Question Evaluation
Question evaluation is the process of testing and analyzing how survey questions
perform. With an understanding of how questions perform, survey managers and
data users have full confidence in the validity of the data, as well as an
opportunity to revise questions to better fit their studies. Some of the
strengths of question evaluation are listed below.
Question evaluation can determine if a question...
Captures the intended concept
Ideally, questions should capture constructs they were created to
capture. However, it is important to know if questions are not
capturing intended constructs. Understanding constructs that
questions are capturing allows survey managers to modify questions,
and allows data users to understand the potential range of constructs
that may have been captured in the data. Both of these measures increase the data validity.
Is interpreted consistently across respondent groups
Respondents' interpretations of a question may differ depending on their social
experiences and demographic factors. For example, respondents with different education levels might interpret or comprehend question terminology differently.
Poses problems for respondents when attempting to answer
There are many possible reasons why respondents might have difficulty answering a question. Question evaluation can help to shed light on this process.
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