume what

they ask they ask Double-barreled questions Double-barreled questions Confusing or wordy questions Confusing or wordy questions Unrelated questionsUnrelated questions

(From: (From: http://owl.english.purdue.edu)http://owl.english.purdue.edu)

A Sample Survey Question: A Sample Survey Question: What’s Wrong Here?What’s Wrong Here?

iPods should be outlawed iPods should be outlawed because:because: A: They are evil.A: They are evil. B: They create rudeness.B: They create rudeness. C: They can kill you dead.C: They can kill you dead. D: They are ways to cheat on D: They are ways to cheat on

tests.tests.

What’s right here?What’s right here?

I listen to my iPod:I listen to my iPod: Less than one hour a day.Less than one hour a day. 1-2 hours a day.1-2 hours a day. 3-4 hours a day.3-4 hours a day. 4 or more hours a day.4 or more hours a day.

The Survey ChallengeThe Survey Challenge

Write as bad a survey question Write as bad a survey question as you can—one that is biased, as you can—one that is biased, leading, and otherwise awful.leading, and otherwise awful.

Write as good a version of the Write as good a version of the same question.same question.