When conducting a poll or survey, coming up with thoughtful and engaging questions is key to getting meaningful results. The questions need to be clear, concise and relevant to the topic at hand. Here are some tips for creating good poll questions that can elicit useful data.
Ask Open-Ended vs Closed-Ended Questions
There are two main types of poll questions: open-ended and closed-ended. Open-ended questions allow respondents to answer in their own words, while closed-ended questions provide a set of answer choices to select from. Both types have their uses.
Open-ended questions allow you to gather more creative and unanticipated answers from respondents. They are good for gaining insights into people’s attitudes, beliefs, behaviors and motivations. However, open-ended questions require more effort for respondents to answer and are harder to analyze statistically because of the wide variety of responses.
Closed-ended questions make it easier for respondents to complete the poll quickly. The predefined answer options also make closed-ended questions easier to code and analyze statistically. However, closed-ended questions limit the responses to only the options provided, which may not capture all possibilities. Closed-ended questions work best when you already have a good idea of the likely responses.
A good poll will utilize both open-ended and closed-ended questions to get comprehensive data. You generally want to start with mostly closed-ended questions and mix in some open-ended questions periodically to allow for more detailed opinions. Using both types creates a better balance of quantitative and qualitative data.
Ask Simple and Specific Questions
The wording of your poll questions needs to be as simple, specific and straightforward as possible. Avoid complex sentence structures, industry jargon or technical terms that may confuse respondents. Be clear about what exactly you are asking them to evaluate or provide opinions on. Ambiguous or vague questions will lead to unclear and inconsistent responses.
It also helps to keep your questions focused on singular concepts. Avoid double-barreled questions that touch on multiple ideas or issues in one question. Those make it hard for people to respond meaningfully. Try to limit each question to one specific topic that respondents can adequately address in their response.
Make Questions Relevant and Unbiased
Make sure your poll questions are directly relevant to the objectives and focus of the research. Extraneous or tangential questions will dilute the data and make analysis more difficult. Every question should clearly help identify insights related to the research goals.
It’s also important to watch for unintended biases in your questions that may skew people’s responses. Pay attention to emotionally charged or leading wording that encourages respondents to answer a certain way. Aim for neutral phrasing that does not reveal your own stance or nudge people towards particular responses.
Consider Demographic Questions
Collecting demographic data in your poll allows you to segment responses based on attributes like age, gender, income level, location, etc. This can provide valuable insights into how different groups feel about the issues and topics covered in the poll. Make sure to only ask for demographics that are relevant to your research objectives.
Some examples of standard demographic poll questions include:
- What is your age range?
- What is your gender?
- What is your annual household income range?
- What region do you live in?
Segmenting poll responses by demographics reveals how views may differ across groups. But be careful not to make faulty generalizations based on demographics either.
Test Your Questions Before Fielding the Poll
Before finalizing your set of poll questions, it’s wise to test them out with a small pilot group that is similar to your target respondents. Get feedback on how clear, concise, unbiased and meaningful the questions are. Identify any wording that is confusing or any obvious gaps in the question set. Iterate on the questions to refine them before fielding the full live poll.
Example Poll Questions
Here are some examples of well-constructed poll questions for both open-ended and closed-ended formats:
Open-Ended
- What do you like most about our products? Why?
- How could we improve our customer service? Please provide specific examples.
- What concerns you most about the upcoming election? Please explain.
Closed-Ended
- On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend our product to friends and family?
- Which of the following policies are you most likely to support in the upcoming election? [Provides list of policy options]
- When do you prefer to shop at our store? [Provides time options like mornings, afternoons, evenings]
Conclusion
Creating effective poll questions requires careful thought and planning. Follow guidelines like using open-ended and closed-ended questions appropriately, making them simple, specific, relevant and unbiased. Test them before launching your poll. Well-crafted questions will lead to more meaningful data that provides actionable insights.