Remove any questions which do not pass this standard. The end results of nice to know questions are added time and money in the tabulation and analysis stages. Additionally, non-essential questions can make a survey so long that members will not take time to complete the survey. Close-ended questions include multiple choice or rating scale questions. Close-ended questions are easy to summarize and analyze.
Respondents can complete closed questions more quickly than open-ended questions.
Open-ended questions are more difficult to summarize and analyze and may include irrelevant information. A good question will produce reliable and consistent information in similar situations. To avoid bias or non-representative survey results, do not use a convenience sample. Including the survey with your newsletter mailing is one example of a convenience sample because only those members who read the newsletter will notice and respond to the survey. A second example would be handing out surveys at the monthly meeting.