Creating Surveys

Dr. Will Kurlinkus

What Types of User
Data Are You
Required to Collect?

• At least 5 sources of data altogether

• 2 interviews
• 1 survey
• 1 something else: Site observation,
cultural probe, etc.
• 1 duplicate

We’re shooting for a little

methodological data triangulation:
compensating for the weaknesses of
some methods with other
What Did We Read About
Surveys?
• Quantitative survey (close-ended questions): how many? Has this
happened to you? Sliding scale of evaluation—how likely are you?
• Qualitative survey: open ended questions similar to those we’ve
written for interviews.
• Test survey questions out with colleagues and friends before you let
it into the wild (or ask them as interview q’s first).
• Front load the most important questions
• Keep surveys SHORT—people will not spend a lot of time, especially
if you are asking for short responses.
• Keep questions SHORT as well: more than one line can be confusing.
• Focus each questions on one concept at a time. Wrong: how often do
you shop for t-shirts or shoes.
What is target
chuting?
• Target Chuting: Focusing people’s attention on a
target thought, memory, emotion, identity signifier,
or word before asking for an answer or action.
Triggering an identity in them that is helpful to you.
(Kenneth Burke calls a similar process identification).
• Positive Test Strategy: When deciding whether a
possibility is correct, people typically look for hits
rather than misses, for confirmations rather than
gaps, it’s easier to register the presence of something
rather than the absence.
• Single-Chute Questions: Questions that focus your
attention and, thus, answers on one way of
answering or another. (remember are ethnographic
interviewing techniques?)
• How happy are you with the English Major?
• How dissatisfied are you with the English
Major?
• Cult recruiters ask negative single chute
questions then take advantage of that
insecurity! Are you unhappy?
Biased vs.
1. "Don't you agree that our school's new policy is the
best solution to the current problems we face?"
2. "How satisfied are you with the amazing
1. "What are your thoughts on our school's
new policy?"
2. "How do you feel about the recent

Unbiased
improvements that have been made recently, thanks
to our outstanding leadership?" changes that have taken place?"
3. "Considering the excellent quality of our products, 3. "How likely are you to recommend our

Survey Qs how likely are you to recommend them to your

friends and family?"

4. "Given the undeniable benefits of our new software,

how much do you think it has enhanced your
productivity?"
5. "Isn't it true that our team's success is a testament to
the superior skills and dedication of our members?"
6. "How strongly do you agree that our organization is
the best in the industry, far surpassing our
competitors?"
products to others?"
4. "How has the new software impacted
your productivity, if at all?"
5. "How do you perceive our team's
success?"
6. "How do you rate our organization
compared to competitors in the
industry?"

7. "Considering the exceptional service you received,

7. "How would you rate the service you
would you say our company is the most customer- received from our company?"
friendly one you've ever encountered?"
8. "How do you perceive the efforts our
8. "How much do you appreciate the tremendous government has made in ensuring safety
efforts our government has put into ensuring your and well-being?"
safety and well-being?"
Write a 1-3
Sentence
Introduction
to Your Survey
• What is the survey for? Who are you asking?
• Logistics: how long is it and who should they
contact if they have questions?
• Reassurance: your data will be anonymous
and used for…
Write 3-4
demographic
questions
One’s that actually matter
to your topic—think about
creating your user
personas
Write 10 Survey Questions:
Which of Your Interview
Questions Will Work? Where
might you want to collect
quantitative data? How can you
make sure your covering your
bases with primary, secondary,
tertiary, and/or edge users?
Avoid target chuting?
Add one subtly biased survey
question
We’ll be testing if your group can spot it.
1. “How do you feel about the recent improvements made in our organization?"
2."To what extent do you believe our team's efforts have contributed to the project's success?"
3."In your experience, how effective have our company's policies been in promoting a positive work
environment?"
Test Your
Questions
With a Group
of Your Peers
1. Do any questions seem biased in terms of
positive or negative language?
2. Are any questions confusing? (not sure what
it’s asking or key terms need to be defined?)
3. Do any questions seem missing?
4. Is the intro clear?
 Build Your Survey in Google
Forms: https://form-
publisher.com/blog/make-a-
survey-in-google-forms/
 How will you
distribute a survey
link?