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Welcome to Survey Guru

The Survey and Polling Wiki

Free Polling

Reddit – In New Reddit, "Poll" is a post type. This is not available on old reddit. Responses are anonymized.

Google Forms – If you have a Google account, you can take advantage of Google Forms (part of Google Drive) to create basic surveys and polls for free.

Get Paid to Take Surveys

SwagBucks - One of the most popular get paid to ________ sites. They pay for taking surveys, playing games, watching videos, and more.

MyPoints – Popular platform for earning through surveys, with multiple payout options like PayPal and gift cards.

InboxDollars – This site offers cash rewards for taking surveys, watching videos, and more. They have paid out over $80 million in cash to members.

Survey Junkie – Known for its high-paying surveys, Survey Junkie also offers additional earning opportunities through focus groups and interviews. Complete four or more surveys a day, earn as much as $130 monthly.

PineCone Research – Conducts consumer product surveys for manufactuers to help guide product development. Redeem points for cash and prizes.

PrizeRebel – A GPT site offering multiple ways to earn, including surveys, and provides rewards in PayPal, crypto, or gift cards.

Opinion Outpost – A straightforward platform with a low payout threshold, making it ideal for beginners.

YouGov – A platform where survey results often appear in the media, offering good payouts and multiple reward options.

Pawns.app – Allows you to earn by taking surveys and sharing your internet connection, with payouts via PayPal, Bitcoin, or gift cards.

KashKick – Provides up to $5 per survey, with a low minimum cash-out threshold of $10.

Survey/Poll Best Practices

Define Clear Objectives – Start with a specific goal in mind. Know what you need to learn and design questions that directly address your research objectives.

Know Your Audience – Tailor the survey to your target audience. Use language and questions that resonate with their experiences and knowledge level.

Craft Unbiased Questions – Avoid leading questions, loaded language, and assumptions. Ensure neutrality to avoid influencing responses.

Use Simple, Direct Language – Write clear, concise questions to minimize confusion and ensure consistent understanding across respondents.

Mix Question Types – Use a blend of closed-ended (multiple choice, rating scales) and open-ended questions to capture both quantitative and qualitative data.

Limit the Number of Questions – Keep the survey as short as possible while still gathering necessary information. Long surveys lead to drop-offs and lower data quality.

Pilot Test the Survey – Run a test with a small group to identify potential issues with question clarity, flow, or logic.

Randomize Question Order (where applicable) – To minimize order bias, randomize questions or response options when appropriate.

Ensure Anonymity and Confidentiality – If needed, guarantee respondent anonymity to encourage honest, candid answers.

Pre-Test and Refine – Before full deployment, pre-test with a subset of your audience and refine based on feedback.

Online Survey Platforms

Prolific

mTurk – – –

Types of Questions Used in Surveys and Polling

When designing a survey, choosing the right question types is essential for collecting accurate and actionable data:

Closed-Ended Questions

These questions provide respondents with predefined answer options, making them ideal for quantitative analysis. They are easy to analyze statistically but limit the depth of responses.

1. Multiple Choice:

  • Respondents select one or more options from a list.
  • Use When: You want clear, quantifiable data, such as preferences, behaviors, or demographics.
  • Example: What is your preferred method of communication?
    • Email
    • Phone
    • Text Message
    • Social Media

2. Rating Scales (Likert Scales):

  • Respondents rate an item on a scale, typically ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree” or “very satisfied” to “very dissatisfied.”
  • Use When: Measuring attitudes, opinions, or satisfaction levels.
  • Example: How satisfied are you with our customer service? (1 = Very Dissatisfied, 5 = Very Satisfied)

3. Dichotomous (Yes/No):

  • A simple binary choice.
  • Use When: You need a clear, straightforward answer, such as confirming eligibility or preference.
  • Example: Have you used our product before? Yes / No

4. Dropdown Lists:

  • A compact way to present multiple options, usually for a single selection.
  • Use When: You want to limit the space occupied by the options, especially in mobile-friendly surveys.
  • Example: What is your current employment status?
    • Employed full-time
    • Employed part-time
    • Self-employed
    • Unemployed

Open-Ended Questions

These questions allow respondents to answer in their own words, providing rich qualitative data. They offer insights into motivations, thoughts, and opinions but are harder to analyze quantitatively.

1. Text Boxes:

  • Respondents write a short answer or paragraph.
  • Use When: You need detailed feedback, explanations, or when exploring new ideas.
  • Example: What features would you like to see added to our product?

2. Comment Boxes:

  • Larger text fields for more in-depth responses.
  • Use When: Encouraging respondents to elaborate on their thoughts or provide additional context.
  • Example: Please share any additional comments or suggestions regarding our service.

Scaled or Matrix Questions

These combine multiple rating-scale questions in a grid format, allowing respondents to evaluate several items simultaneously.

1. Matrix Questions:

  • A grid of questions with a shared set of answer options.
  • Use When: You need to compare responses across different items, such as rating multiple products or services.
  • Example: Rate the following features of our product (1 = Poor, 5 = Excellent):
    • Ease of use
    • Functionality
    • Customer support

Ranking Questions

Respondents are asked to order items based on preference or importance.

1. Ranking:

  • Respondents rank items relative to one another.
  • Use When: You want to understand priorities or preferences between multiple options.
  • Example: Rank the following factors based on their importance when choosing a product:
    • Price
    • Quality
    • Brand reputation
    • Customer reviews

When to Use Each Type

Closed-ended questions are best when you need standardized, easy-to-analyze data.

Open-ended questions are ideal for exploring nuanced responses or discovering new insights.

Scaled questions work well for gauging opinions or satisfaction across multiple factors.

Ranking questions help determine priorities or preferences among several options.

Selecting the right mix of these question types helps balance the depth and breadth of your data, ensuring that you gather both quantitative insights for statistical analysis and qualitative feedback for deeper understanding.