Apply Survey Best Practices to Increase the Quality of Responses and Completion Rate
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Identify the Purpose of the Survey |
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Provide Clear Instructions on Completing the Survey |
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Identify the Expected Procedures |
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If Possible, Identify the Number Of Questions Or Expected Time To Completion |
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Group Conceptually-Similar Questions Together |
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Utilize Adequate Font-Size, Type, And Color Contrast For Medium |
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Phrase Questions Succinctly |
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Identify Required Questions for User Entry |
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Limit the Percentage Of Mandatory Questions |
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Use Language Familiar To Target Respondents |
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Avoid Leading Language To Target An Answer Selection |
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Display All Answer Options With the Question Without Needing User Intervention |
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Utilize Active Phrasing |
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Utilize The Same Response Scale For Similar Items |
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If Offering Numerical Responses, Use Positive Numbers |
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Allow An Opt-Out Option Especially For Sensitive Information |
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Avoid Double Negatives |
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Allow the User To Cancel Or Clear the Response |
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Avoid Making Assumptions In the Questions |
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Provide A Balanced Or Equal Number Of Options To Agree/Disagree |
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Separate the Explanation Or Background Information From the Question |
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Avoid Jargon Or Slang |
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Identify The Full Term Of Acronyms At First Use |
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If Online Survey, Avoid Javascript (Changing Elements, Submit, etc.) |
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If Online Survey, Avoid Changing Content Unless User Initiated |
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If Online Survey, Align The Answers Visually To The Corresponding Question |
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Ensure Full Navigation by Keyboard |
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Clearly Identify User/Entry Errors (Messages, ID Error Entry, etc.) |
View our Resource Library for more information about making the Survey accessible and inclusive: