survey introduction master thesis

• Survey & Questionnaire Introduction: Examples + [5 Types]

Whether online or offline, you need to politely approach survey respondents and get them excited to fill your questionnaire when carrying out a research survey. Therefore, before going into the questions you want to ask, you need to kickstart your data collection process with a compelling survey or questionnaire introduction.  

Generally, only a few people would even listen to you if you shoved your survey in their faces without a simple introduction first. Survey introductions in online questionnaires help you prepare the minds of your respondents ahead of time and gather the best responses. 

What is a Survey Introduction?

A survey introduction is a concise description with relevant information about a survey. It is the first part of the survey that prospective respondents interact with and it helps them decide whether to fill your questionnaire or not. 

Think of survey introductions as abstracts that communicate the entire essence of the data collection process. Without a good abstract, your thesis gets delayed or unapproved. 

Following through with this thought means that the more exciting your survey introduction is, the higher your chances of collecting the right number of quality survey responses.

Features of a Survey Introduction

A good survey introduction must answer these 5 questions: 

• Who is conducting the survey?

Here, you should include the name of the person or organization that is carrying out the research. 

• What is the research about?

Survey respondents need to understand the aims and objectives of your research. This shows them why your survey is important and why they need to be part of it.  

• How long will the survey take?

Prepare their minds ahead of time by adding an estimated survey-completion time. While shorter surveys are likely to have more respondents, don’t give a false estimation to bait people to fill your survey. 

• Is my data safe?

Data privacy and protection is a huge concern for everyone. Since you plan to collect data from respondents, you need to tell them how you will use this information. You can include a link to your company’s privacy policy.

• How will I fill the survey?

Include instructions on how to fill the survey. Include information about relevant documents for the survey too.  

Your survey should be written in simple language your audience understands. It should be friendly, human and show the respondents how much impact they’ll make by taking part in the survey. Always include a nice “thank you” note in your survey introduction. 

Types of Survey Introduction  

Market survey introduction.

If you’re conducting market research using a survey , then you need a market survey introduction. To get more information about your customers/ target market, you need to conduct a market research survey. A market survey introduction gives your target audience a clear picture of what you want to achieve and how their participation is an important part of it.

Market research serves multiple purposes—sometimes, it is all about getting real-time data to inform product launches. Other times, it is for business expansion or product improvement. With a market survey introduction, you can get your audience on the same page and let them know the exact information you need from them. 

A market survey introduction should answer all the questions we looked at when we discussed the features of a survey introduction. After naming your organization, you should also introduce your product or product idea for brand awareness. 

Because of the type of information, market surveys are longer than other types of surveys ; sometimes, they have multiple sections. So, in your market survey introduction, give respondents a heads-up and let them know completing your survey will take more time than the average. You can add a nice reward they can claim after filling the survey. 

Example of Market Survey Introduction  

At Formplus, we are working to improve online data collection for you. We’d really like to know what you feel about online data gathering tools . Take this 20-minute survey and win a free 1-month Formplus premium subscription. Your data will be collected anonymously and only used for this research. Thank You! 

Student Survey Introduction

A student survey is a method of sampling students’ opinions about the school, teachers, and overall learning experiences. From measuring student satisfaction to evaluating courses, student surveys help you to make the right changes to your school. 

A student survey introduction is the first step in getting the best responses from your students. Encourage students to provide objective feedback and let them know how the information will be used.

In the survey introduction, indicate that all responses will be recorded anonymously. Students need to be sure that they can provide honest feedback in the survey without getting harassed or victimized. 

Example of Student Survey Introduction  

Thank you for being one of our students at Salthill College. Please complete this short 3-minutes survey to let us know how satisfied you are with your overall student experience at our college. All responses are recorded anonymously so feel free to provide honest feedback. Your responses will help us improve our teaching and learning environment. 

Research Questionnaire Introduction  

You need a good research questionnaire introduction during the data-collection phase of your research. People are more likely to fill your questionnaire when they clearly understand what you want to achieve and why your research is important. 

In the research questionnaire introduction, you can include facts, data, or statistics about the research problem. Then, show how the data collected via the questionnaire will contribute to solving the problem. The introduction should also address data privacy, data protection, and participant’s consent. 

Even if you plan to share the questionnaire physically, a good research questionnaire introduction will help collect responses faster and save time. 

Example of Research Questionnaire Introduction  

Hello, I am a postgraduate researcher at the London School of Tropical Medicine. I am conducting a study on effective treatment options for communicable diseases in West Africa and I would like to know your experiences with the signs, symptoms, and treatment of communicable diseases. Please complete this 30-minute survey. Your responses are anonymous and you can skip any questions you are not comfortable with. Thank you for your participation. 

Customer Satisfaction Survey Introduction  

Your customer satisfaction survey introduction should communicate 2 things—appreciation and brevity. First, you should let your customers know how much you love their patronage. Next, tell them that the survey will take just a few minutes. 

Throw in an honorary mention of your brand and then, go through some of the information you’ll need from them in the survey. To increase response rates, you can reward respondents with a gift, discount, or special offer. 

Example of Customer Satisfaction Survey Introduction  

Thank you for shopping at Wreaths and Flowers! We’ll like to ask you a few questions about your shopping experience. Your responses will help us make shopping more enjoyable for you. This will only take 1 minute and you get 30% off your next order when you complete the survey! 

Importance of Survey Introduction

• It outlines the most important information about your survey

People need to know what they are getting into before filling your survey or questionnaire, and that’s exactly why you need a great survey introduction. 

• It’s a great way to welcome respondents

You wouldn’t just walk up to someone to ask for something without a proper introduction so why would you want to do this with your survey or questionnaire ? A questionnaire welcome page sets the mood for requesting responses from your respondents. 

• Quality survey introductions help you gain respondents’ trust

Many people are not excited about filling surveys and questionnaires, which is why they need a push. A survey or questionnaire introduction helps respondents to trust you and heightens their interest in filling your survey. 

A survey introduction answers all the questions participants may have about the questionnaire. Think of it as some sort of FAQs that allows respondents to have a full grasp of your data collection process. 

A questionnaire welcome page boosts survey participation and reduces survey dropout rates. 

It helps survey participants to feel like an important part of the overall data gathering process. Survey introductions show participants that you value their opinions. 

Survey introductions build the participants’ interest in your survey or questionnaire. 

Why Use Formplus to Create Surveys?

• Pre and Post Submission Page

Formplus allows you to add exciting survey introductions to your questionnaire. On the form’s intro page, you can provide a brief description of your survey, information on data privacy, and any other thing they need to know before filling the form. 

You can also customize the form’s post-submission page and include a nice “thank you” note for respondents after they complete the survey or questionnaire. Learn more about our intro and post-submission pages here:

• Intuitive Easy to Use Survey Maker  

The Formplus builder is easy to use and you can build surveys and questionnaires from scratch in no time without writing a single line of code. It has a drag-and-drop feature that allows you to add more than 30 different fields to your form seamlessly. 

• Conditional Logic

Survey participants do not have to see or fill out all the fields in your form. With conditional logic, you can show or hide form fields and pages based on answers provided by respondents. This means survey respondents only have to fill the fields that are relevant to them. 

Conditional logic helps you collect the right type of information from different survey participants. This way, you can avoid extra clutter and collect as much data as you want. 

• Offline Surveys

Formplus supports offline data collection and this means you can collect data in areas with poor or no internet access. Survey participants can fill and submit your questionnaire when they are offline. The data they provide will be automatically synced with our servers or your preferred cloud storage when internet access is restored. 

• Customized Surveys and Questionnaires

Formplus allows you to create beautiful and unique surveys with zero design experience. With the flexible design options, you can change the questionnaire’s background, colors, fonts, and create visually appealing designs. You can also add images and your organization’s logo. 

• Share Forms Easily

With multiple form-sharing options, you can send out your survey and collect responses in many ways. Apart from adding your questionnaire to your website, you can also share it using the social media direct sharing buttons and via email invitations. 

• Google Sheets Integration

With Google sheets integration, you can automatically update form responses in your spreadsheet and keep all form collaborators up to date. This makes it easy for you to import and export data, and collaborate with multiple people at the same time. 

• Custom Subdomain

Sharing your questionnaire via a custom subdomain adds an air of professionalism to your overall data collection process. When creating your custom URL, you can include the name of your organization as a means of promoting your brand. 

Custom subdomains are simple and easy to remember too. Hosting your survey on a custom subdomain also serves as an extra layer of security; especially when you share the link via email. 

• Autoresponder Emails  

After receiving a new response to your questionnaire, you can send out an automated automatic confirmation email to the survey participant in the form of autoresponder messages. In your autoresponder email, you should include a thank you message and any links to special offers and rewards. 

• Mobile-Friendly Forms

Many people fill out surveys and questionnaires on their mobile devices and this is why all Formplus forms are mobile-friendly. Participants can complete the survey right on their mobile devices without having to bother about pinching out or zooming in on your form. Formplus forms can be viewed and filled out on any smartphone, tablet, or internet-enabled mobile device. 

In this article, we’ve looked at different survey introductions for different types of questionnaires and surveys including customer satisfaction surveys and research questionnaires. Whether you are collecting data online or offline, the right survey introduction will boost participants’ interest in completing your survey. 

With Formplus, you can add unique survey introductions to your form before sharing it with respondents. On the post-submission page, you can include a beautiful “thank you” note for respondents who complete your survey. Try out the pre and post-submission page option as well as other exciting features when you sign up for a free Formplus account. 

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How to write a fantastic thesis introduction (+15 examples)

The thesis introduction, usually chapter 1, is one of the most important chapters of a thesis. It sets the scene. It previews key arguments and findings. And it helps the reader to understand the structure of the thesis. In short, a lot is riding on this first chapter. With the following tips, you can write a powerful thesis introduction.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase using the links below at no additional cost to you . I only recommend products or services that I truly believe can benefit my audience. As always, my opinions are my own.

Elements of a fantastic thesis introduction

Open with a (personal) story, begin with a problem, define a clear research gap, describe the scientific relevance of the thesis, describe the societal relevance of the thesis, write down the thesis’ core claim in 1-2 sentences, support your argument with sufficient evidence, consider possible objections, address the empirical research context, give a taste of the thesis’ empirical analysis, hint at the practical implications of the research, provide a reading guide, briefly summarise all chapters to come, design a figure illustrating the thesis structure.

An introductory chapter plays an integral part in every thesis. The first chapter has to include quite a lot of information to contextualise the research. At the same time, a good thesis introduction is not too long, but clear and to the point.

A powerful thesis introduction does the following:

• It captures the reader’s attention.
• It presents a clear research gap and emphasises the thesis’ relevance.
• It provides a compelling argument.
• It previews the research findings.
• It explains the structure of the thesis.

In addition, a powerful thesis introduction is well-written, logically structured, and free of grammar and spelling errors. Reputable thesis editors can elevate the quality of your introduction to the next level. If you are in search of a trustworthy thesis or dissertation editor who upholds high-quality standards and offers efficient turnaround times, I recommend the professional thesis and dissertation editing service provided by Editage . 

This list can feel quite overwhelming. However, with some easy tips and tricks, you can accomplish all these goals in your thesis introduction. (And if you struggle with finding the right wording, have a look at academic key phrases for introductions .)

Ways to capture the reader’s attention

A powerful thesis introduction should spark the reader’s interest on the first pages. A reader should be enticed to continue reading! There are three common ways to capture the reader’s attention.

An established way to capture the reader’s attention in a thesis introduction is by starting with a story. Regardless of how abstract and ‘scientific’ the actual thesis content is, it can be useful to ease the reader into the topic with a short story.

This story can be, for instance, based on one of your study participants. It can also be a very personal account of one of your own experiences, which drew you to study the thesis topic in the first place.

Start by providing data or statistics

Data and statistics are another established way to immediately draw in your reader. Especially surprising or shocking numbers can highlight the importance of a thesis topic in the first few sentences!

So if your thesis topic lends itself to being kick-started with data or statistics, you are in for a quick and easy way to write a memorable thesis introduction.

The third established way to capture the reader’s attention is by starting with the problem that underlies your thesis. It is advisable to keep the problem simple. A few sentences at the start of the chapter should suffice.

Usually, at a later stage in the introductory chapter, it is common to go more in-depth, describing the research problem (and its scientific and societal relevance) in more detail.

You may also like: Minimalist writing for a better thesis

Emphasising the thesis’ relevance

A good thesis is a relevant thesis. No one wants to read about a concept that has already been explored hundreds of times, or that no one cares about.

Of course, a thesis heavily relies on the work of other scholars. However, each thesis is – and should be – unique. If you want to write a fantastic thesis introduction, your job is to point out this uniqueness!

In academic research, a research gap signifies a research area or research question that has not been explored yet, that has been insufficiently explored, or whose insights and findings are outdated.

Every thesis needs a crystal-clear research gap. Spell it out instead of letting your reader figure out why your thesis is relevant.

* This example has been taken from an actual academic paper on toxic behaviour in online games: Liu, J. and Agur, C. (2022). “After All, They Don’t Know Me” Exploring the Psychological Mechanisms of Toxic Behavior in Online Games. Games and Culture 1–24, DOI: 10.1177/15554120221115397

The scientific relevance of a thesis highlights the importance of your work in terms of advancing theoretical insights on a topic. You can think of this part as your contribution to the (international) academic literature.

Scientific relevance comes in different forms. For instance, you can critically assess a prominent theory explaining a specific phenomenon. Maybe something is missing? Or you can develop a novel framework that combines different frameworks used by other scholars. Or you can draw attention to the context-specific nature of a phenomenon that is discussed in the international literature.

The societal relevance of a thesis highlights the importance of your research in more practical terms. You can think of this part as your contribution beyond theoretical insights and academic publications.

Why are your insights useful? Who can benefit from your insights? How can your insights improve existing practices?

Formulating a compelling argument

Arguments are sets of reasons supporting an idea, which – in academia – often integrate theoretical and empirical insights. Think of an argument as an umbrella statement, or core claim. It should be no longer than one or two sentences.

Including an argument in the introduction of your thesis may seem counterintuitive. After all, the reader will be introduced to your core claim before reading all the chapters of your thesis that led you to this claim in the first place.

But rest assured: A clear argument at the start of your thesis introduction is a sign of a good thesis. It works like a movie teaser to generate interest. And it helps the reader to follow your subsequent line of argumentation.

The core claim of your thesis should be accompanied by sufficient evidence. This does not mean that you have to write 10 pages about your results at this point.

However, you do need to show the reader that your claim is credible and legitimate because of the work you have done.

A good argument already anticipates possible objections. Not everyone will agree with your core claim. Therefore, it is smart to think ahead. What criticism can you expect?

Think about reasons or opposing positions that people can come up with to disagree with your claim. Then, try to address them head-on.

Providing a captivating preview of findings

Similar to presenting a compelling argument, a fantastic thesis introduction also previews some of the findings. When reading an introduction, the reader wants to learn a bit more about the research context. Furthermore, a reader should get a taste of the type of analysis that will be conducted. And lastly, a hint at the practical implications of the findings encourages the reader to read until the end.

If you focus on a specific empirical context, make sure to provide some information about it. The empirical context could be, for instance, a country, an island, a school or city. Make sure the reader understands why you chose this context for your research, and why it fits to your research objective.

If you did all your research in a lab, this section is obviously irrelevant. However, in that case you should explain the setup of your experiment, etcetera.

The empirical part of your thesis centers around the collection and analysis of information. What information, and what evidence, did you generate? And what are some of the key findings?

For instance, you can provide a short summary of the different research methods that you used to collect data. Followed by a short overview of how you analysed this data, and some of the key findings. The reader needs to understand why your empirical analysis is worth reading.

You already highlighted the practical relevance of your thesis in the introductory chapter. However, you should also provide a preview of some of the practical implications that you will develop in your thesis based on your findings.

Presenting a crystal clear thesis structure

A fantastic thesis introduction helps the reader to understand the structure and logic of your whole thesis. This is probably the easiest part to write in a thesis introduction. However, this part can be best written at the very end, once everything else is ready.

A reading guide is an essential part in a thesis introduction! Usually, the reading guide can be found toward the end of the introductory chapter.

The reading guide basically tells the reader what to expect in the chapters to come.

In a longer thesis, such as a PhD thesis, it can be smart to provide a summary of each chapter to come. Think of a paragraph for each chapter, almost in the form of an abstract.

For shorter theses, which also have a shorter introduction, this step is not necessary.

Especially for longer theses, it tends to be a good idea to design a simple figure that illustrates the structure of your thesis. It helps the reader to better grasp the logic of your thesis.

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Theoretical vs. conceptual frameworks: Simple definitions and an overview of key differences

How to write a survey introduction that will inspire people to participate

• 11 min read

What is a survey introduction—and what is its purpose?

1. the importance of a compelling introduction, 2. understand the audience, 3. personalization, 4. clear and concise language, 5. survey timing, 6. incentives and rewards, 7. privacy and data security, 8. contact information, 9. testing and feedback, 10. adapting to different survey types, 11. visual appeal, 12. a/b testing, 13. follow-up surveys, 14. compliance with ethical guidelines, 15. analyzing introduction performance, 16. continuous improvement, survey introduction example: a template for any type of research, introduction to a customer satisfaction survey, introduction to a market survey, student survey introduction sample, introduction to an employee survey, introduction for a research paper survey, introduction to a survey report, additional tips for creating the best survey introduction.

Creating a good introduction for a survey is a crucial part of successful research. Its quality will greatly impact the process. It will improve the end result, including survey completion rates and response accuracy.

A questionnaire introduction provides the chance to introduce yourself and the topic being explored to respondents. It is also a chance to assure them that their personal information will be kept safe and explain how they will benefit from completing the survey.

This article explores how to write a survey introduction, discusses its importance, and provides valuable, ready-to-use questionnaire introduction examples.

A questionnaire introduction is a short body of text appearing on the user’s screen at the beginning of a survey. It is the first contact point between you and potential participants prior to respondents seeing any of the survey questions .

This block of text sets up the level of cooperation that will be forthcoming from the person reading it. You need to convince them to participate by providing valuable information about the survey.

This includes the research topic, the expected time it will take to complete the survey, how responses will be processed, and why it’s in someone’s interest to take the time to complete it. The survey introduction can be in the body of an email or on the first slide of the survey.

Based on the introduction, potential respondents will decide whether to participate in the survey. It is an overall description of the survey, the equivalent of the abstract in a dissertation or other research paper.

How to write survey introduction text well

After spending days or even months making the perfect survey , you probably know it like the palm of your hand. However, it’s important to take time to better understand a respondent’s initial reaction to it—they may not be familiar with the topic at all.

As with every stage of the survey-making process, respondents’ perspectives have to be kept in mind and efforts undertaken to make their experience easy and worthwhile.

Here are 16 simple steps on how to write a survey introduction text to make it engaging.

The introduction in survey questionnaires serves as the gateway to a successful survey. A compelling one not only grabs the attention of respondents but also sets the tone for the entire surveying process. A well-framed introduction ensures that respondents understand the purpose and relevance of the survey, making them more inclined to complete it. Essentially, a thoughtful introduction can heavily influence the overall response rate and the quality of data collected.

Every survey is designed for a specific demographic or audience. Understanding them, and what drives them, allows for a tailored introduction that resonates. For instance, a survey meant for teenagers requires a different tone and approach than one aimed at senior citizens. By empathizing with the audience’s perspective, one can craft an introduction that speaks directly to their interests and motivations.

In today’s digital age, consumers appreciate distinctive touches. Personalizing a survey introduction, whether through addressing the respondent by name or referring to past interactions, adds a layer of authenticity. It gives the respondent a feeling of being valued and recognized, which can translate into a higher likelihood of participation.

Clarity is paramount in any communication. A good introduction for a questionnaire is vital in ensuring that respondents immediately understand the survey’s purpose and what’s expected of them. Avoid industry jargon or overly complex sentences. Instead, opt for straightforward and concise language that communicates the essentials without overwhelming or confusing respondents.

Timing can be a determining factor in the success of a survey. For instance, sending a customer satisfaction survey immediately after a purchase or service experience ensures the interaction is fresh in the respondent’s mind, leading to more accurate and detailed feedback. On the other hand, ill-timed surveys may come across as irrelevant or intrusive.

Motivation is a powerful tool. Offering respondents a tangible incentive—whether it’s a discount, gift card, or entry into a prize draw—can significantly boost participation rates. However, it’s essential that these incentives are relevant and appealing to the target audience and then delivered as promised.

With increasing concerns about data privacy, assuring respondents that their information’s safety is non-negotiable is vital. An introduction should clearly outline the measures taken to protect personal information and how the data being collected in the survey will be used. Being transparent about compliance with regulations like GDPR will instill confidence and trust in respondents.

Including contact details in the survey introduction can be a game-changer. It not only offers a channel for respondents to voice concerns or seek clarifications but also communicates transparency and openness. This proactive approach can lead to increased trust and a willingness to participate.

Like any piece of content, an introduction for a questionnaire benefits from testing. Running it by a small group—preferably from the target demographic—and seeking feedback can highlight potential areas for improvement. This iterative process ensures the introduction is optimized for its main audience.

Different surveys serve different purposes and their introductions should reflect this variance. An employee feedback survey will require a different tone and set of assurances than a market research questionnaire. Tailoring the introduction to the survey’s unique context ensures that it will resonate with potential respondents.

The aesthetics of a survey introduction can influence a respondent’s decision to proceed. Utilizing a clean, intuitive design incorporating on-brand colors and images can create an inviting and professional first impression. It’s essential to ensure the design enhances the content—as opposed to distracting from it.

Refinement is the key to perfection. A/B testing, in which two different introductions are presented to separate groups of respondents, can provide insights into which one performs better. This data-driven approach ensures that the introduction is continually optimized based on real-world feedback.

Gathering feedback is an ongoing process. Follow-up surveys, sent after the initial one, can delve deeper into specific topics or measure changes in opinions over time. However, their introduction needs to acknowledge the prior interaction and explain the rationale for a subsequent survey.

Conducting surveys isn’t just about gathering data, it’s about doing so ethically and responsibly. Ethical considerations, including informed consent and participant rights, should be highlighted in the introduction. This ensures participants are aware of their privileges and fosters a culture of respect.

After deploying a survey, it’s crucial to evaluate the introduction’s efficacy. By examining metrics like response rate, drop-off rate, and feedback, insights can be gained regarding the introduction’s strengths and the areas needing improvement. This analysis forms the foundation for future refinements.

The art of crafting survey introductions is one of continuous learning. As markets evolve and respondents’ preferences change, so should the survey approach. By staying adaptive and open to feedback, researchers can ensure their introductions remain effective and engaging.

Based on the checklist above, here is a survey introduction email example that fulfills all the requirements that will act as the perfect first contact with potential respondents.

• Hey there, we would like to hear about your recent customer service experience!
• At [company name], your satisfaction is what we value most. By participating in our survey, you will help us improve our products and offer you even better service.
• This five-question survey takes only ten minutes to complete and is available until the 28th of November.
• It is anonymous. The data gathered will only be used internally to improve our future customer service strategies.
• Click below to access the survey. If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us at support@company.com . We appreciate your feedback!

The wording of a questionnaire introduction and the information that is included can differ based on the field of research. Check out our survey introduction examples and choose an introduction sample best suited to your needs.

A customer satisfaction survey introduction is likewise an important part of customer experience research. The wording will have a huge impact on whether customers will take the time to answer—or just ignore it.

If surveying recent customer experience, send a survey shortly after customers purchased a product or had contact with the customer support team while the experience is still fresh in their mind.

Stay true to your company’s tone of voice and let respondents know that you appreciate their patronage. An incentive that encourages them to participate can also be offered. Here is a survey intro example:

Thank you for shopping at [company name]! We would like to ask you a few questions to learn about your shopping experience.

This survey will take only a couple of minutes and will be very valuable for improving the services we offer to you. The responses you give will stay anonymous.

Click below to participate, which will get you 30 percent off your next order!

Market research surveys are conducted to get more information about the situation in a specific economic sector and provide valuable real-time insights into the needs of a target audience and how the competition is doing.

Conducting product surveys can help improve existing products or make adjustments before releasing new products or services. Simply put, market research surveys help expand and grow a business.

When doing this kind of research, it is important to determine the target audience. If they are not yet customers, they may not be familiar with your brand, so make sure to introduce it properly and explain why they have been chosen for this research. Here is an example:

• Nice to meet you! We are [company name], and we are working on bringing affordable [your products] to the world.
• Our company aims to develop the best possible products for our customers, and we need your opinion to make this happen.
• Wondering why we chose you? We are looking for [describe your target audience], which makes you a perfect fit.
• We would appreciate it if you took the time to answer this five-minute survey. It is anonymous, and your data will be used only for this research.
• Click below to fill out our survey and get 10 percent off our newest collection!

Student surveys are an important part of education surveys . With them, feedback is garnered from students regarding teachers, courses, curriculum, extracurricular activities, and much more.

Measuring students’ satisfaction levels helps highlight the strengths and weaknesses of a school, which in turn helps improve decision-making. However, in order to get accurate responses, certain steps are required, including how the introduction is written.

When making surveys for students, ensure they are anonymous. Many students may be afraid of retaliation, which will make them reluctant to give honest opinions.

Emphasize their anonymity in the introduction. Explain why this research is being carried out and how the gathered data will be used. Here is an example of a student questionnaire survey introduction:

• Thank you for being one of our students at [name of your school]. Please take the time to answer this short five-minute survey and let us know how satisfied you are with your chosen courses from this semester.
• This survey is anonymous, so feel free to answer honestly. It will very much improve the accuracy of our data and help us improve the curriculum as best as possible.

Conducting human resource surveys can greatly improve a workplace, which will result in happier and more productive employees. Find out about the work-life balance of employees and the overall company culture, measure the motivation and engagement of employees, and learn how satisfied they are with their jobs.

When writing the survey introduction, focus on the same aspects as above. Emphasize that the survey is anonymous and communicate this openly to employees. This will encourage them to share their honest opinions and help gather valuable and accurate responses.

Some research papers require conducting surveys on a particular topic. Writing a research questionnaire introduction for a research paper is no different than writing one for the previously mentioned purposes.

Introduce yourself and the topic to respondents and explain the purpose of the research and the benefit to them for participating. Include other information about the survey that you think is needed, though make sure to not overdo it. Keep it short and simple for high survey completion rates.

Writing a survey report is one of the seven steps of conducting survey research . It is the last one after the data analysis and is crucial to presenting findings.

A survey report introduction is very important for the success of a report. Its purpose is to introduce readers or listeners to the topic and the ultimate findings of the research.

The same advice applies: keep it short, use simple language, and incorporate only the most important information.

And above all, put yourself in the shoes of the audience. Unlike you, they have not been spending months with the survey and supporting material.

Good survey introductions help increase response rates and gain respondents’ trust. They are a perfect way for respondents to get to know you better, as well as the research topic and the ways they can benefit from it.

Here are some additional tips to create the best survey introductions, regardless of the topic of your research:

• Make the survey anonymous and make sure respondents are aware of that.
• Add a logo to the survey to increase brand recognition.
• Don’t forget to keep the tone of voice on-brand.
• If brand identity allows it, use a familiar tone.
• Offer incentives for survey completion.
• Thank the respondents for completing the survey.

Of course, before writing a survey introduction, you need to create the survey. With our help, amazing questionnaires can be made in no time. Sign up to Survey Planet today, create a survey for free, and add a well-written introduction using our tips!

Photo by Bench Accounting on Unsplash

How to Write a Survey Introduction [+Examples]

Published: August 25, 2021

Writing a survey introduction probably isn't something you think about very often. That is until you're looking at the first screen of your almost finalized survey thinking "I should put something here. But what?"

While a potentially overlooked piece of the survey creation process, a good survey introduction is critical to improving survey completion rates and ensuring that the responses you receive are accurate. Taking the time to think about what information to include in your introduction can have a big impact on the success of your survey.

What is a Survey Introduction?

A survey introduction is the block of text that precedes the questions of your survey. It might be included at the top of an email requesting feedback or be the first slide in a series of questions. The survey introduction serves to set the stage for what the survey is, why the recipient should take the time to complete it, and what you're going to do with the information you collect. It should be compelling, informative, and reassuring.

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How to Write a Survey Introduction

Start by thinking about the purpose of this survey. Who will be taking the survey? What information do you need for the project to be successful? Distill this information down into a sentence or two for your audience. Some examples may include:

• We're looking for feedback on our new product line for men.
• Tell us about your recent customer service experience.
• We're revamping our spring menu! What do you want for dinner?

Secondly, follow up with any logistical information they need to know about the survey. How many questions is it? When does the survey end? Who should they contact if they have additional questions? This might sound something like:

• This 5 question survey will take around 10 minutes to complete.
• Click below to access the short, two-question survey. For further information or feedback, please contact our support team at [email protected].
• This survey will be open until April 24th, 2022. Please take 5 minutes to provide your feedback before that time.

Finally, reassure the survey participants that their data is safe, and offer any information about how the survey data will be used:

• Your answers are anonymous and will be used to improve our future customer service strategy.
• Responses will be anonymized and analyzed for our upcoming report on consumer perception of insurance companies in the US. Please leave your email address if you'd like to receive a copy of the finished report.
• We read every response to our customer happiness surveys, and follow-up to make sure you're left with a positive experience.

No matter what you include in your survey introduction, make sure to keep it concise and as short as possible. Too long, and you risk readers dropping off and not completing your survey. It's also important to keep your survey messaging on-brand. If you typically use a brand voice that's quite corporate, switching to a conversational tone in your survey introduction will feel out of place. It might even make some readers question if the survey is truly coming from your company - causing distrust in its authenticity.

Finally, thank your respondents for their time. Even if their responses are negative, the fact that they're engaging with your survey is a great indicator of their loyalty . Customers will not take the time to provide feedback to companies they don't care about. Here are some phrases you can use to show your appreciation:

• This feedback is very helpful for our team in developing new features. Thank you so much for taking the time to complete this survey.
• We read every comment you leave on these surveys, so thank you for your feedback!
• We truly appreciate your insight and your time.

Want to make sure you've got it all covered? Save this checklist of the most important aspects to include in the survey introduction:

• How long will it take? (Minutes or number of questions)
• Why are you doing this survey?
• Why should they fill it out? Is there a giveaway for respondents (such as a draw for a $50 Amazon card) or another incentive to complete it?
• What are you going to do with the results? Are they anonymous?
• When does the survey close? What is the overall timeline?
• Are there any definitions or things they need to know before filling out the survey?
• Where should they go if they have questions or more feedback?
• Thank your participants for their time and feedback.
• Any additional information they need to fill out the survey with good, accurate data

Good Survey Introduction Examples

These survey introductions hit all the right notes. Read on for inspiration and additional tricks on how to write your own!

1. Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association (SORCA)

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How to Write a Survey Introduction? Guide with Examples

Surveys can be instrumental in gathering insights, but their success often depends on the introduction. Crafting a well-written survey introduction can lead to higher response rates and ensure that the survey data collected is highly relevant. This guide will cover all the essential elements that a compelling survey introduction should have, provide examples for different types of surveys, and offer additional tips to help you optimize your response rates to gather honest feedback.

Survey Introduction “Must Have”

Conducting research or an online survey can be a daunting task. As well as… completing one.

When you think back to the last time you completed one, you may remember what motivated you to do it. Most likely, you found it worthwhile and understood its purpose.

A survey is usually introduced with a welcome message that explains why your feedback is essential and how it will be used. Introductions are like sales pitches; the survey author must persuade the respondent to believe them. By doing so, the study can gain valuable insights.

Let’s explore how to create an effective survey introduction and collect customer feedback .

Surveys for Master and Bachelor Degree Thesis

This template will help you get information on how parents can provide support for their children’s educational development.

How to Write a Survey Introduction

Here are five proven ways to write a good welcome message to survey participants.

Identify Yourself Clearly and Professionally

Transparency is critical in the world of surveys. The first element of a compelling introduction is identifying yourself or your organization. Ensure your introduction reflects a professional tone, aligning with your brand image. A professional introduction establishes credibility and assures respondents of the survey’s legitimacy.

Explain the Survey’s Purpose

When participants comprehend the reason behind their selection for a survey, it brings in a level of customization. Whether it’s because they are esteemed customers, respected employees, or belong to a specific group, clarifying the criteria for selection establishes a bond. This bond, in turn, nurtures a feeling of purpose and enhances the likelihood of sincere responses.

Provide an Estimate of Completion Time with Accuracy

It’s vital to respect respondents’ time when conducting surveys. Providing an accurate estimate of the time required to complete a survey can help set clear expectations and ensure valuable feedback. Misleading forecasts can lead to frustration and negatively impact data quality.

Reassure Respondents About Privacy

Protecting privacy is a top priority. Communicate data collection process: how data is collected, stored, and used to ensure trust and confidence from potential respondents.

Express Sincere Gratitude

Expressing gratitude is an essential art that should never be underestimated in survey introductions. A simple phrase like “thank you” at the end of your intro can go a long way in acknowledging the time and effort your respondents are about to invest. This small gesture can significantly influence their willingness to provide feedback.

Survey Introduction Examples

We already know what a good survey introduction should include. Now, we’ll examine real-life examples demonstrating how to use such messages; we’ll see that they are easier to write than they seem.

Employee Satisfaction Survey Introduction

“Dear [Participant Name],

Your commitment to Startquestion is the bedrock of our success. This survey is a testament to our dedication to ensuring your satisfaction. Your insights will shape the future of our workplace. Anticipated completion time: 5 minutes. Rest assured, your privacy is safeguarded.

Thank you for being the heart of our Company.”

Customer Satisfaction Survey Introduction

“Hello [Participant Name],

At Pied Piper, your satisfaction is our driving force. Your recent experience matters to us. This survey, taking approximately 7 minutes, is a direct path to enhancing your future interactions with us. Your responses are confidential and secure.

Thank you for being an integral part of our journey!”

Patient Satisfaction Survey

If you run a clinic or a facility providing professional healthcare, our survey template will help you quickly gain key knowledge about patient satisfaction.

Research Survey Introduction

Your role in our research is invaluable. This survey delves into [research topic], aiming for a comprehensive understanding. Estimated completion time: 10 minutes. Your privacy and confidentiality are paramount.

Thank you for advancing knowledge alongside us!”

Student Survey Introduction

Your perspective is instrumental in shaping the future of [School/College]. This survey, focusing on student experiences, will take approximately 6 minutes. Your responses are entirely anonymous, preserving your privacy.

Thank you for contributing to the evolution of our learning environment!”

Market Research Survey Introduction

Your expertise is crucial for our ongoing market research. You’ve been selected for your insights in [industry]. This survey, tailored for professionals like you, will take about 8 minutes. Your insightful responses will shape industry trends, and your privacy is our commitment.

Thank you for contributing to our collective knowledge!”

Crafting a Good Introduction: Additional Tips

A survey introduction example such as the ones above will encourage respondents to participate in your survey. The more personalized it is and better suited to the situation (e.g., customer satisfaction surveys sent after finalizing the purchase asking for the evaluation of the transaction in the online store), the greater the chance for a satisfactory response rate.

Here are more relevant instructions to help you with this task.

Infuse Brand Personality

Aligning tone, language, and visuals with your brand recognition will infuse your survey with your brand’s personality, creating a memorable brand interaction and reinforcing your identity.

Tailor Your Tone to Your Audience

Consider your audience when writing your survey introduction. For example, use a professional tone for professionals and a casual tone for a younger demographic. It will improve relatability and engagement.

Offer Tangible Incentives

Incentives can be powerful motivators. Consider offering respondents tangible benefits, such as discounts, exclusive access, or the chance to win a prize. It acknowledges their time and transforms the survey into a mutually beneficial activity.

Ensure Clear and Concise Instructions

Ambiguous survey instructions can cause confusion and incomplete responses. Ensure clarity and simplicity for accurate and thoughtful feedback.

Optimize for Mobile Devices

It’s essential to optimize surveys for mobile devices due to increasing reliance on smartphones. It ensures accessibility for respondents who prefer taking surveys on their mobile devices, expanding your reach and participation.

Writing a Survey Introduction: Sum Up

The introduction to a survey is a crucial component that builds trust and transparency and sets the tone for the entire experience.

Being transparent makes participants more likely to share their honest opinions, leading to valuable insights and better participant engagement. Providing an estimate of the completion time for the survey shows respect for the respondents’ time and manages expectations, creating a positive atmosphere that influences the quality of responses.

The Better Experience, the More Thoughtful Responses

By creating a compelling introduction, you make a strategic decision that can lead to richer insights, increased participant satisfaction, and better outcomes.

Remember that the survey introduction is the foundation of the entire survey experience and can impact the engagement and quality of the data collected. Focusing on composing a well-crafted introduction is the first step toward building a successful survey that yields valuable results.

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Author: Dariusz Jaroń

Updated: 02 February 2024

Yes or No Questions in Online Surveys

This article will discuss the benefits of using yes or no questions, explore common examples, and provide practical tips for using them effectively in your surveys.

How to Write Good Survey Questions

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the impact of poorly designed survey questions, offer tips for crafting excellent and unbiased questionnaires, and provide examples of valid survey questions.

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• Knowledge Base
• Methodology
• Doing Survey Research | A Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Doing Survey Research | A Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Published on 6 May 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 10 October 2022.

Survey research means collecting information about a group of people by asking them questions and analysing the results. To conduct an effective survey, follow these six steps:

• Determine who will participate in the survey
• Decide the type of survey (mail, online, or in-person)
• Design the survey questions and layout
• Distribute the survey
• Analyse the responses
• Write up the results

Surveys are a flexible method of data collection that can be used in many different types of research .

Table of contents

What are surveys used for, step 1: define the population and sample, step 2: decide on the type of survey, step 3: design the survey questions, step 4: distribute the survey and collect responses, step 5: analyse the survey results, step 6: write up the survey results, frequently asked questions about surveys.

Surveys are used as a method of gathering data in many different fields. They are a good choice when you want to find out about the characteristics, preferences, opinions, or beliefs of a group of people.

Common uses of survey research include:

• Social research: Investigating the experiences and characteristics of different social groups
• Market research: Finding out what customers think about products, services, and companies
• Health research: Collecting data from patients about symptoms and treatments
• Politics: Measuring public opinion about parties and policies
• Psychology: Researching personality traits, preferences, and behaviours

Surveys can be used in both cross-sectional studies , where you collect data just once, and longitudinal studies , where you survey the same sample several times over an extended period.

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Before you start conducting survey research, you should already have a clear research question that defines what you want to find out. Based on this question, you need to determine exactly who you will target to participate in the survey.

Populations

The target population is the specific group of people that you want to find out about. This group can be very broad or relatively narrow. For example:

• The population of Brazil
• University students in the UK
• Second-generation immigrants in the Netherlands
• Customers of a specific company aged 18 to 24
• British transgender women over the age of 50

Your survey should aim to produce results that can be generalised to the whole population. That means you need to carefully define exactly who you want to draw conclusions about.

It’s rarely possible to survey the entire population of your research – it would be very difficult to get a response from every person in Brazil or every university student in the UK. Instead, you will usually survey a sample from the population.

The sample size depends on how big the population is. You can use an online sample calculator to work out how many responses you need.

There are many sampling methods that allow you to generalise to broad populations. In general, though, the sample should aim to be representative of the population as a whole. The larger and more representative your sample, the more valid your conclusions.

There are two main types of survey:

• A questionnaire , where a list of questions is distributed by post, online, or in person, and respondents fill it out themselves
• An interview , where the researcher asks a set of questions by phone or in person and records the responses

Which type you choose depends on the sample size and location, as well as the focus of the research.

Questionnaires

Sending out a paper survey by post is a common method of gathering demographic information (for example, in a government census of the population).

• You can easily access a large sample.
• You have some control over who is included in the sample (e.g., residents of a specific region).
• The response rate is often low.

Online surveys are a popular choice for students doing dissertation research , due to the low cost and flexibility of this method. There are many online tools available for constructing surveys, such as SurveyMonkey and Google Forms .

• You can quickly access a large sample without constraints on time or location.
• The data is easy to process and analyse.
• The anonymity and accessibility of online surveys mean you have less control over who responds.

If your research focuses on a specific location, you can distribute a written questionnaire to be completed by respondents on the spot. For example, you could approach the customers of a shopping centre or ask all students to complete a questionnaire at the end of a class.

• You can screen respondents to make sure only people in the target population are included in the sample.
• You can collect time- and location-specific data (e.g., the opinions of a shop’s weekday customers).
• The sample size will be smaller, so this method is less suitable for collecting data on broad populations.

Oral interviews are a useful method for smaller sample sizes. They allow you to gather more in-depth information on people’s opinions and preferences. You can conduct interviews by phone or in person.

• You have personal contact with respondents, so you know exactly who will be included in the sample in advance.
• You can clarify questions and ask for follow-up information when necessary.
• The lack of anonymity may cause respondents to answer less honestly, and there is more risk of researcher bias.

Like questionnaires, interviews can be used to collect quantitative data : the researcher records each response as a category or rating and statistically analyses the results. But they are more commonly used to collect qualitative data : the interviewees’ full responses are transcribed and analysed individually to gain a richer understanding of their opinions and feelings.

Next, you need to decide which questions you will ask and how you will ask them. It’s important to consider:

• The type of questions
• The content of the questions
• The phrasing of the questions
• The ordering and layout of the survey

Open-ended vs closed-ended questions

There are two main forms of survey questions: open-ended and closed-ended. Many surveys use a combination of both.

Closed-ended questions give the respondent a predetermined set of answers to choose from. A closed-ended question can include:

• A binary answer (e.g., yes/no or agree/disagree )
• A scale (e.g., a Likert scale with five points ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree )
• A list of options with a single answer possible (e.g., age categories)
• A list of options with multiple answers possible (e.g., leisure interests)

Closed-ended questions are best for quantitative research . They provide you with numerical data that can be statistically analysed to find patterns, trends, and correlations .

Open-ended questions are best for qualitative research. This type of question has no predetermined answers to choose from. Instead, the respondent answers in their own words.

Open questions are most common in interviews, but you can also use them in questionnaires. They are often useful as follow-up questions to ask for more detailed explanations of responses to the closed questions.

The content of the survey questions

To ensure the validity and reliability of your results, you need to carefully consider each question in the survey. All questions should be narrowly focused with enough context for the respondent to answer accurately. Avoid questions that are not directly relevant to the survey’s purpose.

When constructing closed-ended questions, ensure that the options cover all possibilities. If you include a list of options that isn’t exhaustive, you can add an ‘other’ field.

Phrasing the survey questions

In terms of language, the survey questions should be as clear and precise as possible. Tailor the questions to your target population, keeping in mind their level of knowledge of the topic.

Use language that respondents will easily understand, and avoid words with vague or ambiguous meanings. Make sure your questions are phrased neutrally, with no bias towards one answer or another.

Ordering the survey questions

The questions should be arranged in a logical order. Start with easy, non-sensitive, closed-ended questions that will encourage the respondent to continue.

If the survey covers several different topics or themes, group together related questions. You can divide a questionnaire into sections to help respondents understand what is being asked in each part.

If a question refers back to or depends on the answer to a previous question, they should be placed directly next to one another.

Before you start, create a clear plan for where, when, how, and with whom you will conduct the survey. Determine in advance how many responses you require and how you will gain access to the sample.

When you are satisfied that you have created a strong research design suitable for answering your research questions, you can conduct the survey through your method of choice – by post, online, or in person.

There are many methods of analysing the results of your survey. First you have to process the data, usually with the help of a computer program to sort all the responses. You should also cleanse the data by removing incomplete or incorrectly completed responses.

If you asked open-ended questions, you will have to code the responses by assigning labels to each response and organising them into categories or themes. You can also use more qualitative methods, such as thematic analysis , which is especially suitable for analysing interviews.

Statistical analysis is usually conducted using programs like SPSS or Stata. The same set of survey data can be subject to many analyses.

Finally, when you have collected and analysed all the necessary data, you will write it up as part of your thesis, dissertation , or research paper .

In the methodology section, you describe exactly how you conducted the survey. You should explain the types of questions you used, the sampling method, when and where the survey took place, and the response rate. You can include the full questionnaire as an appendix and refer to it in the text if relevant.

Then introduce the analysis by describing how you prepared the data and the statistical methods you used to analyse it. In the results section, you summarise the key results from your analysis.

A Likert scale is a rating scale that quantitatively assesses opinions, attitudes, or behaviours. It is made up of four or more questions that measure a single attitude or trait when response scores are combined.

To use a Likert scale in a survey , you present participants with Likert-type questions or statements, and a continuum of items, usually with five or seven possible responses, to capture their degree of agreement.

Individual Likert-type questions are generally considered ordinal data , because the items have clear rank order, but don’t have an even distribution.

Overall Likert scale scores are sometimes treated as interval data. These scores are considered to have directionality and even spacing between them.

The type of data determines what statistical tests you should use to analyse your data.

A questionnaire is a data collection tool or instrument, while a survey is an overarching research method that involves collecting and analysing data from people using questionnaires.

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Creating an engaging introduction to a survey: Our how-to guide

Last updated

29 May 2023

Reviewed by

Tanya Williams

The first step is to get them to view the survey and reel them in with a compelling introduction. This aspect of a survey can profoundly impact its results. 

Let’s look at how to craft a perfect survey introduction for quality results.

• What is a survey introduction?

The opening lines of a survey form a survey introduction, providing an overview of: 

What the survey’s about

Why you’re conducting it

What participants can expect

It functions as a hook that encourages people to complete the survey. 

The introduction sets the tone for the entire survey, influencing the participants' willingness to complete it accurately. 

• The ideal survey introduction: Key details to include

The introduction needs to include key details to maximize the chances of would-be participants becoming actual participants. 

These play an essential role in getting people engaged with the topic and helping them decide whether they want to participate. 

Often, when people have unanswered questions, they'll pass on the survey instead of wasting their time. Providing key information upfront reduces the chances of that happening.

Introduce the survey creator

Who are you? 

If you're asking people for their information (especially if it’s personal), they'll want to know who's asking for it. 

Always introduce yourself or your organization within the survey introduction. Tell people why they should trust you with the information you're requesting.

Explain the purpose of the survey

Why are you asking? 

People are often very willing to provide information if they know it’s going toward a cause they care about or deem worthy of their data. 

They're often much less open when the purpose of sharing is unclear. Explain what you’ll use the data for and why it’s important. 

Explain how you’ll use the data

How will you use the data? 

This is the usual follow-up question people will have after learning what the data’s for. 

People want to ensure their data is safe in an increasingly privacy-conscious world. That means you’ll use it for the intended purpose, not in a way they may disagree with or find objectionable. 

Be upfront and honest about how you’ll process the data and who will be doing the processing.

Estimated time to complete the survey

How long will the survey take? 

All of us have started something, thinking it would only take a few moments. When it's something we want to do, this isn't such a big deal. 

But if someone volunteers their time, they don't want to find out halfway through that it will take much longer than anticipated. 

Give your respondents a timeframe to encourage completion.

Any other relevant information

We’ve provided a general overview of what you should mention in your survey introduction. However, only you know your survey’s specifics. 

If you think more information will make it easier for someone to decide whether to participate, be sure to include it. 

For example, a complex or confusing survey might include instructions to set readers at ease.

• Survey introduction writing tips

In addition to the critical details above, these tips may ease respondents' minds and encourage participation:

A simple thank you can go a long way

Express your gratitude for the time participants take to respond to you. This can make them feel appreciated, increasing the chances they'll want to help you. It’ll motivate them to complete the survey thoughtfully and honestly.

Keep it brief and to the point

Nobody wants to spend ages deciding if they want to give you their time. A lengthy introduction defeats the purpose, and it’ll push participants away rather than reel them in.

Create an inviting and friendly atmosphere

You're asking people to give you their time and thoughts, so it’s important to be as welcoming as possible. 

A warm, inviting atmosphere will lower your participants’ guard and make them feel more comfortable helping you.

Use a conversational tone

Surveys have a reputation for being boring and tedious. You can combat this by adopting a conversational tone. 

If your introduction is stuffy and difficult to read, the participant will assume the survey is the same.

Avoid the word “survey”

Another way to distance yourself from the negative connotations of surveys? 

Just don’t say survey.

Instead, you can use more neutral terms like questionnaire or feedback form. Or, you can simply say you'd like to ask a few questions. 

Highlight any incentives or rewards

Sometimes, people conducting surveys offer incentives or rewards to encourage participation. 

If you're offering an incentive, mention it early to ensure the participant sees it.

• Examples of good survey introductions

Using some of the tips above, we can see what informative survey introductions look like.

Employee satisfaction feedback form

"Hey [Employee Name], we appreciate everything you do at [company name]! 

We want to ensure you love working here, and we’re looking for ways to improve things. Can you help us out by taking our quick employee satisfaction feedback form? 

It won't take more than [estimated time] of your time, and your input will help us create a work environment that everyone enjoys. 

Thanks for your help!"

Customer experience questionnaire

"Hey there, [customer name]! 

We're so happy to have you as a [company name] customer. 

We're always striving to provide the best service possible, so we want to know how we're doing! 

Would you mind taking a quick customer experience questionnaire? It'll only take [estimated time], and your feedback will help us improve our service to better meet your needs. 

Thanks for being awesome!"

Product/service opinion poll

"Hey, [product/service] lover! 

We're always looking for ways to make [product/service] better and more awesome. 

Can you help us out by taking our quick opinion poll? It'll only take [estimated time], and your feedback will help us ensure our offerings meet your needs. 

Thanks for being a part of our journey!"

Use our tips to craft a great survey introduction, compelling respondents to answer your survey. Keep your introduction friendly, clear, and concise to ensure accurate responses for quality insights.

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Dissertation & Thesis Survey Design 101

5 Common Mistakes To Avoid (+ Examples)

By: David Phair (PhD) & Kerryn Warren (PhD) | April 2022

Surveys are a powerful way to collect data for your dissertation, thesis or research project. Done right, a good survey allows you to collect large swathes of useful data with (relatively) little effort. However, if not designed well, you can run into serious issues.

Over the years, we’ve encountered numerous common mistakes students make when it comes to survey design. In this post, we’ll unpack five of these costly mistakes.

Overview: 5 Survey Design Mistakes

• Having poor overall survey structure and flow
• Using poorly constructed questions and/or statements
• Implementing inappropriate response types
• Using unreliable and/or invalid scales  and measures
• Designing without consideration for analysis techniques

Mistake #1: Having poor structure and flow

One of the most common issues we see is poor overall survey structure and flow . If a survey is designed badly, it will discourage participants from completing it. As a result, few participants will take the time to respond to the survey, which can lead to a small sample size and poor or even unusable results . Let’s look at a few best practices to ensure good overall structure and flow.

1. Make sure your survey is aligned with your study’s “golden thread”.

The first step might seem obvious, but it’s important to develop survey questions that are tightly aligned with your research question(s), aims and objectives – in other words, “your golden thread”. Your survey serves to generate the data that will answer these key ideas in your thesis; if it doesn’t do that, you’ve got a serious problem. To put it simply, it’s critically important to design your survey questions with the golden thread of your study front of mind at all times.

2. Order your questions in an intuitive, logical way.

The types of questions you ask and when you ask them are vital aspects when designing an effective survey. To avoid losing respondents, you need to order your questions clearly and logically.

In general, it’s a good idea to ask exclusion questions upfront . For example, if your research is focused on an aspect of women’s lives, your first question should be one to determine the gender of the respondent (and filter out unsuitable respondents). Once that’s out of the way, the exclusion questions can be followed by questions related to the key constructs or ideas and/or the dependent and independent variables in your study.

Lastly, the demographics-related questions are usually positioned at the end of the survey. These are questions related to the characteristics of your respondents (e.g., age, race, occupation). It’s a good idea to position these questions at the end of your survey because respondents can get caught up in these identity-related questions as they move through the rest of your survey. Placing them at the end of your survey helps ensure that the questions related to the core constructs of your study will have the respondents’ full attention.

3. Design for user experience and ease of use.

This might seem obvious, but it’s essential to carefully consider your respondents’ “journey” when designing your survey. In other words, you need to keep user experience and engagement front of mind when designing your survey.

One way of creating a good user experience is to have a clear introduction or cover page upfront. On this intro page, it’s good to communicate the estimated time required to complete the survey (generally, 15 to 20 minutes is reasonable). Also, make u se of headings and short explainers to help respondents understand the context of each question or section in your survey. It’s also helpful if you provide a progress indicator to indicate how far they are in completing the survey.

Naturally, readability is important to a successful survey. So, keep the survey content as concise as possible, as people tend to drop out of long surveys. A general rule of thumb is to make use of plain, easy-to-understand language . Related to this, always carefully edit and proofread your survey before launching it. Typos, grammar and formatting issues will heavily detract from the credibility of your work and will likely increase respondent dropout.

In cases where you have no choice but to use a technical term or industry jargon, be sure to explain the meaning (define the term) first. You don’t want respondents to be distracted or confused by the technical aspects of your survey. In addition to this, create a logical flow by grouping related topics together and moving from general to more specific questions.

You should also think about what devices respondents will use to access your survey. Because many people use their phones to complete your survey, making it mobile-friendly means more people will be able to respond, which is hugely beneficial. By hosting your survey on a trusted provider (e.g., SurveyMonkey or Qualtrix), the mobile aspect should be taken care of, but always test your survey on a few devices.  Aside from making the data collection easier, using a well-established survey platform will also make processing your survey data easier.

4.  Prioritise ethics and data privacy.

The last (and very important) point to consider when designing your survey is the ethical requirements. Your survey design must adhere to all ethics policies and data protection laws of your country. If you (or your respondents) are in Europe for instance, you’ll need to comply with GDPR. It’s also essential to highlight to your respondents that all data collected will be handled and stored securely , to minimise any concerns about the confidentiality and safety of their data.

Mistake #2: Using poorly constructed questions

Another common survey design issue we encounter is poorly constructed questions and statements. There are a few ways in which questions can be poorly constructed. These usually fall into four broad categories: 

• Loaded questions
• Leading questions
• Double-barreled questions
• Vague questions 

Let’s look at each of these. 

A loaded question assumes something about the respondent without having any data to support that assumption. For example, if the question asks, “Where is your favourite place to eat steak?”, it assumes that the respondent eats steak. Clearly, this is problematic for respondents that are vegetarians or vegans, or people that simply don’t like steak. 

A leading question pushes the respondent to answer in a certain way. For example, a question such as, “How would you rate the excellent service at our restaurant?” is trying to influence the way that the respondent thinks about the service at the restaurant. This can be annoying to the respondent (at best) or lead them to respond in a way they wouldn’t have, had the question been more objective.

Need a helping hand?

A double-barreled question is a question that contains two (or more) variables within it. It essentially tries to ask two questions at the same time. An example of this is

“ Do you enjoy eating peanut butter and cheese on bread?”

As you can see, this question makes it unclear whether you are being asked about whether they like eating the two together on bread, or whether they like eating one at a time. This is problematic, as there are multiple ways to interpret this question, which means that the resultant data will be unusable. 

A vague question , as the name suggests, is one where it is unclear what is being asked or one that is very open-ended . Of course, sometimes you do indeed want open questions, as they can provide richer information from respondents. However, if you ask a vague question, you’ll likely get a vague answer. So, you need to be careful. Consider the following fairly vague question:

“What was your experience at this restaurant?”. 

A respondent could answer this question by just saying “good” or “bad” – or nothing at all. This isn’t particularly helpful. Alternatively, someone might respond extensively about something unrelated to the question. If you want to ask open-ended questions, interviewing may be a better (or additional) data method to consider, so give some thought to what you’re trying to achieve. Only use open-ended questions in a survey if they’re central to your research aims . 

To make sure that your questions don’t fall into one of these problematic categories, it’s important to keep your golden thread (i.e., your research aims, objectives and research questions ) in mind and consider the type of data you want to generate. Also, it’s always a good idea to make use of a pilot study to test your survey questions and responses to see whether any questions are problematic and whether the data generated is useful.

Mistake #3: Using inappropriate response types

When designing your survey, it’s essential to choose the best-suited response type/format for each question. In other words, you need to consider how the respondents will input their responses into your survey. Broadly speaking, there are three response types .

The first response type is categorical.  

These are questions where the respondent will choose one of the pre-determined options that you provide, for example: yes/no, gender, ethnicity, etc.

For categorical responses, there will be a limited number of choices and respondents will only be able to pick one. This is useful for basic demographic data where all potential responses can be easily grouped into categories. 

The second response type is scales . 

Scales offer respondents the opportunity to express their opinion on a spectrum . For example, you could design a 3-point scale with the options of agree, neutral and disagree. Scales are useful when you’re trying to assess the extent to which respondents agree with specific statements or claims. This data can then be statistically analysed in powerful ways. 

Scales can, however, be problematic if they have too many or too few points . For example, if you only have “strongly agree”, “neutral” and “strongly disagree”, your respondent might resort to selecting “neutral” because they don’t feel strongly about the subject. Conversely, if there are too many points on the scale, your respondents might take too much time to complete the survey and become frustrated in the process of agonising over what exactly they feel. 

The third response type is the free form text box (open-ended response). 

We mentioned open-ended questions earlier and looked at some of the ways in which they can be problematic. But, because free-form responses are useful for understanding nuances and finer details, this response type does have its benefits. For example, some respondents might have a problem with how the other questions in your survey are presented or asked, and therefore an open-ended response option gives them an opportunity to respond in a way that reflects their true feelings. 

As you can see, it’s important to carefully consider which response types you use, as each one has its own purpose, pros and cons . Make sure that each response option is appropriate for the type of question and generates data that you will be able to analyse in a meaningful way.

It’s also good to keep in mind that you as the researcher will need to process all the data generated by the survey. Therefore, you need to consider how you will analyse the data from each response type. Use the response type that makes sense for the specific question and keep the analysis aspect in mind when choosing your response types.

Mistake #4: Using poorly design scales/measures

We’ve spoken about the design of the survey as a whole, but it’s also important to think carefully about the design of individual measures/scales. Theoretical constructs are typically measured using Likert scales. To measure these constructs effectively, you’ll need to ensure that your scales produce valid and reliable data.

Validity refers to whether the scale measures what you’re trying to measure . This might sound like a no-brainer, but oftentimes people can interpret questions or statements in diverse ways. Therefore, it’s important to think of whether the interpretations of the responses to each measure are sound relative to the original construct you are measuring and the existing literature relating to it.

Reliability, on the other hand, is related to whether multiple scales measuring the same construct get the same response (on average, of course). In other words, if you have three scales measuring employee satisfaction, they should correlate, as they all measure the same construct. A good survey should make use of multiple scales to measure any given construct, and these should “move” together – in other words, be “reliable”.

If you’re designing a survey, you’ll need to demonstrate the validity and reliability of your measures. This can be done in several ways, using both statistical and non-statistical techniques. We won’t get into detail about those here, but it’s important to remember that validity and reliability are central to making sure that your survey is measuring what it is meant to measure.

Importantly, when thinking about the scales for your survey, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There are pre-developed and tested scales available for most areas of research, and it’s preferable to use a “tried and tested” scale, rather than developing one from scratch. If there isn’t already something that fits your research, you can often modify existing scales to suit your specific needs.

Mistake #5: Not designing with analysis in mind

Naturally, you’ll want to use the data gathered from your survey as effectively as possible. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to start with the end (i.e., the analysis phase) in mind when designing your survey. The analysis methods that you’ll be able to use in your study will be dictated by the design of the survey, as it will produce certain types of data. Therefore, it’s essential that you design your survey in a way that will allow you to undertake the analyses you need to achieve your research aims. 

Importantly, you should have a clear idea of what statistical methods you plan to use before you start designing your survey. Be clear about which specific descriptive and inferential tests you plan to do (and why). Make sure that you understand the assumptions of all the statistical tests you’ll be using and the type of data (i.e., nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio ) that each test requires. Only once you have that level of clarity can you get started designing your survey. 

Finally, and as we’ve emphasized before, it’s essential that you keep your study’s golden thread front of mind during the design process. If your analysis methods don’t aid you in answering your research questions, they’ll be largely useless. So, keep the big picture and the end goal front of mind from the outset.

Recap: Survey Design Mistakes

In this post we’ve discussed some important aspects of survey design and five common mistakes to avoid while designing your own survey. To recap, these include:

If you have any questions about these survey design mistakes, drop a comment below. Alternatively, if you’re interested in getting  1-on-1 help with your research , check out our dissertation coaching service or book a free initial consultation with a friendly coach.

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Harvard University Program on Survey Research

How to frame and explain the survey data in your thesis, date: , cgis - k-357, presented by:.

Chase H. Harrison, Ph.D.

Preceptor in Survey Research

 Surveys are a special research tool with strengths, weaknesses, and a language all of their own.  There are many different steps to designing and conducting a survey, and survey researchers have specific ways of describing what they do. 

This two-hour workshop sponsored by the Harvard Program on Survey Research is geared toward honors thesis authors in the social sciences who are using original survey data in their theses.  It may also be useful to students conducting analysis of pre-existing data. 

 It will cover different steps of the survey process, and discuss standard terminology used to convey different types of survey designs.  The workshop will also talk about how to think about the impact of survey design on survey findings, how to anticipate questions readers might have about a survey, and how to effectively address and discuss potential problems with survey data collection.  Discussion will be focused on the survey data being used in the theses of participants. 

Topics Include:

• How to talk about respondents, samples, and populations
• Describing sampling methods
• Data collection methods: using the language of modes
• Talking about field protocols
• Understanding and explaining nonresponse
• How to talk about the specific wording of questions
• Technical terms for questionnaires and question types
• Talking about translation and multi-lingual interviewing
•  Documentation: What to include, when, where, and why.

Address Information: 1737 Cambridge St. K - 357 Cambridge MA 02143

Sponsored by: Program on Survey Research

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How to write a compelling survey introduction—get your response rates to soar

You only get one chance to engage your potential respondents with an online survey—and it all hinges on the introduction. Read on to find out how to persuade people to click through to your first question.

What to include in your survey introduction

There are some important details you really have to include in an introduction.

Before you set your mind to details of your writing, make sure you have the basics set in stone. There are five points you need to include in your survey introduction:

Your organization

The goal of the survey

How much time this will take

Anonymity/privacy of personal information (link to your privacy statement)

Relevant instructions

 Now let’s take a look at each of them in more detail.

You wouldn’t grab someone in the street and ask them to fill out a survey with no introduction—so don’t do it online with your survey software.

It’s important for the people answering your survey to know who you are before they start, or you’ll be left with a bunch of nonresponses.

Improving your brand recognition is always a good idea. Especially if you want people to do more  surveys  for you in the future.

But don’t go on and on about yourselves. The more you talk about your own company and how great it is, the more biased the survey will feel.

Simply let people know who the survey is coming from—with a quick explanation of who you are. If they want to know more, you can leave a link to your site—or add it on your  Thank You Screen  at the end.

Be honest about why you are sending this survey research.

If you’re being vague about your objectives or failing to mention them altogether—your readers will find it hard to trust you.

Try to be as transparent as possible. Not only will this improve your responses, but people deserve to know what they’re taking part of.

People are busy—and time is money. Give an estimated time for completion upfront e.g. “This will only take a few minutes of your time.”

Don’t leave your readers in the dark. If they don’t know if there are five or five hundred questions left, they’ll get bored and impatient halfway through and hit the dreaded X button—or write half-hashed, inaccurate responses. And nonresponses are good for no one.

Let the people taking your survey know how far they are from the finishing line before they even start giving answers.

This is a big deal. You have to be clear and honest about what privacy rights people have.

If the responses you get from a survey are going to be anonymous, then let people know. Emphasize it—’cause you’ll get more honest answers if people understand that their answers remain confidential once they finish.

If you can’t offer anonymity to respondents—then they have the right to know that too.

Be fair with the people taking your survey. No one wants to give personal answers to something—only to have their answers used against them in the future.

Want to keep it short and sweet? You can always include a link to the privacy statement of your company. Give a very quick outline of the policy in the introduction, and give people the chance to learn more if they want.

Be clear about what your readers actually have to do in the survey or questionnaire .

Let’s say that you ask:

On a scale of 1-10, was this the tastiest type of cake?

Is “1” the tastiest score, because it’s number one? Does “10” represent the best cake, because it has a 10/10 flavor?

Who knows? Well, you will—but your readers won’t.

Asking questions like this means you’ll get answers from people in both camps. This means the answers you get will be worthless and your data can’t be used by your research team.

Keep the instructions as clear as possible. Ask someone to take the survey first. If they are confused by the questions, then the people taking your survey definitely will be too

Survey introduction writing tips

So now the necessary parts are taken care of, you need to focus on standing out from the crowd.

A perfect survey introduction is more than just a jumble of details and instructions. It’s the first contact you have with the people you will be relying on—so it’s important to start things off on the right foot. Make sure you:

The robots haven’t taken over yet—you’re not interviewing androids. You’re asking real people questions, so speak to them like, well, a human.

Keep the jargon for the boardroom. Speaking in formal, academic or technical language will just confuse most people.

If you open up with  “Our company is looking for 100 respondents to answer a market research study on…” , then the survey will seem like some long, dry, serious read.

Try to humanize your speech in your survey intro.

Turn that cold, corporate speech into  “We have a few questions to ask about…” .

Simple. Friendly. Human.

Always say thank you—you’re getting something from your readers with this survey.

Besides, if the people taking your survey feel their answers are valued, they’re much more likely to give genuine and thought-out answers

Your readers will appreciate it. Plus you’d make your grandmother proud.

A good introduction is a quick summary of the content that’s about to come up.

It’s the same in any medium, really.

So the best time to write your introduction is at the end of the writing process.

Why? Well, if you’ve gone through the entire process of planning and creating a survey, you’ll have a deep understanding of the content, hopefully.

Writing an introduction early on means you’ll be constantly editing if you make changes to the rest of the study.

If you do it at the end, you’ll have all the other parts ready to go—so this is the simplest time to put everything in a nutshell.

What’s the point of this study? Why should the people answering your questions  care  about them at all? Why should they spend five minutes on this survey instead of on Buzzfeed?

The best way to do this is to explain how these surveys had made a difference in the past.

Whether you’ve carried out research that led to policy change or simply asked employees about how they felt at work—then adapted the environment to suit them better, it’s certainly worth adding that info.

If you can show your survey isn’t meaningless research for some faceless organization, but rather information that can lead to positive change—then your readers have much more incentive to give thoughtful answers.

Encourage people to be happy to be part of the process.

Let’s take a look at a couple of good survey introduction examples from our fictional companies that follow this advice.

Customer surveys: feedback form introduction

Imagine that a customer has made a purchase from your shop,  Absolutely Amazing Shoes , and you’d really like some customer feedback . Let’s look at how to introduce a survey you’d send to customers. First off, this person just bought something. So be gracious right off the bat. You’re happy they are a customer, right? Well, let them know.

The shop’s name is included, and stylised as their brand name. But the reader knows exactly who you are–so we can keep this to an absolute minimum here and still boost your brand recognition.

Readers know how quick this is going to be, and why they should give an answer.

Market research survey introduction

Undertaking market research is certainly different to customer feedback. But the same rules apply. Take a look at our example from Enough Plastic, a global anti-plastic NGO.

Let’s check this against our list from before.

Since this is possibly the first time the reader has heard of Enough Plastic, it’s important to add a short explanation. Readers get another way to learn more if they want, but you get the idea of this organization in a single sentence.

Letting your readers know this is a longer survey is important. For people who don’t want to take ten minutes on a survey, they see this right away and inaccurate answers don’t get included.

Readers are told about this study and are encouraged to give honest replies. Littering and wasteful behavior can be embarrassing to admit, so anonymity will be very important to anyone taking this survey.

The introduction ends with a sincere thank you and represents the global nature of not just the organization, but the planet as a whole.

How you ask is everything.

Creating an Outline for Your Master’s Thesis

1. introduction.

Your master’s thesis serves to explain the research that you have done during your time as a masters student. For many students, the master’s thesis is the longest document that they’ve ever written, and the length of the document can feel intimidating. The purpose of this CommKit is to cover a key element of writing your thesis: the outline.

2. Criteria for Success

The most important criterion for success is that you’ve shown an outline with your chapter breakdown to your advisor. Your advisor is the one that formally signs off on your thesis as completed, so their feedback is the most important. 

Every master’s thesis will have the following elements.

• Introduction  –  Familiarize the reader with the topic and what gap exists in the field. 
• Literature Review – Provide a detailed analysis of similar work in the field and how your work is unique. Master’s thesis literature reviews typically have at least 60 citations throughout the entire document 
• Methods – Explain how you produced your results
• Results –  Show your results and comment on their significance and implications. 
• Conclusion – Summarize the methodology you used to generate results,  your key findings, and any future areas of work.

Having an outline for your master’s thesis will help you explain the motivation behind your work, and also connect the different experiments or results that you completed. Furthermore, an outline for your master’s thesis can help break down the larger task of writing the entire thesis into smaller, more manageable chapter-sized subtasks.

4. Analyze Your Audience

The most important audience member for your master’s thesis is your advisor, as they are ultimately the person that signs off on whether or not your thesis is sufficient enough to graduate. The needs of any other audience members are secondary. 

Ideally, a good master’s thesis is accessible to people that work in your field. In some cases, master’s theses are passed on to newer students so that that research can continue. In these cases, the thesis is used as a guide to introduce newer students to the research area. If you intend for your thesis to be used as a guide for new students, you may spend more time explaining the state of the field in your introduction and literature review. Additionally, your thesis will be posted publicly on DSpace , MIT’s digital repository for all theses. 

5. Best Practices

5.1. identify your claims.

A key element to figuring out the unique structure to your master’s thesis is identifying the claims of your work. A claim is an answer to a research question or gap. Your thesis can have both a higher level claim and also lower level claims that motivate the research projects that you worked on. Identifying your claims will help you spot the key objectives which you want to highlight in the thesis. This will keep your writing on topic. 

Some examples are shown below:

Gap/Question : There are no field-portable microplastic sensing technologies to measure their distribution in the environment.

→ Claim : Impedance spectroscopy can be used in a microfluidic device to rapidly distinguish organic matter from polymers.

Gap/Question: How effective are convolutional neural networks for pose estimation during in-space assembly? 

→ Claim : Convolutional neural networks can be used to estimate the pose of satellites, but struggle with oversaturated images and images with multiple satellites.

5.2. Support Your Claims

Once you have identified your claim, the next step is to identify evidence that will support it. The structure of your paper will be very dependent on the claim that you make.  Figure 1 and 2 demonstrate two different structures to support a claim. In one outline, the claim is best supported by a linear structure that describes the building, testing, and validation of a model. In another outline, the claim is best supported by a trifold structure, where three independent methods are discussed. Depending on the extent of the evidence, you could break this trifold structure into 3 separate chapters, or they could all be discussed in a singular chapter. The value of identifying claims and evidence is that it helps you organize your paper coherently at a high level. The number of chapters that are output as a result of your claim identification is up to you and what you think would be sufficient discussion for a chapter within your thesis. 

5.3. Connect the Evidence to Your Claims with Reasoning

One common mistake that students make when writing their thesis is treating each chapter as an isolated piece of writing. While it is helpful to break down the actual task of thesis writing into chapter-size pieces, these chapters should have some connection to one another. For your outline, it is ideal to identify what these connections were. Perhaps what made you start on one project was that you realized the weaknesses in your prior work and you wanted to make improvements. For readers who were not doing the research with you, describing the connections between your work in different chapters can help them understand the motivation and value of why you pursued each component. 

5.4. Combine Your Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning to Produce Your Outline

Once you have identified your claims, the evidence you have surrounding each claim, and the reasoning that connects each piece of your work, you can now create your full outline, putting the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle. An example outline is provided as an annotated example.

There are no requirements for minimum or maximum number of chapters that your master’s thesis can have. Therefore, when translating your outline to a literal chapter breakdown, you should feel free to use as many chapters as needed. If your methods section for a claim is extremely long, it may make more sense to have it be a standalone chapter, as shown in the attached annotated pdf. 

6. Additional Resources

Every IAP, the Comm Lab hosts a workshop on how to write your master’s thesis. This workshop provides tips for writing each of these sections, and steps you through the process of creating an outline. 

Resources and Annotated Examples

Example 1. structure diagram and table of contents, example 2. table of contents.

Newsmoor.com is an educational website for online learning. It Provides information: on verbal and nonverbal communication elements, noise, models, and theories, print, broadcast, and online journalism, and feature article writing. It also includes business models, theories, plans, profile examples, advantages and disadvantages of several models, facts, research methodology, research proposal writing, assignment writing, a study abroad, including top public and private universities and educational consultants.

Questionnaire Introduction Example- Survey Introduction Sample

Questionnaire Introduction Example. Survey Introduction Sample For Students. Also, Survey Questionnaire Introduction Sample For Research Paper.

Survey Questionnaire

A survey questionnaire is a set of questions designed to conduct survey research for academic and business purposes. The researchers set survey questionnaires to collect data for quantitative analysis. The survey questionnaire aims to collect data from respondents. The survey questionnaire has three sections: questionnaire introduction, demographic questions or respondents’ personal information, and research questions. Many researchers term quantitative research questionnaires as survey questions or surveys. However, the questionnaire differs from the quantitative survey and qualitative interview questions. The Survey and questionnaire introduction is the opening section of the questionnaire.

Questionnaire Introduction

The questionnaire introduction refers to the explanation part of the research questions and the preface of the questionnaire. It is also known as the survey introduction that explains 5ws and 1 h questions regarding the research; for example, who is collecting the data, the objective of the research, and how to collect the data. Additionally, the questionnaire’s introduction describes how the researcher collects data from where. It also includes the objective of the research for the respondents and informants. Finally, the questionnaire introduction section ensures the participants or recipients will keep the survey data anonymous and confidential.

The four elements of the questionnaire introduction are the student or researcher’s name, representing Institute or Organization name, the objective of the research also, data confidentiality, and anonymity.

The author has collected a few examples of questionnaire introductions from the final-year student at UPM to present to new researchers.  So, these examples will surely assist undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. students complete their thesis and dissertation. In addition, the researchers might obtain comprehensive knowledge on how to write the questionnaire’s introduction and set questions.

Questionnaire Sample For Research Paper

Questionnaire introduction example.

The author shows questionnaire introduction examples for the thesis, dissertation, and research paper. So, the undergraduate and postgraduate students get ideas on how to write a survey questionnaire introduction. Additionally, the examples of questionnaire introduction for research have been displayed for researchers. The questionnaire introduction is also known as the survey introduction.

Survey Introduction Example & Sample

Questionnaire introduction example-1, survey questionnaire introduction sample for research paper, questionnaire introduction example-2.

Research Title: The Emotional Impact of Peer Influence And Sexting Among University Students.

Questionnaire Introduction Example-3

Dissertation Title: Investigation on the influence of Infordemic on UPM students’ attitude towards Social Media

Survey Introduction Sample

Questionnaire introduction example-4.

Survey Title: Social Media Influence on Corporate Branding for Universiti Putra Malaysia

Survey Introduction Example

Dear respondent, m y name is Athaya, also a final year student from the Universiti Putra Malaysia. I am currently working on my final year research project to examine social media influence on corporate branding for Universiti Putra Malaysia. This survey questionnaire is open to local and international students from FBMK and FEP. This survey might not take more than 5 or 6 minutes.

Your participation is entirely voluntary, and all information collected in this survey will be kept strictly confidential. The information gathered will only be used for the following study purposes. You have the right to refuse to answer any questions/items or to avoid participating at any time for any reason. If you have any queries regarding the survey questions, do contact me via e-mail. Thank you for giving your valuable time to complete the following survey questionnaires. Sincerely, (For example, Athaya)

Questionnaire Introduction Example-5

Research Title: The Relationship Between Cyberbullying on Social Media and The Impacts on Mental Health of Young Adults In Upm

Dear participants, I am Raisa, also a student at University Putra Malaysia.  I am requesting you to participate in this research by completing the following questionnaire. This study aims to determine the relationship between cyberbullying on social media and the impacts on the mental health of young adults in UPM. However, this questionnaire will require approximately 5-10 minutes of your cooperation. Everyone’s experience matters in this study, and it is assured that your responses will be treated with extreme confidentiality. Thank you. Sincerely, (For example, Raisa)

Questionnaire Introduction Example-6

Dear participants, my name is Alya. I am researching ‘A Language Structure Analysis on Politeness Strategies in Mobile Media and Communication Between Instagram Sellers and Undergraduates’, focusing on the interactions between Instagram small business owners their customers. This questionnaire is open to all undergraduate students in Malaysia who have experience interacting with small Instagram sellers in Malaysia.

This questionnaire has three sections and will not take more than 10 minutes to be complete. However, in one of the sections, you must upload a screenshot of conversations between the Instagram seller.

This research is solely for academic purposes, and your assistance in completing the following questionnaire will be greatly appreciated. With the consent given by answering this survey, your participation and information will remain confidential, anonymous and only be used for the following research purposes. Thank you. Sincerely, (For example, Alya)

Questionnaire Introduction Example-7

Dear participants, this is Rocky, and I am inviting you to join my research project by completing the following survey questions. This study aims to understand the perception of the UPM students’ academic performance towards online university newspapers in their research. This questionnaire will require approximately 5-10 minutes of your cooperation. Your assistance towards my following research will significantly help me complete my research and enhance my research ability. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely, (For example, Rocky)

Questionnaire Introduction Example-8

Greetings from the Faculty of Human Ecology, University Putra Malaysia. I am Law Kai Wei, a student of Bachelor of Consumer Studies. I am currently researching my final year project entitled “Determinants of UPM Students’ Purchase Behaviour for Green Personal Care Products.”

This research investigates the factors that influence the intention and behavior to purchase green personal care products among UPM students.

This questionnaire has eight (8) sections and will only take around 10 minutes of your time. You agree that you will answer truthfully and consent to share your personal information by answering this questionnaire. Your participation will determine the accuracy and, most importantly, contribute to the success of this research. Any information given is confidentially assured, and participants will be kept anonymous.

I will very much appreciate your time and cooperation! Thank you.

Questionnaire Introduction Example-9

Thesis Title: Impact of COVID-19 on the Physical Activities and Social Interaction on the Psychological Wellbeing of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) students

Greetings! I am Ho Chang Xian from the Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia. I am conducting a final year project research entitled “Impact of COVID-19 on the Physical Activities and Social Interaction on the Psychological Wellbeing of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) students.” This research aims to determine the impact of COVID-19 on physical activity and social interaction on the psychological well-being of UPM students. The questionnaire consists of 4 sections which are: A (Demography), B (Physical Activity), C (Social Interaction), and D (Psychology well-being). This questionnaire should take less than 10 minutes to complete. You hereby agree to participate in this research by clicking the following button voluntarily. Rest assured that your data will be kept confidential, and you may withdraw anytime before you submit this questionnaire. If you have any inquires or questions, you may contact me at:

Questionnaire Introduction Example-10

Thesis survey introduction example.

Author: M M Kobiruzzaman

M M Kobiruzzaman is a researcher, lecturer, and academic & creative content writer. He studied for a Master of Management By Research at the School of Business and Economics Faculty, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Previously, he graduated from the Department of Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia. His research interests contained Journalism, Social Media Communication, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Corporate Communication. He has published several journal articles globally. He prefers to impart academic knowledge to other people through content writing.  View all posts by M M Kobiruzzaman

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