Have you created questions to find the answers you need? Have you picked the perfect question type? Are you aware of the best ways to format your survey? If yes, then you are on the right track.
In fact, there are many online survey tools available to make your desired survey a reality. You can make things really easy and organized with the help of an online survey tool. If you have completed the survey design, don’t immediately release it into the wild. Before you share your survey with the world, pre-test it. This is one step that even experienced survey administrators may sometimes miss.
Why pre-test?
Pre-testing helps to make a better survey by…
- Identifying unclear questions and badly-worded responses
- Generating actionable feedback from others and ultimately…
- Providing the foundation for improving your survey
How to Conduct Pre-Testing?
If you want to pre-test your survey, simply send your survey to others who were not involved in the survey design process. In particular, you would want to inquire about the survey quality. Doing so will provide insights to you in case any questions in the survey are unclear or if there are any other problems are found.
Want even higher fidelity? Try actually sitting with a few people as they complete the survey. In addition to their spoken feedback, pay particular attention to their reactions along the way. If, for example, you gather that they are showing signs of fatigue or confusion, these are clear signs that a revision is in order.
Review the Results after Pre-Testing
Once you receive the results from your pre-testers, review it. This can be a sanity check to ensure that everything is working properly prior to releasing it to your respondents. With such a review, you can also validate that you are getting the type of data you expect.
Don’t Be Upset About the Flaws in the Survey
In spite of using the best survey tool, you may notice flaws in the survey. If the flaws are small, don’t sweat it as every survey can be improved. Though thorough planning can make a big difference between a polished survey and a mediocre one.
Now that you’ve got the basics down on testing your survey, stay tuned for our next blog post for other tips on building great custom surveys!
