Conducting Surveys

Types of Questions

• Closed ended – Participants choose, among a list of possible choices, the response option that best reflects their opinions.
• Open ended – Participants are not given a list of response options, but rather are asked to answer the question in their own words.
• Combination of closed and open-ended (e.g., provide an “other” option which participants can define).

Types of Response Options for Close Ended Survey Questions

• Dichotomous (e.g., yes – no )
• Multiple Choice – Choose one response option (e.g., How would you characterize your political views?)
• Multiple Choice – Select multiple responses (e.g., Select all the factors you consider when choosing a college)
• PDF Document: Likert Rating Scale (e.g., Participants are asked to indicate their level of agreement with a statement on a defined scale)
• Ranking (e.g., Rank in order of importance the factors that influenced your decision to attend this college)

Advantages to Using Surveys

• Easy to administer and can be administered remotely (mail, e-mail, telephone)
• Relatively inexpensive
• Can reach a large number of people in a short amount of time
• Typically yield quantitative data that is easy to analyze
• Can cover a variety of topics in a brief amount of time
• Candid responses

Disadvantages to Using Surveys

• Response options may not capture participants’ true opinions
• Respondent usually cannot provide clarification
• May suffer from low response rates