The development of a useful study in well-written line that extracts the information it needs from users can be a challenge. In this article, I will review 14 tips for creating a useful online survey.

1) Write a brief and concise. Start with a mental framework that focuses only on what is essential to know. Ask questions if the answers will give you the data you need and can use. If a question is not important enough to include in its report on the results of the survey, then remove the question. Try to imagine each question as its own specific theory being tested.

In addition, research has shown that people skim and jump on the web because it is difficult to read large amounts of text very condensed into a computer screen. Most users do not want to scroll through a page long text, so that their completion rate online survey will be higher if the survey is brief and concise.

2) Try to begin the survey with interesting questions. inspire interesting questions for the respondent to keep reading and complete the survey.

3) Develop questions with answers in the appropriate format for your purposes. For example, if you believe your students need more time to complete the questions in the lesson, ask, "How long does it take to complete the unit and accompanying questions?" With various time intervals as possible answers. This is better than asking, "Need more time to complete the unit and accompanying questions?" Yes or no answers as possible.

4) Plan in advance how you and your company will analyze the information before sending the final version of the survey. This may affect your questions and the format when you realize that the statistical analysis you need to accomplish can not be done with these results question in particular.

5) Use the simplest language possible and respect the dignity of the defendant in the construction of questions. Your reviewers will undoubtedly come from many different groups, and more often than not, are less expert in the field than they are.

6) Use neutral language. The online survey is being developed to find out what your audience thinks and is not a forum to air their perceptions or opinions.

7) Relax your grammar a bit so that your questions do not sound too formal. For example, the word "that" is usually acceptable when "whom" is technically correct.

Be sure to ask one question at a time and place in a logical order. Questions like "If you had less than 70% in the test and took the test at another time prior to this, what do you think would help you get a 80% or more next time you take the test?" It will be difficult for respondents to answer and even more difficult for you to interpret.

9) Avoid double negatives, difficult concepts, and specific issues of recovery. Respondents are easily perplexed when it comes to interpreting the meaning of a question that uses double negatives. Respondents also can quickly become overwhelmed and lose detail of events or circumstances that are further back in time. Most importantly, if the survey is too complex and / or difficult to fill, the respondents did not complete!

10) Try to use more closed questions, with no more than one or two open questions. Respondents generally have a better understanding of closed questions because the answers are more direct and offer a choice.

Open questions require a written response. Too many open questions can wear down the defendant and reduce the quality of the answers they provide.

11) scale response questions should have answers that are balanced intervals comparable. For example, offering choices of excellent, very good, good, and terrible would cause you to lose important information between the values ??of good and terrible.

12) Whenever possible, responses should be developed as discrete quantities rather than general statements of quantities, with specific options from which to choose. Better to ask: "How many times a month going to the movies?" "0", "1 to 3 times a month," "3-5 times a month or more" instead of "How often do you go to the movies? "Almost never", "once and at the same time," "I'm there at least once a week", etc.

13) Name of the survey and write a brief introduction. Provide a name for the survey and a brief introduction is a good way to give your respondents some background and a frame of reference. They are also preparing for what lies ahead.

14) Art of a well-written subject line for e-mail to send the survey to capture the attention of his interviewees.

Although not exhaustive, the above points are enough to start in the right direction. In short, a well-written online survey has a higher completion rate and is an effective method for collecting information.