3
Use closed-ended questions to gather specific answers. Closed-ended questions have a specific range of options respondents can choose from. [3] These questions may be yes-or-no questions, true-or-false questions, or questions that ask the respondent to agree or disagree with a statement. Closed-ended questions may look like open-ended questions, but will have only a few options respondents can use to answer. Closed-ended questions might look like these:
"Have you shopped here before?"
"If so, how often do you shop here?" (This question would have a few explicit answers from which respondents could choose--"once a week" to "once a month," for instance)
"How satisfied were you with your experience today?" (Likewise, this question would have limited responses--"very satisfied" to "very dissatisfied")
"Would you recommend this store to a friend?"
4
Use open-ended questions to solicit feedback. Open-ended questions solicit answers that you may not anticipate, and do not have a specific range of answers to choose from. Open-ended questions are a chance for respondents to communicate their specific experience or expectations. Such questions might look like these:
"How will you use your purchase?"
"Where else do you normally shop?"
"Who referred you to this store?"
Open-ended questions are good for clarifying a previous answer--"Why do you feel this way?"
5
Ask questions in such a way as to avoid confusion and bias. Avoid leading questions especially; Leading questions indicate that the asker is looking for a certain answer and will limit what answers your responders are comfortable supplying. [4] Either tailor possible answers or change the wording of your question so as to avoid leading your respondents to answer in a particular way.
You may consider asking the same question in different ways, which may reduce overall respondent bias and give you a better chance of finding the person's true opinion on a given topic.[5]
Questions should be worded so as to maximize clarity. Confused respondents will skew your data, so questions should be as understandable as possible. Avoid double negatives, unnecessary clauses, or unclear subject-object relationships.