In all likelihood, you have used a Likert scale (or something you’ve called a Likert scale) in a survey before. It might surprise you to learn that Likert scales are a very specific format and what you have been calling Likert may not be. Not to worry — researchers that have been doing surveys for… Read More »
Tag: bill johnston
Political Polling & Small Sample Sizes
A type of survey in which there is much interest this month is the political poll. Questions I hear a lot are, “Can the polls be trusted?” and “How can they get away with polling so few people?” We can increase our understanding of polls by answering two questions: How can polls be accurate with… Read More »
Building Better Surveys – Effective Scales
A question I have been asked from time-to-time is, “How many choices should I give respondents when I’m asking them how much they agree or disagree with something?” As in . . . Which is correct? Does it matter? Yes, it matters. Use an odd-numbered scale and, if you expect your results to be fully… Read More »
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