Open-ended questions in Web Surveys - Using visual and adaptive questionnaire design to improve narrative responses
One of the most significant decisions when designing survey questions is whether the questions will be posed as closed-ended or open-ended. Closed-ended questions require respondents to choose from a set of provided response-options, while open-ended questions are answered by respondents in their ow...
| Summary: | One of the most significant decisions when designing survey questions is whether the questions will be posed as closed-ended or open-ended. Closed-ended questions require respondents to choose from a set of provided response-options, while open-ended questions are answered by respondents in their own words. Open-ended questions offer the benefit of not constraining responses and allowing respondents to freely answer and elaborate upon their responses. Narrative open-ended questions are especially useful when there are no suitable answer categories available for a closed-ended question format, or if providing response options might bias the respondents. Open-ended questions are also powerful tools for collecting more detailed and specific responses from large samples of respondents. However, open-ended questions are burdensome to answer and suffer from higher rates of item-nonresponse.
This thesis aims to improve narrative open-ended questions in Web surveys by using visual and adaptive questionnaire design. Previous research on open-ended questions demonstrated that respondents react to the size and design of the answer box offered with an open-ended question in Web surveys. Larger answer boxes seem to pose an additional burden as compared to smaller answer boxes. At the same time larger answer boxes work as a stimulus that increases the length of the response provided by those respondents who actually answer the question. By varying the visual design of answer-boxes this thesis seeks ways to improve narrative open-ended questions. |
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