Evaluation and Survey Design Resources

Designing Quality Survey Questions (2nd Edition)

Surveys are one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to gather data, which has made them nearly ubiquitous. But when is the last time that you enjoyed taking a survey or applied its results? How survey questions are worded and designed can dramatically influence the value and usability of the information received. A good survey creates a forum for survey takers to be seen and heard, generating information that organizations can use to improve and better serve their constituents.

Designing Quality Survey Questions shows readers how to craft high quality, precisely-worded survey questions that will elicit rich, nuanced, and ultimately useful data to help answer research or evaluation questions. This book addresses common challenges such as language preferences for standard demographic questions (e.g. how to ask about gender), creative question design to keep respondents engaged and avoid survey fatigue, web-based survey formats, culturally-responsive survey design, and factors that influence survey responses (memory, social desirability, etc.). The book also shares numerous examples of question construction and survey use, bringing surveys to life in a new and approachable way.