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Designing Quality Survey Questions
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Designing Quality Survey Questions

Second Edition

Other Titles in:
Evaluation | Survey Research

October 2024 | 272 pages | Sage Publications, Inc

This text shows readers how to craft precisely worded survey questions with appropriate response options that provide useful data to help answer research questions. The authors offer guidance on creative approaches to question design to keep respondents engaged, consider different survey administration modes, outline practices for culturally responsive survey design, discuss current language considerations for demographic questions, and consider factors that can influence survey responses. The Second Edition offers more detail about survey question design and includes more on rating scales and open-ended questions. It provides more guidance on cultural responsiveness and equity considerations including use of inclusive language, how to survey youth, and a deeper discussion on asking questions about sex and gender and disability.



 
Chapter 1 • WHY Quality Surveys and Questions Matter
What Is a Quality Survey?

 
Why Does Quality Matter?

 
Why Do We Need a Purposeful Survey Design Process?

 
Applying Design Thinking to Survey Research

 
A Purposeful Survey Design Process

 
An Iterative Process

 
 
Part I • WHAT to Consider Before Drafting Survey Questions
Purposeful Survey Design

 
 
Chapter 2 • Planning and Predrafting
Why Survey? The Importance of Establishing Purpose

 
What Will Be Measured? Understanding Constructs and Indicators

 
Wait, Do You Really Need a Survey?

 
What Can Be Measured With a Survey?

 
What Are the Advantages and Limitations of Surveys?

 
 
Chapter 3 • Understanding Respondents
Cognitive Tasks Involved in Answering Questions

 
Respondent Willingness and Ability to Participate in a Survey

 
Context and Culture

 
 
Part II • HOW to Develop Survey Questions and Response Options
Purposeful Survey Design

 
 
Chapter 4 • Sourcing and Crafting Questions
Sourcing Survey Questions

 
Composing Question Stems

 
Avoiding Problematic Wording and Question Types

 
Open-Ended Questions

 
What to Do When You Have Too Many Open-Ended Questions

 
Closed-Ended Questions

 
Questions With Special Purposes

 
 
Chapter 5 • Constructing Response Options
Determining Appropriate Response Options

 
Strategies for Designing Response Options

 
 
Chapter 6 • Demographic and Other Sensitive Questions
Sensitive Questions

 
Demographic Questions

 
 
Part III • Knowing WHEN a Survey Is Ready for Use
Purposeful Survey Design

 
 
Chapter 7 • Finalizing Questions and Using Pretesting Strategies
Why Pretest Surveys and Their Questions?

 
How Can Surveys and Their Questions Be Tested Prior to Use?

 
 
Chapter 8 • Pulling It All Together to Maximize Response
Survey Instructions

 
Order Effects

 
Formatting the Survey

 
Contacting Potential Respondents

 
Planning for Administration

 
 
Appendix: Checklist for Quality Question Design
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Index

Sample Materials & Chapters

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Sheila B. Robinson

Sheila B. Robinson, Ed.D is an educator, program evaluator, and professional development workshop facilitator whose survey design experience began with assessment design in K12 public education. She is often an invited keynote speaker and workshop presenter at professional conferences, consultant with educational and other organizations on survey design and program evaluation, and adjunct professor of graduate courses in both program evaluation and professional development design and evaluation. Sheila is an active member of the American Evaluation Association (AEA); she is past chair of AEA’s Pre-K12 Educational Evaluation Topical... More About Author

Kimberly Firth Leonard

Kimberly Firth Leonard, MPA, has built, administered, and taught others about surveys for more than a decade, primarily in the context of program evaluation. Kim is currently the Senior Evaluation Officer at the Oregon Community Foundation where she manages evaluations of several large grant-making initiatives, each of which includes at least one survey-based data collection component. Kim is an active member of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) and was president of the Oregon Program Evaluators Network in 2013. Kim lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, their new baby girl, two dogs and cat.  More About Author

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ISBN: 9781071918180
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