For Researchers Tasked with Their First Survey Assignment
If you work in market research, CX research, or UX research, chances are someone has already asked: “Can you write a quick survey for this?”
Suddenly you’re responsible for the questionnaire—and you haven’t been trained in survey design yet. Maybe you’ve been given a few examples. Maybe not. But either way, you want to do it right—because you know how much the data quality depends on have a solid questionnaire.
We’ve seen this happen often, especially for researchers who may be coming from more of a qualitative research background or those new to using surveys for CX or UX research.
When we’re new to survey design, it’s easy to spend most of our time fine-tuning the questions—and that’s completely understandable. But here’s the thing: even the clearest questions can produce weak data if the answer options aren’t thoughtfully designed.
Whether you’re using multiple choice, rating scales, or rank order formats, your answer options define how the data gets captured and analyzed—and what insights are even possible. Resist the temptation to agonize over wording, then rush through the answer option decisions. That last step isn’t just a technicality—it’s where data quality is won or lost.
Questionnaire Design for Survey Research Excellence
In this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars, we focus on one of the most common (and high-stakes) challenges for new questionnaire writers: choosing the right scale.
Because in survey research, answer options—especially rating scales—are more than a formatting decision. They shape how participants respond, how useful the data will be, and how confidently we can report the results.
A few highlights from the episode:
- Why it matters if your scale is bipolar or unipolar
- How the wrong scale length can hide meaningful differences
- A smarter way to think about “neutral” options
As Researchers, We’re Designing the Data Collection Instrument
When we’re new to survey design, it’s easy to underestimate how much hinges on scale choices. This episode keeps it practical and supportive—so we can build questionnaires that are clear, fair, and generate useful data.
Watch the full episode here: Help! I Have to Write a Survey—How Do I Pick Answer Options?
For more guidance, check out our self-paced courses on quantitative research and questionnaire design at Research Rockstar Training.
