Welcome to our comprehensive online course on Survey Design and Analysis for UX and Customer Research. This 16-module course covers everything from the fundamentals of survey methodology to crafting effective questions and selecting appropriate response options. We’ll address common challenges like bias, misinterpretation, and participant recall, while also diving into the specifics of rating scales and their cultural implications. By the end of the course, you’ll be well equipped to gather insightful data for all of your UX and customer research needs.
1. Introduction and History
Topics for this lesson (31 min):
- A Brief History of Surveys
- Surveys in UX Research
- When a Survey is the Better Method
- Survey Planning
2. Bias in Survey Design
Topics for this lesson (22 min):
- The Literary Digest – a cautionary tale
- 4 core biases in survey design
- Bias doesn’t mean abandon
3. Sample Planning
Topics for this lesson (41 min):
- A Brief History of Surveys
- Surveys in UX Research
- When a Survey is the Better Method
- Survey Planning
- Defining target respondents
- How to increase participation
- Introduction to sampling
- Research sampling in practice
- Four sources of errors in surveys
- Working with panels
4. Anatomy of a Survey Question
Topics for this lesson (10 min):
- Question/Stem
- Introduction
- Information about the Topic/Definitions
- Instructions
- Requests for an Answer
- Response Options
5. How to Write a Survey Question
Topics for this lesson (14 min):
- Start with the concept/construct
- See whether a question already exists
- Determine the type of question
- Brainstorm ideas
- Interview the target respondents
- Craft the question
- Select the response option(s)
6. Why People Misinterpret Survey Questions
Topics for this lesson (14 min):
- Grammatical and lexical ambiguity
- Excessive complexity
- Faulty presuppositions
- Vague concepts
- Vague quantifiers
- Unfamiliar terms
- False inferences
7. Words to Watch for when Writing Survey Questions
Topics for this lesson (9 min):
- Three absolutes: Ever, Always, and Never
- Four modal verbs: Could, Should, Might, and Would
- You
- Our
8. How to Make Survey Questions Clearer
Topics for this lesson (17 min):
- Keep questions short
- Use simple language
- Prefer high- over low-frequency words
- Use the respondents’ vocabulary
- Minimize the use of acronyms
- Avoid complicated syntax
- Avoid passive voice
9. Four Types of Survey Questions
Topics for this lesson (10 min):
- Why classify questions?
- Prior taxonomy attempts
- A taxonomy for CX/UX questions
- Attributes
- Behaviors (reported)
- Abilities
- Thoughts, Sentiments, and Judgments
10. Why Research Participants Forget
Topics for this lesson (8 min):
- Why rely on memory?
- Retrieval failure
- Reconstruction errors
- Memory distortion
- Mismatches between researcher and respondent interpretation of terms
- A taxonomy for CX/UX questions
11. How to Improve Participant Recall
Topics for this lesson (7 min):
- Shorten the reference period
- Using personal landmarks or life events
- Thinking backward may help
- Decompose the question
- Use introductions to questions
- Give more time
12. Selecting the Right Response Options
Topics for this lesson (19 min):
- Question type taxonomy
- Decision tree for selecting response options
- Discovery or measurement?
- Discovery: Open-ended questions
- Measurement
- Categorical
- Not Categorical
13. Rating Scale Points and Neutral Labels
Topics for this lesson (34 min):
- Brief reminder of scales
- Total number of response options
- Is 3 points all you need?
- Do too many points add too much of a burden?
- Will people really use all the points?
- Neutral point (odd or even number of points)
- Labeling neutral points
14. Rating Scale Tone, Labels and Culture
Topics for this lesson (23 min):
- Item tone (positive vs. mixed tone)
- Should you label all points?
- Cultural/geographic effects
15. Response Option Differences
Topics for this lesson (20 min):
- Are face emojis better than standard scales?
- Are sliders better than standard scales?
- Horizontal versus vertical orientation
- Are star scales better than standard scales?
- Should scales include negative numbers?
16. Rating Scale Formats
Topics for this lesson (21 min):
- Is there a left-side bias for rating scales?
- Are agreement items more prone to acquiescence?
- Do more extreme endpoints affect ratings?
- Does using grids affect measurement?
- Yes/No versus Select All that Apply