Method guideUX Research

Surveys

A practical method guide: clarify prerequisites and materials, understand the complete process, and look up outputs, pitfalls, and stop criteria.

ComplexityMedium

Time3-14 Tage

Participants50+

FormatAsync

MaturityCanonical

Plan the work

Prerequisite

What needs to be finished first

Complete firstClear working frame

Define question, decision, target population, sampling frame, mode and privacy requirements before drafting.

Without a bounded question or checkable evidence, the result will be unclear.

Preparation

What needs to be ready before start

Materials

Research brief, questionnaire, recruitment plan, privacy review, pilot and analysis plan.

People / roles

Research owner · survey designer · privacy/data steward · target participants for piloting.

Pre-read

Choose materials, data access and participants to fit the research or decision question.

Time needed

An initiative spanning design, pilot, fieldwork and analysis; duration depends on access and research purpose.

Setup

Open the method-specific structure. Fictional examples are for orientation only; keep the blank worksheet separate from actual findings.

Core question

The one question this method answers

What can this population reliably report that informs the stated decision?

Flow

Phases with goal, actions, output and pitfall

A survey collects standardized self-reports for a defined research question. Question quality, sampling and analysis limit conclusions; a large response count alone does not establish representativeness.

Surveys working record

Fictional example

Method-specific prompts and a fictional worked example; template prompts remain empty.

Define research goal and decision

Compare with observation and records.

**Goal:** Learn which support route people used after their latest failed login and what they still needed.

Write neutral questions

Cognitively test the wording.

**Question:** “Which route did you use for your last login problem?” with balanced options and “don’t know/none”.

Plan sample and privacy

Sample size follows purpose, segments and required precision.

**Sampling limit:** Recruiting through support omits people who never contacted support. Results describe respondents reached through that channel.

Pilot, field and analyze

Use descriptive statistics only as supported by sampling.

**Pilot:** Check whether people understand “login problem” and the recall period as intended.

NN/g provides question-writing practices. Design and sampling constrain conclusions; response count alone does not prove representativeness.

Writing Good Survey Questions: 10 Best Practices | Nielsen Norman Group

1
Goal
Define research goal and decision
Goal
Compare with observation and records.
Inputs for this step
- Define question, decision, target population, sampling frame, mode and privacy requirements before drafting.
- Research brief, questionnaire, recruitment plan, privacy review, pilot and analysis plan.
Actions
- Connect a knowledge gap, target population and decision; check that self-report can answer it.
- Record Reasoned survey objective with its evidence status, source or open verification need.
Output
Reasoned survey objective
Reasoned survey objective
Quality check
Can a survey inform this decision?
Pitfall
Survey chosen just because it reaches many people. Check alternative evidence and excluded groups.
Timing: About 10–20 minutes; schedule data or clarification work separately.
2
Questions
Write neutral questions
Goal
Cognitively test the wording.
Inputs for this step
- Reasoned survey objective
- Research brief, questionnaire, recruitment plan, privacy review, pilot and analysis plan.
Actions
- Ask one thing at a time, use plain language, balanced options and a relevant recall period.
- Record Understandable, non-leading items with its evidence status, source or open verification need.
Output
Understandable, non-leading items
Understandable, non-leading items
Quality check
Could an item have multiple readings?
Pitfall
Leading or double-barrelled question. Revise and pilot with target participants.
Timing: About 10–20 minutes; schedule data or clarification work separately.
3
Sample
Plan sample and privacy
Goal
Sample size follows purpose, segments and required precision.
Inputs for this step
- Understandable, non-leading items
- Research brief, questionnaire, recruitment plan, privacy review, pilot and analysis plan.
Actions
- Define population, sampling route, field period, data collected and privacy controls.
- Record Transparent field plan with its evidence status, source or open verification need.
Output
Transparent field plan
Transparent field plan
Quality check
Who may be missing or answer differently?
Pitfall
Response count is confused with representativeness. Report recruitment and nonresponse limits.
Timing: About 10–20 minutes; schedule data or clarification work separately.
4
Fieldwork
Pilot, field and analyze
Goal
Use descriptive statistics only as supported by sampling.
Inputs for this step
- Transparent field plan
- Research brief, questionnaire, recruitment plan, privacy review, pilot and analysis plan.
Actions
- Check comprehension and operation; report denominator, missing data and uncertainty suited to the design.
- Record Data and bounded findings with its evidence status, source or open verification need.
Output
Data and bounded findings
Data and bounded findings
Quality check
Do analysis and inference fit the sample?
Pitfall
Percentages lack a denominator or method. State denominator, dates and recruitment.
Timing: About 10–20 minutes; schedule data or clarification work separately.

Artifact

What comes out at the end

Sketch: what the artifact looks like

Surveys · Quantitative ResearchConnect clear research question, neutral questions, suitable sample, and response distributions into robust insights

Form

Versioned record of question, evidence, result, uncertainty, owners and next review date.

Versioning / ownership

Track date, scope, sources, assumptions and changes; assign an owner and review for ongoing practice or initiatives.

Tool alternatives

Paper and pens
Whiteboard or simple table

surveys-working-template.md

Plan a session or initiative to match the actual scope of work.

Surveys: Worksheet

Question

To be confirmed

Desired outcome

To be confirmed

Scope

Prepare the full method Time: An initiative spanning design, pilot, fieldwork and analysis; duration depends on access and research purpose.

Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.

Preparation for this scope

Method setup

Materials: Research brief, questionnaire, recruitment plan, privacy review, pilot and analysis plan.
Roles: Research owner · survey designer · privacy/data steward · target participants for piloting.
Advance information: Choose materials, data access and participants to fit the research or decision question.
Overall time needed: An initiative spanning design, pilot, fieldwork and analysis; duration depends on access and research purpose.
Setup: Open the method-specific structure. Fictional examples are for orientation only; keep the blank worksheet separate from actual findings.

Prepare for the work steps

Goal: Define research goal and decision

Define question, decision, target population, sampling frame, mode and privacy requirements before drafting.
Research brief, questionnaire, recruitment plan, privacy review, pilot and analysis plan.

Questions: Write neutral questions

Reasoned survey objective
Research brief, questionnaire, recruitment plan, privacy review, pilot and analysis plan.

Sample: Plan sample and privacy

Understandable, non-leading items
Research brief, questionnaire, recruitment plan, privacy review, pilot and analysis plan.

Fieldwork: Pilot, field and analyze

Transparent field plan
Research brief, questionnaire, recruitment plan, privacy review, pilot and analysis plan.

Surveys working record

Define research goal and decision

Compare with observation and records.

...

Write neutral questions

Cognitively test the wording.

...

Plan sample and privacy

Sample size follows purpose, segments and required precision.

...

Pilot, field and analyze

Use descriptive statistics only as supported by sampling.

...

Blank worksheet contains prompts only, with no example data.

Writing Good Survey Questions: 10 Best Practices | Nielsen Norman Group

Goal: Define research goal and decision

Expected artifact: Reasoned survey objective

Reasoned survey objective

Entry:

...

Can a survey inform this decision?

Questions: Write neutral questions

Expected artifact: Understandable, non-leading items

Understandable, non-leading items

Entry:

...

Could an item have multiple readings?

Sample: Plan sample and privacy

Expected artifact: Transparent field plan

Transparent field plan

Entry:

...

Who may be missing or answer differently?

Fieldwork: Pilot, field and analyze

Expected artifact: Data and bounded findings

Data and bounded findings

Entry:

...

Do analysis and inference fit the sample?

Open questions and next steps

...

Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/surveys/run-sheet

Example output

Concrete filled scenario, fictional example

Fictional example for orientation. Counts and timings describe this case and are not universal requirements.

surveys-beispiel.md

Concrete filled scenario, fictional example

Fictional example: login support preference

Goal: Learn which support route people used after their latest failed login and what they still needed.

Question: “Which route did you use for your last login problem?” with balanced options and “don’t know/none”.

Sampling limit: Recruiting through support omits people who never contacted support. Results describe respondents reached through that channel.

Pilot: Check whether people understand “login problem” and the recall period as intended.

Report: State field dates, recruitment, response count and denominator, missing data and nonresponse limits. Avoid population-wide claims.

Pitfalls

Recognize symptoms and steer against them

Quick overview, the full text is in the matching phase in the flow

Define research goal and decisionSurvey chosen just because it reaches many people.View in phase
Write neutral questionsLeading or double-barrelled question.View in phase
Plan sample and privacyResponse count is confused with representativeness.View in phase
Pilot, field and analyzePercentages lack a denominator or method.View in phase

Stop criteria

When to pause, resolve prerequisites, or choose another approach

Do not field without a question, suitable population, understandable items and privacy plan. If sampling cannot support the intended inference, narrow the claim or use another method.

Where to go next?

Product Discovery

Kano Model

Uses standardized paired questions to classify features.

UX Research

Affinity Diagramming

Sorts open-ended free-text answers inductively into shared patterns.

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