How do you use surveys and questionnaires to elicit requirements?

2 Design your questions

The quality of your questions will determine the quality of your data. You want to ask questions that are clear, concise, relevant, unbiased, and measurable. You also want to balance the types of questions you use, such as open-ended, closed-ended, rating, ranking, or multiple choice. Depending on your objectives, you may want to use different scales, such as Likert, semantic differential, or ordinal. You should also consider the order and flow of your questions, and avoid leading, confusing, or double-barreled questions. You can use tools like SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, or Typeform to create and distribute your survey or questionnaire online.

3 Test your survey or questionnaire

Before you launch your survey or questionnaire, you should test it with a small sample of your target respondents. This will help you identify and fix any errors, ambiguities, or biases in your questions, as well as check the usability and functionality of your survey or questionnaire. You should also test the reliability and validity of your questions, which means how consistent and accurate they are in measuring what you intend to measure. You can use techniques like pilot testing, cognitive testing, or split testing to evaluate your survey or questionnaire.

4 Collect and analyze your data

Once you have tested and finalized your survey or questionnaire, you can start collecting data from your target respondents. You should aim for a high response rate and a representative sample of your population. You can use incentives, reminders, or follow-ups to encourage participation and completion. You should also monitor and track your data collection process, and ensure the security and confidentiality of your data. After you have collected enough data, you can analyze it using statistical or qualitative methods, such as descriptive analysis, inferential analysis, or thematic analysis. You should look for patterns, trends, correlations, or outliers in your data, and interpret them in relation to your objectives and requirements.

5 Present and validate your findings

The final step is to present and validate your findings from your survey or questionnaire. You should summarize and visualize your data in a clear and concise way, using charts, graphs, tables, or dashboards. You should also highlight the key insights, conclusions, and recommendations from your data analysis, and link them to your objectives and requirements. You should present your findings to your stakeholders or potential users, and solicit their feedback and validation. You should also document your findings and the process of your survey or questionnaire, and share them with your project team and other relevant parties.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?