Can you describe a project where you had to design a survey? What were the key considerations?
Technical
Survey Design
Critical Thinking
Attention To Detail
This question evaluates your understanding of survey design principles and your ability to think critically about the factors that influence survey quality, which are essential for a Junior Survey Methodologist.
How to answer
- Outline the survey's purpose and target population clearly
- Discuss the types of questions you chose (open-ended, closed-ended) and why
- Explain how you addressed potential biases and ensured validity and reliability
- Describe the methods used for pre-testing the survey
- Highlight any feedback you received and how you used it to improve the survey
What not to say
- Ignoring the importance of pre-testing and pilot studies
- Focusing only on question types without discussing their relevance
- Neglecting to mention any potential biases in survey design
- Overlooking the importance of clear objectives for the survey
Sample answer
“In my internship at a local research firm, I designed a survey to assess public opinion on community health services. I focused on clear, unbiased questions, using a mix of Likert scale and open-ended questions to gather nuanced feedback. I conducted a pilot test with a small group to refine the questions based on their feedback. This process ensured our survey was both reliable and valid, ultimately improving our data collection efficiency by 30%.”