What are the best ways to test your questionnaire before launching it?

1 Review your objectives

The first step is to review your research objectives and make sure that your questionnaire aligns with them. Ask yourself: What are the main questions that you want to answer? Who is your target audience? How will you use the data? You should also check that your questionnaire is not too long, too complex, or too vague. A good rule of thumb is to keep your questionnaire under 15 minutes and use simple and specific language.

2 Conduct a pilot test

A pilot test is a small-scale trial of your questionnaire with a representative sample of your target population. It helps you to assess the feasibility, validity, and reliability of your questionnaire. You can use a pilot test to measure the response rate, the completion time, the dropout rate, and the data quality of your questionnaire. You can also collect feedback from the respondents on the clarity, relevance, and difficulty of the questions. Based on the results of the pilot test, you can modify your questionnaire accordingly.

3 Perform a cognitive interview

A cognitive interview is a qualitative method of testing your questionnaire by asking respondents to think aloud as they answer the questions. It helps you to understand how respondents interpret, process, and recall the information that you are asking for. You can use a cognitive interview to identify any problems with the question wording, format, order, or answer options. You can also ask probing questions to elicit more details about the respondents' thoughts and feelings. A cognitive interview can help you to improve the validity and accuracy of your questionnaire.

4 Use a software tool

A software tool is a convenient and efficient way of testing your questionnaire before launching it. There are many software tools available that can help you to design, test, and analyze your questionnaire. Some of the features that you can look for in a software tool are: spelling and grammar check, logic and skip patterns, question randomization, data validation, cross-tabulation, and visualization. A software tool can help you to save time, reduce errors, and enhance the quality of your questionnaire.

5 Ask for expert feedback

Another way to test your questionnaire before launching it is to ask for expert feedback from someone who has experience and knowledge in your field of research. An expert can provide you with valuable insights and suggestions on how to improve your questionnaire. You can ask an expert to review your research objectives, your question types, your response scales, and your data analysis plan. An expert can help you to avoid common pitfalls and biases, and increase the credibility and relevance of your questionnaire.

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?