When writing survey questions, when should you use open and closed questions? Can both types of questions be used together in a written survey?

The process of framing questions into each type largely depends on the intent of the survey. Open-ended questions are generally questions that require not only a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer, but also an explanation. It requires the respondent to state the problems or issues raised by the interviewer.

On the other hand, closed questions limit the respondent’s answers to a certain set of options provided in a questionnaire. The respondent will have to choose the option that most closely resembles or reflects their preference or taste. In anticipation of answers outside of the options given, ‘other’ or ‘don’t know’ is usually provided as the last option.

When are open questions used?

As a general rule, this question type should be used under the following conditions:

1. The topic is unknown

Your research topic is unfamiliar to you as a researcher and no information has yet been collected on it. He is just beginning to explore the subject and has not formulated any hypotheses to explain the phenomenon.

2. Opinions or explanations are sought

You are interested in knowing people’s explanations about a phenomenon or seeking their opinion on certain topics and/or concerns. Narratives emerge from the information collected in this way.

3. Follow up on a previous answer

After the respondent has chosen a certain option in a multiple choice question, you may want to know why. A prompt such as “Tell me more about this” or “Explain your answer” can be written right after the question.

4. Generate Options for a Multiple Choice Quiz

An exploratory survey with open questions will show a range of possible answers. These answers can be used as options for closed questions.

When are closed questions used?

These questions should be used in the following situations:

1. The study variables have already been identified

Once possible answers to a probing question have been identified, you can define which specific variables you would like the respondent to limit their answers on. This is in anticipation of extracting relationships between these variables.

2. The data obtained in the survey will be statistically analyzed

Closed questions generate data that can be coded and analyzed using statistical tests. Options are converted to numbers to make this possible.

3. Pre-identified categories have been prepared

To facilitate analysis, pre-identified categories guide the formulation of questions in a written survey. The options in a multiple choice question should therefore be limited to these categories.

The use of open or closed questions, therefore, depends entirely on the objectives of the study. Once the goals are clearly defined, relevant questions of each type can be formulated to meet those goals.