Let's break down some of the questionnaire jargon you may see in a questionnaire or survey platform.
What is anchoring?
Anchoring an answer option in a randomised question means keeping a specific response choice fixed in place while the other options are shuffled. This ensures that the anchored option remains consistently positioned, which can be useful for clarity, fairness, or analytical purposes.
Why Use Anchoring in a Randomized Question?
Ensures a Control Option – If there is a “None of the Above” or “Other (please specify)” option, it should stay at the bottom for logical consistency.
Prevents Misinterpretation – Keeping a key option (like "Prefer Not to Answer") fixed avoids confusion.
Maintains Benchmarking – In research, a specific answer may need to be consistently positioned for accurate comparison across surveys.
Example:
A multiple-choice survey question like: "Which of these social media platforms do you use most?"
Options (Randomised except the last one)
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
X
None of the Above (anchored at the bottom)
This ensures the “None of the Above” option is always last, while the other choices shuffle to reduce order bias.
Benefits of ANCHORING:
✅ Makes more logical sense for respondents
✅ Improves data quality by keeping responses relevant
WHAT DOES ROUTING MEAN?
Routing in a survey refers to the process of directing respondents to different questions based on their previous answers. It ensures that participants only see relevant questions, making the survey more efficient and tailored to their experiences.
Types of Routing:
Skip Logic – Skips irrelevant questions based on prior answers.
Example: If a respondent answers "No" to "Do you own a car?", they skip all car-related questions.
Branching – Directs respondents down different survey paths based on responses.
Example: If someone selects "Student" for their occupation, they get questions about education, while workers get employment-related questions.
Piping – Uses a respondent’s answer to personalize later questions.
Example: If someone selects "Netflix" as their favorite streaming service, a follow-up might say, "What do you like most about Netflix?" instead of a generic question.
Quota-Based Routing – Ends or redirects surveys based on pre-set limits (e.g., closing a survey once 500 responses from a specific demographic are collected).
Benefits of Routing:
✅ Reduces survey length and fatigue
✅ Improves data quality by keeping responses relevant
✅ Enhances the respondent experience
What does exclusive mean?
In a survey, an exclusive answer option is one that, when selected, prevents respondents from choosing any other options. This is commonly used in multiple-choice (select all that apply) questions to ensure logical consistency.
Example of an Exclusive Option:
Question: Which of these beverages do you drink regularly? (Select all that apply)☑ Coffee☑ Tea☑ Juice☑ Soda⬜ None of the above (Exclusive)
If a respondent selects "None of the above," they shouldn't be able to select any other options because it contradicts the question’s intent.
Other Common Exclusive Options:
"I don’t know"
"Prefer not to answer"
"Other (please specify)" (sometimes exclusive, depending on design)
Why Use Exclusive Options?
✅ Prevents contradictory responses
✅ Improves data accuracy
✅ Enhances survey logic