Start with interesting questions Start the survey with questions that are likely to sound interesting and attract the respondents' attention. Save the questions that might be difficult or threatening for later. Voicing questions in the third person can be less threatening than questions voiced in the second question. Leading questions demand a specific response. Respondents can easily be confused deciphering the meaning of a question that uses two negative words.
Some questions involve concepts that are difficult for many people to understand.
Avoid difficult recall questions People's memories are increasingly unreliable as you ask them to recall events farther and farther back in time. Avoid overlapping responses Another common mistake is to ask a question and then provide responses that are not mutually exclusive. Balance rating scales When the question requires respondents to use a rating scale, mediate the scale so that there is room for both extremes. Don't make the list of choices too long If the list of answer categories is long and unfamiliar, it is difficult for respondents to evaluate all of them. Keep the list of choices short.