When you conduct marketing research, you want to collect accurate and relevant data from your respondents. But you also want to respect their privacy and avoid asking sensitive or intrusive questions that might make them uncomfortable or unwilling to participate. How can you design questions that respect the privacy of your respondents? Here are some tips to help you.
Depending on your research objective, you might need to use different types of questions, such as closed-ended, open-ended, or scale-based. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages, but some might be more appropriate than others for sensitive topics. For example, closed-ended questions can limit the options and reduce the ambiguity for the respondents, but they might also constrain their expression and force them to choose an answer that does not reflect their true opinion. Open-ended questions can allow more freedom and detail, but they might also require more effort and disclosure from the respondents, which could deter them or make them feel exposed. Scale-based questions can measure the intensity or frequency of an attitude or behavior, but they might also imply a norm or expectation that could influence the respondents' answers. Therefore, you should choose the question type that best suits your research purpose and respects your respondents' preferences and comfort levels.
Consider asking projective questions. Instead of asking "What is your reaction to this product," ask, "How do you believe your friends would react to this product," or "others like you." "Describe people who might be attracted/not attracted to this product".
Well.. I would follow the mini checklist below due to my limited space here.. 1. Ensure i have took enough time to study my audience... knows their likes and dislikes, their preference 2. From my own part I have design the question base on my thoroughly understanding of my audience but still I can't be perfect which lead is to the other checklist point below 3. So, I will share the purpose of carrying out my questionnaire. the positive and negative impact of answering and or not , I'll also highlights it out for them that some questions there might not suitable for them to answer but having them share their opinion about this questions would allow me accomplished the purpose of carrying out the survey questionnaire.
Keep the questions and answer options focused. If you need to know only 3 things to take a business decision, dont ask the 4th thing. A simple way is to add "None of the above" in options. For very sensitive topics, use a different methodology. A face to face qual interview would be better than a questionnaire.
The way you word your questions can have a significant impact on how your respondents perceive and answer them. You should use clear and simple language that avoids ambiguity, confusion, or misunderstanding. You should also use neutral and respectful language that avoids bias, judgment, or leading. For example, you should not use words that imply a positive or negative connotation, such as "good" or "bad", "agree" or "disagree", or "support" or "oppose". You should also not use words that suggest a desired or expected answer, such as "should" or "must", "always" or "never", or "most" or "few". Instead, you should use words that are objective and factual, such as "rate" or "indicate", "often" or "rarely", or "many" or "some". By using clear and neutral language, you can reduce the risk of influencing or offending your respondents and increase the validity and reliability of your data.
"2-3 times a week" is preferred to "sometimes". Quantitative research is all about numbers. While framing questions, we cannot use subjective words and expect objective responses. Superlatives skew responses. Avoid them.
Sometimes, you might need to ask questions that are personal, sensitive, or controversial, such as those related to demographics, income, health, or politics. These questions might make your respondents feel uncomfortable, reluctant, or defensive, especially if they do not understand why you are asking them or how you will use their answers. To address this issue, you should provide context and rationale for your questions and explain how they relate to your research goal and benefit your respondents. For example, you can state the purpose of your research, the scope of your sample, the confidentiality of your data, and the value of your findings. You can also acknowledge the sensitivity of the questions and thank your respondents for their honesty and cooperation. By providing context and rationale, you can increase your respondents' trust and willingness to participate and answer your questions.
Please train interviewers to explain the why and what of the project. If its online, a good way is to include an introductory line when starting a section e.g. "Following questions will help us understand your shopping habits related to xxx category. Please think of all your shopping trips for xxx in past month and answer."
Another way to respect your respondents' privacy is to offer them options and flexibility in how they answer your questions. You can do this by providing different response formats, such as multiple choice, ranking, rating, or text. You can also provide an option to skip or refuse a question, or to answer "don't know" or "prefer not to say". You can also allow your respondents to choose the mode and timing of your survey, such as online, phone, mail, or in-person, and the frequency and duration of your contact. By offering options and flexibility, you can accommodate your respondents' preferences and needs and reduce the pressure and burden on them.
Disagree to a certain extent. It is important for researchers to know the demographics and psychographics for better understanding of data. I would rather clarify that the data is anonymized and grouped, keeping respondents identity safe. Any PII should have separate measures for safekeeping data.
Before you launch your survey, you should test and revise your questions to ensure that they are clear, relevant, and respectful. You can do this by conducting a pilot test with a small sample of your target population and collecting feedback on your questions. You can also consult experts, peers, or stakeholders who have experience or knowledge in your research topic and ask for their suggestions and opinions. You can also review your questions for any errors, inconsistencies, or gaps that might affect your data quality. By testing and revising your questions, you can improve your survey design and respect your respondents' privacy.
I agree that objectivity is critical and also respecting privacy and sensitivity. However, many have fallen prey to internal biases and expectations that we all carry when trying to capture information related to your target consumer. Smarter, shorter questionnaires are the need for the day, more so now as consumers are pressed for time. Imagine the same consumer being asked whether your brand is value for money and affordable and premium. Asking the same question in convoluted ways leads to wrong interpretations. Simplicity is key !