The survey design stage is often rushed or skipped entirely. This can have significant consequences for the data you collect and ultimately the decisions you are able to make.
Here are the key takeaways for this course:
As you saw early in the course, data is collected in order to report it for decision making. It is good practice to start with the decision-makers in mind. This will ensure you know which metrics to focus on and therefore help you with forming your question. Additionally, this will help narrow down the Operational Data required.
Planning the survey at a high level will provide you with a structural guide for questions and Operational Data. You will quickly get a feel for consistency, missing information, if you have too many questions, etc.
This enables you to determine the Operational Data you will have available for the project.
Set your Research Objectives Write your objectives with outcomes and the business problem in mind. This will help you focus on the questions you create in the next steps.
Make Every Question Count Every question should directly contribute to answering the Project Objectives you previously created. Start with your stakeholders in mind. Understand the Operational Data available to you.
Plan the Order of Your Questions There are two main structures. Broad to narrow, or narrow to broad. Consider which will work for your project.
Limit Survey Length Respondents have a limited amount of time and are easily distracted or discouraged from completing surveys. By keeping the length and complexity down you can counter some of these risks.
Effective Question-Wording Avoid superlatives, avoid absolute answer scenarios, avoid double-barreled questions, avoid leading questions, and carefully design answer choices.
Keep it Simple for Respondents Limit open-ended questions, use grids/matrix tables with caution, choose and design scales carefully (they should be balanced and should not be unnecessarily long).