{"id":107,"date":"2025-03-10T16:32:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T20:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=107"},"modified":"2026-01-20T10:06:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T15:06:19","slug":"module-6-designing-survey-questions","status":"web-only","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/chapter\/module-6-designing-survey-questions\/","title":{"raw":"Module 4: Designing Survey Questions","rendered":"Module 4: Designing Survey Questions"},"content":{"raw":"Designing survey questions can seem like a daunting task for researchers, especially for those who are doing it for the first time. This module will explain how to write a survey questionnaire, common survey platforms and terminology considerations.\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Learn the key steps in designing inclusive, thoughtful survey questions<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Case Study<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<em>Ethan is creating a survey to understand barriers to non-OHIP-covered healthcare access. He includes a question asking, \"Do you have a disability?\" with a simple \u201cyes\/no\u201d response, as his demographics disability question.<\/em>\r\n\r\n<em>After launching the survey, Ethan received feedback that some participants found the question was not inclusive and hard to define. In a conversation with a colleague, Ethan shared his confusion, saying, \u201cIsn\u2019t that question as straightforward as it should be? What other options could I add?\"<\/em>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<h4>\ud83e\uddd0 Consider This!<\/h4>\r\nIf a survey question seems to cover the breadth of a topic, but is perceived as \"over-simplified\", is it still worth having? What could you do to enhance or adapt the question?\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h2>What questions do you need?<\/h2>\r\nThe first thing to consider when developing questions is asking yourself what <em>types<\/em> of questions you need.\r\n\r\nThe demographics section of your survey is a great place to start. Who is your target population? What demographics (age, gender, sexuality, marital status, employment, race, ethnicity, etc.) will be important to inform your data? What types of correlations do you want to draw between your dependent variable (what you're studying) and these demographics?\r\n<h2><img src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"406\" height=\"320\" class=\"wp-image-510 aligncenter\" \/><\/h2>\r\nNext, what is the main question guiding your research? What do you want to find out? Once you answer that... What types of survey questions do you need to ask your participants in order to answer that main question? What questions are appropriate? Which are ethical?\r\n\r\nEthics is a huge point of consideration in this area, because it is vital to ensure that the information you are collecting- especially identifying information (meaning information that may lead to a participant's identity and personal details being revealed)- is necessary to your study. Unnecessary questions can produce risk of invaded privacy, making participants feel watched or surveilled, and serves little benefit to you as a researcher.\r\n\r\nIf you aren't sure where to start, or what is too much or too little information to ask for, this is where a literature review, consultation with your peers, and co-design come in handy.\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h2>Preliminary Research for Question-Writing<\/h2>\r\nAll science and knowledge seeking is iterative. That means that <span>discovery is a continuous process of development and improvement, which is central to research in every area of study. This cycle allows for the refinement of existing ideas and development of new ones (Utah Valley University, 2024<a id=\"University, U. V. (2024). The Iterative Nature of Scientific and Technological Progress. https:\/\/uen.pressbooks.pub\/tech1010\/chapter\/the-iterative-nature-of-scientific-and-technological-progress\/\"><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIn survey research, we know that there are millions of existing survey questions that have been answered by millions of people- many of which may be relevant to your own research questions. Saturate yourself with existing literature about your topic, and especially finding other surveys that have similar premises to yours, will give you a guideline for types of questions to ask, and how to ask them.\r\n\r\nFor example, for collecting demographic data from persons with disabilities in Canada, you might consider looking at previous Statistics Canada surveys.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Canadian Survey on Disability, 2022<\/strong>, used some of the following questions to document gender:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_278\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"689\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/www23.statcan.gc.ca\/imdb\/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&amp;lang=en&amp;Item_Id=1400719#qb1402998\"><img src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024117.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"689\" height=\"305\" class=\"wp-image-278 \" \/><\/a> Survey questions about gender identity, from the Canada Survey on Disability, 2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www23.statcan.gc.ca\/imdb\/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&amp;lang=en&amp;Item_Id=1400719#qb1402998\">(Statistics Canada)<\/a>.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nWhile this is a poor example of an inclusive survey question, you can still use it as a reference. You may choose to use similar questions to ask about gender. You may also decide that you would prefer to modify the question, in order to incorporate additional options aside from the binary male and female genders (we would certainly recommend this).\r\n\r\nAnother example from the same survey is regarding disability assessment. These questions are clear, concise, and can be understood in the same way by all participants; they might be a great place to start if you wish to ask similar questions:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_277\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"729\"]<img src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024219-e1743838045625.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"729\" height=\"306\" class=\"wp-image-277 \" \/> Survey questions about disability assessment, from the Canada Survey on Disability, 2022 (Statistics Canada).[\/caption]\r\n\r\nConsultation with experts and doing a co-design session with your population of interest is also vital to ensuring that your questions encompass the scope of values and knowledge that you wish to gather.\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h2>The Fundamentals of Survey Question Writing<\/h2>\r\nSo now you know what kinds of questions you want to ask... How do you ask them in an effective way?\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s start with the basics! Writing survey questions is all clarity. That means that your questions need to be simple and direct. A poorly worded question can lead to confusion, misinterpretation, or even the exclusion of certain participants. This is why crafting clear, inclusive, and accessible questions is essential, especially when working with people with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, and other groups that commonly are subject to structural\/systemic marginalization.\r\n\r\nGenerally, a survey question should satisfy the following criteria:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>It captures the specific idea or behaviour being studied.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>It excludes all unrelated topics.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>All participants understand the question the same way.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nBut how do we achieve all of these things? There steps that can be followed in order to keep to these standards. To simplify this, you can follow the <span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">[pb_glossary id=\"280\"]<strong>CLEAR<\/strong> [\/pb_glossary]<\/span> mnemonic:\r\n\r\n<span class=\"tight\"><img src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork.png\" alt=\"Image of CLEAR mnemonic\" width=\"475\" height=\"176\" class=\"wp-image-242 aligncenter\" style=\"padding-left: 0px\" \/><\/span>\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">C<\/span>oncise<\/strong>: Keep questions short and simple.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">L<\/span>anguage<\/strong>: Use plain, inclusive, and accessible language.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">E<\/span>xclusive vs. Inclusive:<\/strong> Avoid double-barreled questions and offer diverse response options.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">A<\/span>void Bias:<\/strong> Don\u2019t lead participants to a particular answer.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">R<\/span>eview:<\/strong> Always pilot your survey before finalizing.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div align=\"left\">\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Concise (keep it short)<\/h3>\r\nEnsure your questions are <strong>simple and short<\/strong>. Long-winded writing and overly complex questions can be intimidating and demotivating for participants.\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Language (simple but specific)<\/h3>\r\nYou are the expert, but your participant is very likely not! Always try to use the most \u201c<strong>plain English<\/strong>\u201d version of what you are trying to convey\u2013 avoid overly technical or professional jargon that the general public are unfamiliar with.\r\n\r\nIn the same way, <strong>avoid overly vague language<\/strong>. Vague language can frustrate readers and leave too much space for misinterpretation. Be specific with your questions. For example, \u201cAre you happy with life?\u201d is vague, and many readers will understand it differently. Using a concrete measure can make this question more specific, such as a time frame or a location.\r\n\r\nFurthermore, when asking measuring questions, make sure your chosen scales are <strong>ordinal and precise<\/strong>. \u201cMany, a lot or a few\u201d would be inappropriate because what is \u201cmany\u201d? What is \u201ca few\u201d? Is this scale in ascending order? A better example might be \u201cnone at all, a little or many.\u201d If possible, including figures and units of measurement is helpful.\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Exclusive vs. Inclusive<\/h3>\r\nYou need to ensure that your question is clear, and only asking one thing. <strong>Do not include \u201cdouble-barreled\u201d questions<\/strong>, as they may also confuse readers. These questions often include \u201cand,\u201d &amp; \u201cor\u201d. Thus, a question like \u201cIs the sky blue and pretty?\u201d should be split into two questions: \u201cIs the sky blue?\u201d and \u201cIs the sky pretty?\u201d.\r\n\r\nWhile you want your question to be clear and simple, if you are providing pre-selected possible responses, such as in a multiple choice question, these possible responses need to be diverse and relevant to your target population. Offering <strong>diverse possible responses<\/strong> to questions is important to ensure that the data is not being biased towards the \"least inaccurate\" response.\r\n\r\nFor example, many demographic questions are exclusive of important responses, such as gender-based questions. Including only the binary male and female as possible genders, results in an exclusive question against those who do not conform to the binary genders.\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\"><span class=\"textbox__title very-tight\"><strong>AI Corner!\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nCan I use AI to help me write my survey questions?\r\n\r\nThe short answer is no, not reliably. \ud83e\udd16\r\n\r\nAI, while a useful tool, still relies on the data provided to it by its developers, making AI prone to bias. As such, important questions may be missed when developed solely through AI. Instead, look to previous literature, experts, and relevant stakeholders in order to develop your questions.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Avoid Bias (don't lead!)<\/h3>\r\nA biased question, often labelled as a \u201c<strong>[pb_glossary id=\"273\"]leading question[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>,\u201d refers to a question that guides a participant toward a specific answer. This can be done using specific adjectives or phrases. Overly emotional or evocative language can also lead to biased answers.\r\n\r\nFor instance, \u201cDo you believe that the controversial sales tax is good?\u201d would be a leading question because the reader may change their answer due to the word \u201ccontroversial\u201d. Avoid introducing any bias into questions to ensure the most representative answers from participants.\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Review (throughout)<\/h3>\r\nThis step is crucial: <strong>review your work!<\/strong> In the same way you might proofread your paper before submission, you must review your survey questions. Reviewing your survey questions alone carries the risk of bias, so using outside sources, such as co-researchers or willing community members, to help is an ideal way to review your work.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nWhile the final step for survey question development is \"Review\", we recommend that you undertake review as a part of the entire design framework of your research, rather than just a final step of survey question development. Co-design is important throughout question development, even for quantitative data collection and for demographic information.\r\n\r\nAs a researcher, you have the power to incorporate the voices of the community in the entire process of developing research. Providing opportunities to review and pilot the survey after the main design process is a good start, but consider co-design as a better option. This ensures that we create research \"<em>with\"<\/em>, rather than solely \"<em>for\"<\/em> populations.\r\n<h5 class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><span class=\"textbox__header loose\"><span class=\"textbox__title very-tight\">Module 4 Question 1<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1.125em\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1.125em\"><\/span><code><\/code><code> [h5p id=\"1\"]<\/code><\/h5>","rendered":"<p>Designing survey questions can seem like a daunting task for researchers, especially for those who are doing it for the first time. This module will explain how to write a survey questionnaire, common survey platforms and terminology considerations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ul>\n<li>Learn the key steps in designing inclusive, thoughtful survey questions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Case Study<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>Ethan is creating a survey to understand barriers to non-OHIP-covered healthcare access. He includes a question asking, &#8220;Do you have a disability?&#8221; with a simple \u201cyes\/no\u201d response, as his demographics disability question.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>After launching the survey, Ethan received feedback that some participants found the question was not inclusive and hard to define. In a conversation with a colleague, Ethan shared his confusion, saying, \u201cIsn\u2019t that question as straightforward as it should be? What other options could I add?&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<h4>\ud83e\uddd0 Consider This!<\/h4>\n<p>If a survey question seems to cover the breadth of a topic, but is perceived as &#8220;over-simplified&#8221;, is it still worth having? What could you do to enhance or adapt the question?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>What questions do you need?<\/h2>\n<p>The first thing to consider when developing questions is asking yourself what <em>types<\/em> of questions you need.<\/p>\n<p>The demographics section of your survey is a great place to start. Who is your target population? What demographics (age, gender, sexuality, marital status, employment, race, ethnicity, etc.) will be important to inform your data? What types of correlations do you want to draw between your dependent variable (what you&#8217;re studying) and these demographics?<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"406\" height=\"320\" class=\"wp-image-510 aligncenter\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3.png 2099w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3-300x236.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3-1024x806.png 1024w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3-768x605.png 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3-1536x1210.png 1536w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3-2048x1613.png 2048w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3-65x51.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3-225x177.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-3-350x276.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 406px) 100vw, 406px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p>Next, what is the main question guiding your research? What do you want to find out? Once you answer that&#8230; What types of survey questions do you need to ask your participants in order to answer that main question? What questions are appropriate? Which are ethical?<\/p>\n<p>Ethics is a huge point of consideration in this area, because it is vital to ensure that the information you are collecting- especially identifying information (meaning information that may lead to a participant&#8217;s identity and personal details being revealed)- is necessary to your study. Unnecessary questions can produce risk of invaded privacy, making participants feel watched or surveilled, and serves little benefit to you as a researcher.<\/p>\n<p>If you aren&#8217;t sure where to start, or what is too much or too little information to ask for, this is where a literature review, consultation with your peers, and co-design come in handy.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Preliminary Research for Question-Writing<\/h2>\n<p>All science and knowledge seeking is iterative. That means that <span>discovery is a continuous process of development and improvement, which is central to research in every area of study. This cycle allows for the refinement of existing ideas and development of new ones (Utah Valley University, 2024<a><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In survey research, we know that there are millions of existing survey questions that have been answered by millions of people- many of which may be relevant to your own research questions. Saturate yourself with existing literature about your topic, and especially finding other surveys that have similar premises to yours, will give you a guideline for types of questions to ask, and how to ask them.<\/p>\n<p>For example, for collecting demographic data from persons with disabilities in Canada, you might consider looking at previous Statistics Canada surveys.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Canadian Survey on Disability, 2022<\/strong>, used some of the following questions to document gender:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_278\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-278\" style=\"width: 689px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www23.statcan.gc.ca\/imdb\/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&amp;lang=en&amp;Item_Id=1400719#qb1402998\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024117.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"689\" height=\"305\" class=\"wp-image-278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024117.png 1331w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024117-300x133.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024117-1024x453.png 1024w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024117-768x340.png 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024117-65x29.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024117-225x100.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024117-350x155.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 689px) 100vw, 689px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-278\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Survey questions about gender identity, from the Canada Survey on Disability, 2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www23.statcan.gc.ca\/imdb\/p3Instr.pl?Function=assembleInstr&amp;lang=en&amp;Item_Id=1400719#qb1402998\">(Statistics Canada)<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While this is a poor example of an inclusive survey question, you can still use it as a reference. You may choose to use similar questions to ask about gender. You may also decide that you would prefer to modify the question, in order to incorporate additional options aside from the binary male and female genders (we would certainly recommend this).<\/p>\n<p>Another example from the same survey is regarding disability assessment. These questions are clear, concise, and can be understood in the same way by all participants; they might be a great place to start if you wish to ask similar questions:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_277\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-277\" style=\"width: 729px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024219-e1743838045625.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"729\" height=\"306\" class=\"wp-image-277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024219-e1743838045625.png 1493w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024219-e1743838045625-300x126.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024219-e1743838045625-1024x430.png 1024w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024219-e1743838045625-768x323.png 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024219-e1743838045625-65x27.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024219-e1743838045625-225x94.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-04-05-024219-e1743838045625-350x147.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 729px) 100vw, 729px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-277\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Survey questions about disability assessment, from the Canada Survey on Disability, 2022 (Statistics Canada).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Consultation with experts and doing a co-design session with your population of interest is also vital to ensuring that your questions encompass the scope of values and knowledge that you wish to gather.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>The Fundamentals of Survey Question Writing<\/h2>\n<p>So now you know what kinds of questions you want to ask&#8230; How do you ask them in an effective way?<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the basics! Writing survey questions is all clarity. That means that your questions need to be simple and direct. A poorly worded question can lead to confusion, misinterpretation, or even the exclusion of certain participants. This is why crafting clear, inclusive, and accessible questions is essential, especially when working with people with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, and other groups that commonly are subject to structural\/systemic marginalization.<\/p>\n<p>Generally, a survey question should satisfy the following criteria:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>It captures the specific idea or behaviour being studied.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>It excludes all unrelated topics.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>All participants understand the question the same way.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>But how do we achieve all of these things? There steps that can be followed in order to keep to these standards. To simplify this, you can follow the <span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\"><button class=\"glossary-term\" aria-describedby=\"107-280\"><strong>CLEAR<\/strong> <\/button><\/span> mnemonic:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"tight\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork.png\" alt=\"Image of CLEAR mnemonic\" width=\"475\" height=\"176\" class=\"wp-image-242 aligncenter\" style=\"padding-left: 0px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork.png 2822w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-300x111.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-1024x380.png 1024w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-768x285.png 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-1536x570.png 1536w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-2048x760.png 2048w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-65x24.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-225x83.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/431\/2025\/03\/Untitled_Artwork-350x130.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p><strong><span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">C<\/span>oncise<\/strong>: Keep questions short and simple.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">L<\/span>anguage<\/strong>: Use plain, inclusive, and accessible language.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">E<\/span>xclusive vs. Inclusive:<\/strong> Avoid double-barreled questions and offer diverse response options.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">A<\/span>void Bias:<\/strong> Don\u2019t lead participants to a particular answer.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"background-color: #ccffff\">R<\/span>eview:<\/strong> Always pilot your survey before finalizing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Concise (keep it short)<\/h3>\n<p>Ensure your questions are <strong>simple and short<\/strong>. Long-winded writing and overly complex questions can be intimidating and demotivating for participants.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Language (simple but specific)<\/h3>\n<p>You are the expert, but your participant is very likely not! Always try to use the most \u201c<strong>plain English<\/strong>\u201d version of what you are trying to convey\u2013 avoid overly technical or professional jargon that the general public are unfamiliar with.<\/p>\n<p>In the same way, <strong>avoid overly vague language<\/strong>. Vague language can frustrate readers and leave too much space for misinterpretation. Be specific with your questions. For example, \u201cAre you happy with life?\u201d is vague, and many readers will understand it differently. Using a concrete measure can make this question more specific, such as a time frame or a location.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, when asking measuring questions, make sure your chosen scales are <strong>ordinal and precise<\/strong>. \u201cMany, a lot or a few\u201d would be inappropriate because what is \u201cmany\u201d? What is \u201ca few\u201d? Is this scale in ascending order? A better example might be \u201cnone at all, a little or many.\u201d If possible, including figures and units of measurement is helpful.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Exclusive vs. Inclusive<\/h3>\n<p>You need to ensure that your question is clear, and only asking one thing. <strong>Do not include \u201cdouble-barreled\u201d questions<\/strong>, as they may also confuse readers. These questions often include \u201cand,\u201d &amp; \u201cor\u201d. Thus, a question like \u201cIs the sky blue and pretty?\u201d should be split into two questions: \u201cIs the sky blue?\u201d and \u201cIs the sky pretty?\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>While you want your question to be clear and simple, if you are providing pre-selected possible responses, such as in a multiple choice question, these possible responses need to be diverse and relevant to your target population. Offering <strong>diverse possible responses<\/strong> to questions is important to ensure that the data is not being biased towards the &#8220;least inaccurate&#8221; response.<\/p>\n<p>For example, many demographic questions are exclusive of important responses, such as gender-based questions. Including only the binary male and female as possible genders, results in an exclusive question against those who do not conform to the binary genders.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\"><span class=\"textbox__title very-tight\"><strong>AI Corner!\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Can I use AI to help me write my survey questions?<\/p>\n<p>The short answer is no, not reliably. \ud83e\udd16<\/p>\n<p>AI, while a useful tool, still relies on the data provided to it by its developers, making AI prone to bias. As such, important questions may be missed when developed solely through AI. Instead, look to previous literature, experts, and relevant stakeholders in order to develop your questions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Avoid Bias (don&#8217;t lead!)<\/h3>\n<p>A biased question, often labelled as a \u201c<strong><button class=\"glossary-term\" aria-describedby=\"107-273\">leading question<\/button><\/strong>,\u201d refers to a question that guides a participant toward a specific answer. This can be done using specific adjectives or phrases. Overly emotional or evocative language can also lead to biased answers.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, \u201cDo you believe that the controversial sales tax is good?\u201d would be a leading question because the reader may change their answer due to the word \u201ccontroversial\u201d. Avoid introducing any bias into questions to ensure the most representative answers from participants.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Review (throughout)<\/h3>\n<p>This step is crucial: <strong>review your work!<\/strong> In the same way you might proofread your paper before submission, you must review your survey questions. Reviewing your survey questions alone carries the risk of bias, so using outside sources, such as co-researchers or willing community members, to help is an ideal way to review your work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>While the final step for survey question development is &#8220;Review&#8221;, we recommend that you undertake review as a part of the entire design framework of your research, rather than just a final step of survey question development. Co-design is important throughout question development, even for quantitative data collection and for demographic information.<\/p>\n<p>As a researcher, you have the power to incorporate the voices of the community in the entire process of developing research. Providing opportunities to review and pilot the survey after the main design process is a good start, but consider co-design as a better option. This ensures that we create research &#8220;<em>with&#8221;<\/em>, rather than solely &#8220;<em>for&#8221;<\/em> populations.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><span class=\"textbox__header loose\"><span class=\"textbox__title very-tight\">Module 4 Question 1<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1.125em\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1.125em\"><\/span><code><\/code><code> <\/p>\n<div id=\"h5p-1\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-1\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"1\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Module 4, Question 1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/code><\/h5>\n<div class=\"glossary\"><div class=\"glossary__tooltip\" id=\"107-280\" hidden><p><strong>C<\/strong>oncise: Keep questions short and simple.<br \/>\n<strong>L<\/strong>anguage: Use plain, inclusive, and accessible language.<br \/>\n<strong>E<\/strong>xclusive vs. Inclusive: Avoid double-barreled questions and offer diverse response options.<br \/>\n<strong>A<\/strong>void Bias: Don\u2019t lead participants to a particular answer.<br \/>\n<strong>R<\/strong>eview: Always pilot your survey before finalizing.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"glossary__tooltip\" id=\"107-273\" hidden><p>A question which unduly guides a participant toward a specific answer. For example, \"How do you feel about our excellent education system?\".<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":554,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-107","chapter","type-chapter","status-web-only","hentry"],"part":77,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/554"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":921,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/107\/revisions\/921"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/77"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/107\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=107"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=107"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/accessibledigitalsurveyresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}