- Can produce quantitative and qualitative data: ratings, proportions of answers from questionnaires, and open-ended responses 
- Qualitative data in surveys can be turned into quantitative data 


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- A flexible tool to test people’s attitude and behavior in many contexts: live websites, emails, and usability testing 

Surveys and Questionnaires

World Leaders in Research-Based User Experience. (n.d.). Quantitative user-research methodologies: An overview. Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/quantitative-user-research-methods/ 

Quantitative user-research methodologies: An overview

Surveys and Questionnaires-- Function

The psychological process of responding to a survey item can be modeled as a sequential series of five cognitive processes. First, the respondent engages in question interpretation to comprehend the item's meaning. Next, they perform information retrieval to access relevant memories or beliefs. Third, they use judgment formation to evaluate the retrieved information. Fourth, response formatting occurs as they map their judgment onto the available response options. Finally, response editing allows the participant to adjust their answer before submitting it, often to align with social expectations.

Cognitive Model of Survey Responding

In survey research, context effects are unintended influences on a respondent's answers that arise not from the specific content of the question itself, but from the surrounding context in which the item is presented. These biases can occur when previous questions, response options, or the overall survey format alter a participant's interpretation of an item or the information they retrieve from memory.

Survey Context Effects

Survey formatting is the structural organization of a questionnaire designed to maintain respondent engagement and minimize fatigue. Beyond simply writing clear items, effective formatting involves crafting an introduction to secure informed consent, providing explicit instructions with examples, and strategically sequencing the items. Best practices include placing the most critical questions early in the survey, grouping similar items together, reserving demographic questions for the end, and always concluding with an expression of appreciation to the respondent.

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