Improving Survey Questions: Design and Evaluation

Fowler begins with this observation: "Poor question design is pervasive, and improving question design is one of the easiest, most cost-effective steps that can be taken to improve the quality of survey data." I agree. This brief (190 pp.), clearly-written text provides a number of practical and sensible guidelines for the design and evaluation of survey questions. There are other texts about survey questions, but none with the same depth and focus. While not written in as friendly a style as some cookbook introductions to survey research, Fowler's book should nevertheless be accessible to any reader who has taken at least an introductory course in research methods. Recommended.

The author has been a senior research fellow since 1971, and in that time has no-doubt seen it all when it comes to marketing and social research projects. In fact the volume was written after an evaluation of many significant social surveys where (he wasn't setting out to prove this) Fowler found the standard of questionnaire writing quite inadequate. In "Improving Survey Questions" he goes methodically through the philosophy, the problems and the techniques of writing better, more reliable questions that are easily understood (by a diverse audience) and are easily responded to - thanks to clear, unambiguous instructions. If he has one main lesson it is this: pre-test your surveys. His ultimate wish is that more pre-testing take place in the world of professional research. A worthwhile book - not exactly entertaining in style - but would make a great basis for in-house training in your organisation. I refer to my copy frequently, and used it to strip down my questionnaire style and build it up again from scratch. A good if somewhat salutary exercise for the professional.

After reaading many books on questionnaires, I find this one provides the most generally useful advice in a readable, compact format. Much cheaper and more advanced than the Survey Kit (also published by Sage), Fowler's book should find a place on the bookshelf of anyone writing questionnaires or surveys.