In UX research and market research, the questions asked can make or break the accuracy of insights you gather. Whether you’re trying to uncover user pain points, validate a design decision, or explore user attitudes, the type of question you choose plays a pivotal role in the outcome of your research. 

Surveys are a powerful tool for gathering insights from your users. The questions that can be asked are broadly classified into 2 categories: open-ended and closed-ended. The choice between open-ended and closed-ended questions can determine the depth of insights and the ease of analysis. This article highlights the differences between these two types of questions, discusses their advantages and drawbacks, and provides examples of when to use each in your surveys.

Understanding Open-Ended Questions in Surveys

The purpose of open-ended questions is to facilitate participants’ ability to respond with their own words, without being constrained by predefined options. These questions invite participants to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a way that provides unexpected insights.

How Can Open-Ended Questions Be Useful?

• Open-ended questions are rich in qualitative information, meaning you can learn more about the “why” behind what respondents say.
• Exploratory Insights: These questions are useful when investigating new areas or trying to capture nuanced opinions and experiences.
• Respondents are likely to address issues or present ideas that you hadn’t considered.

Examples of Open-Ended Questions in Surveys:

• “How would you describe your experience of using the product?”
• “What made you purchase our product?”
• “How can the product be improved?”

Research questions like these are particularly useful if you are looking for more detailed feedback than simply metrics in the early stages of research.

Understanding Closed-Ended Questions in Surveys

Closed-ended questions offer respondents specific options to choose from. The closed-ended survey questions are of the following types – multiple choice, Likert scale, drop down, checkboxes, and ranking questions.

A closed-ended question is structured to provide respondents with specific options to choose from. They are straightforward, enabling respondents to choose an answer quickly, which can then be analyzed and quantified.

How Can Open-Ended Questions Be Useful?

• Data Analysis is Easy: Data can be analyzed and trends identified easily because responses can be quantified.
• With predefined options, there’s less room for misunderstanding, and responses are more consistent across participants.
• Higher Response Rates: Closed-ended questions are quicker to answer, which can lead to higher completion rates for your survey.

Examples of Closed-Ended Questions in Surveys:

• “How satisfied are you with our product?” (Very Satisfied, Satisfied, Neutral, Dissatisfied, Very Dissatisfied)
• “Do you use our product daily?” (Yes/No)
• “Which of the following features do you use most often?” (Feature A, Feature B, Feature C)

If you need to collect specific data points or measure the prevalence of a particular opinion or behaviour, these questions are ideal.

When to Use Open-Ended vs. Close-Ended Questions in Surveys

The choice between open-ended and closed-ended questions depends on the goals of your survey and the type of data you need to collect.

Open-Ended Questions should be used When:

• You’re conducting exploratory research and want to gather detailed feedback.
• You need to understand the motivations or reasoning behind a respondent’s answer.
• You’re looking for new ideas or want to capture a wide range of perspectives.

Closed-Ended Questions should be used When:

• You want to quantify the results.
• You want to measure the frequency of a specific behaviour or opinion.
• You’re conducting a survey where quick, consistent responses are crucial.

Combining Open-Ended and Closed-Ended Questions for Effective Surveys

It is most effective to combine open-ended questions with closed-ended questions. This allows for both qualitative and quantitative data to be collected, offering a better understanding of the respondents’ views and experiences.

Example of a Mixed Approach:

• Closed-Ended: “How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend?” (Scale of 1-10)
• Open-Ended: “What is the main reason for the score you just gave?”
• Closed-Ended: “Which features do you find most useful?” (List of options)

Mistakes to Avoid When Crafting Open-Ended and Close-Ended Survey Questions

Poorly designed questions can lead to misleading data, low response rates, and skewed results. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid when writing your survey questions:

• Open-ended questions can be time-consuming and mentally taxing for respondents, as they are required to think and type. Limit the number of open-ended questions and use them strategically to gather detailed insights without overwhelming the respondents. Long surveys are no fun and you will end up receiving answers that aren’t well thought of.
• Narrow the focus of your questions to encourage more relevant and actionable responses. For instance, instead of asking, “How was your experience?” it’s better to ask, “How was your experience using our checkout process?”
• Providing too few or unfitting response options can force respondents into choosing answers that don’t accurately reflect their views. When possible include an “Other” option for all closed-ended questions.
• Avoid using language that may bias respondents to think in a particular direction rather choose a neutral tone. For eg. instead of asking: “How satisfied are you with your experience of using the customer care service?” ask “How would you rate your experience of using the customer care service?”.
• When respondents are asked to agree or disagree with a series of similar statements in succession, they may start to quickly select positive responses without carefully considering each statement. To counter this, alternating the focus of statements—by including some negatively framed items along with positively framed ones—can help determine whether respondents are truly engaging with each question. 

Positive Statement: “I find it easy to collaborate with my team at work.”

Reverse-Keyed Statement: “Working with my team often creates unnecessary stress.”

Just remember to use this technique selectively, as too many reverse-keyed items can make the survey more challenging and may lead to mistakes in responses or analysis.

• The order in which response options are presented in a closed-ended survey question, can significantly influence which options respondents are most likely to choose. Due to the primacy and recency effects, options listed at the beginning and end of a list are often selected more frequently. The primacy effect occurs when respondents choose the first option that seems satisfactory, while the recency effect happens because the last option seen is freshest in the mind, making it more likely to be selected. 

To overcome this, arrange options in a logical order—such as alphabetically, chronologically, or categorically—to help respondents find relevant options quickly, rather than defaulting to those at the beginning or end of the list. Another option is to use the randomize feature for the answer options so that the options appear in different orders for different respondents.

Exploring Semi-structured Questions: Merging the Best of Both Worlds

Not all survey questions fall strictly into the open-ended or close-ended categories. Some questions blend elements of both, allowing for more nuanced responses while still providing some structure. These semi-structured questions can offer the flexibility of open-ended questions with the clarity of close-ended ones.

Semi-structured questions allow the respondent to freely express their thoughts while also giving them an endpoint to stop. These questions typically begin with a specific prompt, followed by an invitation for elaboration. For eg. 

• “Briefly explain your thoughts on whether employers should or should not offer remote work options.”

Conclusion

In surveys, choosing between open-ended and closed-ended questions is crucial as it impacts your insights directly. An open-ended question can provide rich, detailed feedback, which can lead to new ideas and perspectives, whereas a close-ended question provides clear, quantifiable data that is easy to analyze. Understanding when and how to use different types of questions allows you to build surveys that deliver depth and clarity, leading to more informed business or research decisions. Crafting the right questions is the cornerstone of research; they guide the inquiry, shape the insights, and lay the foundation for meaningful discoveries. The quality of your questions determines the value of your answers.