Consumer Study Design
Survey questions comprised primarily of a variation of closed-ended or multiple choice type questions
- Subjects could type in responses whenever pre-set lists did not meet their needs
- All key questions had this option
- Possible response lists were rotated to minimize order bias in presentation
Closed ended questions are a standard, accepted practice in survey research and offer a number of advantages
- Are a good choice when the options are limited and can be foreseen
- Permit direct comparison of responses from subject to subject
- Address the issue that most respondents will not write elaborate answers
- Avoid interviewer recording/probing biases present in open-ends
- Avoid errors associated with coding/ categorization of responses