There are times when designing online surveys , we do not know what type of question to use, to improve our response rate , we do not know whether to use open or closed questions, today I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of each one, we will begin by defining open and closed questions.
What are open questions?
Open questions are the most commonly used when conducting personal online surveys, because they are usually very useful for building trust with respondents. The main objective of this question is to obtain a personal opinion and have a broad response to the question being asked.
Advantages of open-ended questions in online surveys
They allow you to have more confidence in the respondents.
Provide more detail on the question
Create a more spontaneous atmosphere
It allows to evaluate other elements such as: the person's vocabulary, values, education, among others.
Disadvantages of open-ended questions in online surveys
Obtaining irrelevant data
It might take longer than you think
What are closed questions?
Closed questions are very useful when you want to obtain clear macedonia phone number precise information. Normally, these types of questions have short answers such as: "yes", "no" or with set answers; and you only have to select the one you consider.
Advantages of closed questions in online surveys
You can get a lot of answers in a short time.
Provides relevant information
It is direct, clear and precise
You have better time control
Disadvantages of closed questions in online surveys
It may bore respondents
The respondent may feel attacked with so many questions
You cannot create an environment of trust with the respondents
Difference between open and closed questions
Evaluation factors Open questions Closed Questions
Establish an environment of trust with the respondent High Low
Accuracy in information Low High
Better time management Low High
Range of respondents' responses A lot Little
Data analysis and management Difficult Easy
In reality, no question is better than another, as it depends a lot on the objective of the survey, the time set, and the medium through which you will conduct the online surveys: through a surveyor using mobile devices or directly from email.
If it is through a pollster, it would be very important to work with a mixed survey, that is, with open and closed questions to create an environment of trust. If it is an online survey directly to email, there should be more closed questions than open ones, since people are concerned about the time they are investing. Normally, a survey should not take more than 5 minutes to answer the questions, otherwise the user will get tired and in the end will not respond adequately.