Questionnaire design affects response rates.

Planning a party and then wondering if anyone will come is the same feeling researchers have when a survey is launched online or by mail. What if no one responds! We have found at Words & Numbers Research that the quality of the questionnaire  stimulates a good return rate.  Here are a few tips that work. First, use different formats of questions and varied response scales on the questionnaire. This will be more interesting to the respondent than having 50 agreement scales for sentence-long items,  one after the other. Second, provide a specific set  of directions throughout about what you want the respondent to do. Confusion is a reason to toss the questionnaire or click off the site. Third, pay attention to the visual appearance of the questionnaire. It should be easy to read which means your choice of type face and use of color should be with that goal in mind. This is not an artistic exercise. Fourth, number all sections and number all items within a section.  It is easy for a respondent to skip a question accidentally, and missing data are costly to your analyses.  These pointers make a difference and are  easy to implement. It just takes a little time and care,  but the payoff is great.