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My problem with the most surveys is vague questions. Do you like meeting new people? Well, it depends on circumstances, situation and what kind of people these

My problem with the most surveys is vague questions. Do you like meeting new people? Well, it depends on circumstances, situation and what kind of people these are. Do I always learn something new? Nope. No way any human being can be always learning. So why even ask such a question?

danielkyne 6y ago
This is frustratingly common with traditional surveys. In our conversations with user researchers we found that researchers often know what they want to ask, but they end up breaking it up into loads of different (often vague) questions in order to retrofit their research objective into survey format. Because you're less limited in scope with an open-survey like OpinionX, you're able to much more directly set the direction and question of a survey. At the end of the day, it's up to the researcher to write the best question possible, but we feel that OpinionX gives more breathing room and allows them to ask more directly if needed.
SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
I think it makes sense if you see the vague questions as proxies for cultural markers. There's a type of person who says "Yeah, I learn something new every time I meet someone! People are all so interesting and unique!". What the survey really wants to know is whether you're that type of person.
- mannykannot 6y ago
  > "Yeah, I learn something new every time I meet someone! People are all so interesting and unique!". If you want to know if people feel that way, would it not be better to ask about that issue directly, such as by asking how much they agree with the above sentiment? It might not be a very reliable way to find out, but I am skeptical that asking "do you always learn something new?" is a better way. There's also something circular about the idea that "there's a type of person who...", if those types are coming from the surveyor's interpretation of the replies to the questions they asked, especially if the questions themselves were framed on the assumption that there's a type of person who...
  - AlexTWithBeard 6y ago
    Yup. Ask me if I like meeting new people and I'll say yes. Ask me if I like meeting new people in a gym, when all I want is to break some sweat, have a shower and go home and I'll say no. Go figure.
smoyer 6y ago
This is often combined with multiple choice answers that are completely unambiguous. My favorite is that in this scenario, there's never a "Other" box and you're not allowed to leave the question blank. I figure the researchers deserve what they ask for so I try to pick the most ridiculous answer from those provided. What is your favorite color? [ ] 1. Seafoam [ ] 2. Taupe [ ] 3. Periwinkle [X] 4. African Swallow (if only they'd offered "Blue, no Green!")

danielkyne 6y ago

This is frustratingly common with traditional surveys. In our conversations with user researchers we found that researchers often know what they want to ask, but they end up breaking it up into loads of different (often vague) questions in order to retrofit their research objective into survey format. Because you're less limited in scope with an open-survey like OpinionX, you're able to much more directly set the direction and question of a survey. At the end of the day, it's up to the researcher to write the best question possible, but we feel that OpinionX gives more breathing room and allows them to ask more directly if needed.

SpicyLemonZest 6y ago

I think it makes sense if you see the vague questions as proxies for cultural markers. There's a type of person who says "Yeah, I learn something new every time I meet someone! People are all so interesting and unique!". What the survey really wants to know is whether you're that type of person.

mannykannot 6y ago
> "Yeah, I learn something new every time I meet someone! People are all so interesting and unique!". If you want to know if people feel that way, would it not be better to ask about that issue directly, such as by asking how much they agree with the above sentiment? It might not be a very reliable way to find out, but I am skeptical that asking "do you always learn something new?" is a better way. There's also something circular about the idea that "there's a type of person who...", if those types are coming from the surveyor's interpretation of the replies to the questions they asked, especially if the questions themselves were framed on the assumption that there's a type of person who...
- AlexTWithBeard 6y ago
  Yup. Ask me if I like meeting new people and I'll say yes. Ask me if I like meeting new people in a gym, when all I want is to break some sweat, have a shower and go home and I'll say no. Go figure.

smoyer 6y ago

This is often combined with multiple choice answers that are completely unambiguous. My favorite is that in this scenario, there's never a "Other" box and you're not allowed to leave the question blank. I figure the researchers deserve what they ask for so I try to pick the most ridiculous answer from those provided. What is your favorite color? [ ] 1. Seafoam [ ] 2. Taupe [ ] 3. Periwinkle [X] 4. African Swallow (if only they'd offered "Blue, no Green!")