Define the population. In addition to the actual construction of questions, it is important to consider options for question formatting. In cases where a blank space is used for the reply, consider listing possible choices. This will speed up analysis and tabulation. There may be cases, however, where a forced choice is necessary, particularly in policy areas where you want opinions.
Checklist surveys are easier to fill out and raise response rates.
Open-ended questions take longer to answer and analyze, but they usually provide richer information. This way you can get hard facts and supporting beliefs and feelings. Don't get carried away with scales, particularly those that are sets of numbers with end labels. Usually a five-point scale is sufficient. Beyond that, people have trouble defining the points.