A survey is only as good as its question. 'Do you like school?' is too vague. 'How many hours did you study yesterday?' is sharp — and gets you usable data.
Quick check
Which survey question gives the cleanest data?
A sharp question is…
- Specific — names a time, place or count.
- Closed — has a clear, limited set of answers.
- Neutral — doesn't push the answerer one way.
- Single — asks exactly one thing.
Your turn
Rewrite 'Do you exercise much?' into a sharp question.
Read your question out loud. If you can't answer it in one short sentence, neither can your respondents.
Sharp questions are…
- Specific — name a time, place, count
- Closed — have a clear set of answers
- Neutral — don't push the answerer one way
- Single — ask one thing at a time
Read your question out loud. If you can't answer it in one sentence, your respondents can't either.