Publication - Research and analysis
New Deal for Business – metrics subgroup report: business and industry surveys - capturing core business measures
This report explores how data collection in business and industry surveys can be made more consistent. It summarises questions used in a selection of business surveys in Scotland and provides guidance on framing questions.
3. Key survey design points
Before embarking on any survey, it is crucial to define clear and specific objectives. This should guide development of questions, as well as the overall survey structure.
It is important to understand the target audience of the survey. Knowing the audience will allow customization tailored to the audience’s characteristics.
Some other key points that should be important while designing the survey questions include:
- As much as possible, survey questions be easy to understand, and free from jargon.
- Survey questions should be written in a neutral manner to ensure the results remain unbiased.
- The length of a survey should also de-risk the prospect of survey fatigue. This involves crucial trade offs between desire for more information and better response rates.
Contact
Email: OCEABusiness@gov.scot