Defending Dignity A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions on Monitoring Economic, Social and Cultural Rights HELPFUL TIP Ten tips for survey design: 1. Keep it simple and make it interesting. 2. Keep it short, as attention spans will wane. 3. Use simple language that respondents would use. 4. Think about question order: ask general questions before specific ones, as the specific ones will colour respondents’ answers. 5. Avoid subjective terms such as “frequently” and “often”. 6. Include a middle option on scales (such as “neutral”), if it’s warranted. 7. Avoid double negatives, as they can be confusing (question prompts should never be negative). 8. Make scales logical for the responses. 9. If designing a question around a 10-point scale, don’t forget to include “0”. 10. Put personal questions at the end, as participants may be uncomfortable answering them. Source: RCU, 10 Step Guide to Questionnaire Design [VIDEO] 7.5.4. Step four: Choosing an interview method There are many different ways of administering a survey or an interview. The advantages and disadvantages of different methods are discussed below. 78 Method Advantages Disadvantages Personal interviews The target population is visible. Respondents are generally more willing to answer long questions and can clarify unclear responses. They are costly. Interviewers must travel to the location of the target population. Variations in the style of interviewers can cause variations in responses. Telephone surveys Nearly everyone has a phone. Interviewers can call randomly and they can clarify unclear responses. There tends to be a negative association with sales calls. Few people are generally at home during the working day. Mail surveys Addresses are easily accessible. Respondents can respond at leisure. This method takes time. There is generally a low response rate for less educated or literate populations. Email surveys Email is extremely fast and low cost. Surveyors can attach pictures and sounds. There is a general dislike of unsolicited email. There is also little control over who responds. Web surveys Web surveys are extremely fast and low cost. Surveyors have lots of formatting options. Questions can be automated and anonymous. Internet usage is not universal. Respondents can easily quit. There is little control over who responds.