Cvent Survey

Now you know a little more about using open ended questions in your web surveys. Are you still not sure if you should use them in your next survey? Use the following questions to help you decide:

• How will the data be used and analyzed? If you don’t have a specific reason for using an open ended question, reconsider the question type.

• Could you get the data you need to make decisions with one or more closed questions in the place of the open ended question? If the answer is yes, make the switch. Considering the extra time required for coding the open ended questions into categories post-survey, you're better off using closed questions when possible.

• Is that data for your online survey being collected indirectly via face-to-face or phone interviews? If so, you may want to re-consider using open ended questions. It's difficult for interviewers to record such responses into your online survey.

It may seem silly that an interviewer wouldn't be able to correctly record an accurate account of the response, but often times he or she may misunderstand the respondent's meaning. If the question is important, keep it open ended, but make sure you properly train and monitor interviewers as they administer your survey.