SURVEYS at Vincennes University
Question Types
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Closed-ended Questions – Respondent chooses from a list of options provided.
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Open-ended Questions – Respondent uses their own words to answer the question. Be sure to specify the number
of words or characters allowed when asking open-ended questions.
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Single word - Question may also include the option to list two or more single word
responses.
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Short phrase response – Typically less than 150 characters (25 words or less).
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Short answer – Typically 250 words or less (1,500 characters)
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Long answer – Typically 500 words or more (3,000 or more characters)
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Ranking Questions – Respondents put a list of items in order or select preferences in order, e.g. top
three options.
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Rating Questions – Respondents rate items on a measured scale, e.g. 1 – 5 or Very Satisfied to Very
Dissatisfied.
Suggestions for Writing Your Own Questions
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Use easy to understand wording and exclude jargon, acronyms, etc. that might cause
confusion about the meaning of the question.
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Focus on one topic per question. Do not integrate multiple topics by using “and/or”
to separate thoughts or ideas. This creates confusion for the reader.
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Provide all possible answers to a question. If this is not possible due to the number
of possibilities, add an “Other” option.
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Keep scales consistent to minimize confusion.
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Order matters – Use the same direction for all scales in the survey, i.e. all scale
questions begin with positive response -OR- all scale questions begin with negative
response; e.g. Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree.
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Avoid using evocative language or asking leading or emotional questions.
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Do not ask for personally identifiable information unless the information is required
for administrative, accreditation, or assessment purposes.
