Question Wording (Version 2.0)

[working paper]

Corporate Editor
GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften

Abstract

This contribution provides an overview of the basic rules that should be observed when formulating survey questions. The structure of the chapter is oriented towards the cognitive response process that respondents undergo when answering survey questions. This process involves a total of four tasks: ... view more

This contribution provides an overview of the basic rules that should be observed when formulating survey questions. The structure of the chapter is oriented towards the cognitive response process that respondents undergo when answering survey questions. This process involves a total of four tasks: understanding the question text, retrieving information from memory, forming a judgment, and formulating a response in the format provided. Using practical examples, the authors demonstrate how questions can be formulated in such a way that it makes it easier for respondents to handle these four tasks.... view less

Keywords
survey; questionnaire; measurement instrument; quality; data capture; response behavior; survey research

Classification
Methods and Techniques of Data Collection and Data Analysis, Statistical Methods, Computer Methods

Document language
English

Publication Year
2016

City
Mannheim

Page/Pages
13 p.

Series
GESIS Survey Guidelines

Status
Primary Publication; peer reviewed

Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0