Asking Questions - The Definitive Guide To Questionnaire Design ...

308 ASKING QUESTIONS
hopes of making the questionnaire look short. Although length is
important, the respondent’s perception of the difficulty of the task
is even more important on self-administered questionnaires. A less
cluttered questionnaire with substantial white space looks easier to
fill out and generally results in higher cooperation and fewer errors
by either respondents or interviewers. Additional white space also
allows for less confusion for both the interviewer and the reader.
On open-ended questions, sufficient blank space must be provided.
Even though additional blank space is provided elsewhere (for
instance, on the back cover), the answer will usually be no longer
than the space provided for it. Respondents on self-administered
questionnaires, as well as interviewers recording responses, use the
amount of space available as an indication of what is expected. We
do not recommend the use of lines for open-ended questions. Lines
make the questionnaire look more crowded and serve no useful
function. However, if a short answer (one or two words or a number)
is required, a single line should be used.
Using Colored Paper
There is no evidence that the use of particular colors of paper has
any effect on response to mail questionnaires or is easier for interviewers
to use. Either white or pastel colors are acceptable. Darkcolored
papers that are difficult to read should never be used.
If colored paper is used, the ink color should contrast sufficiently
from the paper so that the questionnaire can be read easily. In the
end, the questionnaire must be usable and this also means it must
be clean and easily followed.
The use of different colors may help interviewers and data processing
personnel when several different forms are being used in the
same study, and different-colored paper may be used for different
subparts of the questionnaire. Typically, the forms and parts are also
identified by title and letter or number codes, color being used as a
supplementary memory device to reduce error.