How to write a good Survey or Questionnaire

So what do you need to do? Decide on good title. List the things you would like to know about. Decide what you will do with the information. (Will you be collecting number information or opinions?) Decide who you are aiming it at. Now think about writing your questions. Here are some ideas to help you write good questions.

How to Write a Good Questionnaire Words are often used in different ways by different people; your goal is to write questions that each person will interpret in the same way. A good question should be short and straightforward. A questionnaire should not be too long, it should use clear questions and shouldn't be difficult to answer. Only through careful writing, editing, review, and rewriting can you make a good questionnaire.

Write a short questionnaire Above all, your questionnaire should be as short as possible. When planning your questionnaire, think about what you need to know and what would be useful to know.

Use simple words Use straightforward language. For example: ‘What is the frequency of your gym visits?’ would be better as, ‘How often do you go to the gym?’ Start with interesting questions Start the survey with questions that are likely to sound interesting and attract attention. Save the questions that might be difficult for later.

Use more closed-ended questions rather than open-ended ones It is better rely on questions with a fixed number of responses, from which to select answers (close-ended). They are useful because the purpose of the question is clear and there is a limit to a set of choices where one or more answer is right for them. For example: ‘Please tick the type of exercise you like to take’….followed by a list. (Don’t make the list too long) An open-ended question is a written response. For example: ‘Which singers or groups did you enjoy listening to in the sixties?’

Pre-test your questionnaire Trial your questionnaire on a variety of people first. It is better to identify a problem during the pre-test than after you have published the questionnaire. Before sending a survey to a target audience, send it out as a test to a small number of people. After they have completed the survey, ask them if they had problems answering any questions.

Look at the following Questionnaire about travel. What type of questions are they? Open/Closed? Are they in a good order? Could you improve some of them? Would you add some extras, or remove some from your survey? Use these ideas to write your own Questionnaire/Survey

Questionnaire on Transport and Travel Name ………………………………………………………………………………….. Generation - Child, parent or grandparent (Please delete) Place of birth………………………………………………………………. 1.Please tick the forms of transport you have used in your lifetime so far: Ferry/Hovercraft Cruise liner Jet ski Rowing boat Motor boat Helicopter Rocket Spaceship Bicycle Skateboard Car Roller skates Scooter Horse Bus/Coach Aeroplane 2. How did you/do you travel to school?………………………………………… 3. List up to three places you have been on holiday to in the UK. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4. Have you ever travelled abroad? …………………………………………… 5. How many times have you been on an aeroplane?……………….. 6. How many times have you been on a ship/ferry/hovercraft? ……………………. 7. List up to three places you have been on holiday to outside the UK. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

8. Have you been to Disneyland Paris? YES/NO 9. Have you been to DisneyWorld in Florida? YES/NO 10. Mark the Theme parks you have visited in this country: Alton Towers / Thorpe Park / Drayton Manor Park / LegoLand / Camelot / Chessington/ Oakwood / Other 11. Do you return to the same holiday destination each year? Yes / No / Sometimes (delete) 12. What do you do on holiday? Do you spend your holidays visiting relatives? Yes / No / Sometimes (delete) 13. Underline the school holiday time when you usually go away with your family. October half term / Christmas / February half term / Easter / May half term / Summer / In school time 14. Where would you most like to go if you got the chance to go somewhere in the world you’ve never been before?………………………… 15. Which hero(es) would you most like to share an adventure with? …………………………………………………………..