Learning and Evaluation/Archive/Learning modules/3Be Concise

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Part 1: Introduction

Welcome!
Why Survey?
Why Surveys Are Useful
Constructs
Operationalize
Survey instruments
Types of information
Attributes - a special case
Survey Objective and Planning

Part 2: Reliability & Validity

Reliability & Validity
Reliability
Validity
Face Validity
Content Validity
Criterion Validity
Construct Validity

Part 3: Question Construction

Writing Good Questions
Questions from Existing Surveys
Constructing your own Questions
Be Specific
Be Concise
Avoid Double Negatives
Minimize Social Desirability Bias
Avoid Double-barreled questions
Avoid abbreviations, jargon, technical terms, or slang
Avoid leading questions
Avoid loaded questions
Use appropriate wording
Ask useful questions
Rely on second-hand data sparsely
Use caution when asking personal questions

Part 4: Response Options

Question types
Fill-in-the-blank
Dichotomous pairs
Multiple choice
Check all that apply
Ranking
Scales
Choosing response options

Part 5: Questionnaire structure

Important considerations
Questions order
Additional Resources
Feedback

  Wikimedia Training Designing Effective Questions Menu

Be concise

Objective
Understand editor’s motivation to edit.


Very Poor
Do you agree or disagree that, given any personal circumstances, your interest for editing Wikipedia increased in the last year, where interest means you have actually made enough edits that you feel are satisfactory for someone with your education level and available time.
The question is running on and very confusing; the questions also assumes that one's interest in editing is increasing.


Poor
To what extent has your motivation for editing Wikipedia changed over the last year?
This example is still poor because it is too concise; "change" is a vague word that is interpreted differently by each respondent.
Better
To what extent has your motivation for editing Wikipedia increased or decreased over the last year?
This question is open to whether an editor increased or decreased their edits and has a set time frame of one year.