Question types guide

Guide to choosing the right question type for your research goal.

Detailed walkthrough of question types (open-ended, multiple choice, rating scales, matrix, ranking) and when to use each. Includes examples and trade-offs for analysis.

survey-designquestion-types10–25 minutesBeginner → IntermediateResearchersAnalysts

Open-ended questions capture nuanced feedback; use them when depth matters. Multiple-choice is faster for quantification.

Use attention checks and smart follow-ups to improve data quality for open responses.

Examples

  • Open-ended: "Tell us about your last experience using product X."
  • Scale: "Rate your satisfaction from 1–5."

Steps

  1. Identify the metric
    Decide whether you need qualitative depth or quantitative metrics.
  2. Pick a type
    Choose open text for depth, MCQ for fast quant, scale for sentiment.
  3. Add follow-ups
    Use conditional follow-ups for clarification and depth.
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