Discuss the criteria of question-writing in a survey research.

Criteria of Question-Writing in Survey Research

Developing effective survey questions requires careful consideration of several criteria. These can be broadly categorized into aspects related to clarity, content, and response options.

1. Clarity and Simplicity

• Use Simple Language: Questions should be phrased using language easily understood by the target population. Avoid jargon, technical terms, and complex sentence structures. For example, instead of asking "What is your socio-economic status?", ask "What is your household's total income before taxes?".
• Single Focus: Each question should address only one issue. Avoid ‘double-barreled’ questions that combine two separate inquiries into one. For instance, instead of "Do you find our products affordable and reliable?", ask "Do you find our products affordable?" and "Do you find our products reliable?" as separate questions.
• Brevity: Keep questions concise and to the point. Longer questions can be confusing and reduce response rates.

2. Avoiding Bias

• Leading Questions: Avoid phrasing questions in a way that suggests a desired answer. For example, instead of "Don't you agree that climate change is a serious threat?", ask "How serious do you think climate change is?".
• Loaded Questions: Avoid questions containing emotionally charged words or assumptions. For example, instead of "Do you support the wasteful spending on this project?", ask "What is your opinion on the funding allocated to this project?".
• Social Desirability Bias: Be mindful of questions that might encourage respondents to provide answers they believe are socially acceptable rather than truthful. Anonymity and confidentiality assurances can help mitigate this.

3. Response Options

• Exhaustive and Mutually Exclusive: Response options should cover all possible answers (exhaustive) and respondents should be able to choose only one option (mutually exclusive). For example, when asking about age, provide appropriate age ranges that cover the entire population and do not overlap.
• Balanced Scales: When using rating scales (e.g., Likert scales), ensure they are balanced with an equal number of positive and negative options.
• Avoid ‘Don’t Know’/‘Not Applicable’ Options: While sometimes necessary, overuse can indicate poorly designed questions. Consider rephrasing the question if many respondents choose these options.

4. Question Format

• Open-ended vs. Closed-ended: Choose the appropriate format based on the research objectives. Open-ended questions allow for detailed responses but are harder to analyze, while closed-ended questions are easier to quantify but may limit the depth of information.
• Pilot Testing: Before deploying the survey, conduct a pilot test with a small group to identify any ambiguities or issues with the questions.

Furthermore, the order of questions matters. Start with easy, non-threatening questions to build rapport before moving to more sensitive or complex topics. Consider using filter questions to direct respondents to relevant sections based on their previous answers.