Format of closed questions

Closed questions can have different formats. The following formats are most widely used.

Single choice

The most frequently used format is a question which can be answered by "yes/no" or a number (age in years, number of sexual partners etc).

Did you travel to a foreign country in the last month?
Please tick the right box.
Yes
No
Don't know

Checklist

Alternatively, a checklist can be provided:

Which of the following outdoor activities did you do last week?
Please tick the appropriate activities.
Running
Walking
Hiking
Cycling
Swimming
None of the above

Rating Scale

The same information can be asked in a more detailed way in a rating scale:

Did you do use sunscreen during the following outdoor activities during the past six months?
Please indicate how often you used sunscreen.
	Always	Sometimes	Seldom	Never
Running
Walking
Cycling

The rating scale could be numerical:

Do you think that information on the risk of sunburns would be useful for you?
Please circle
Not at all Useful	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Very Useful

Or analogue:

How severe is your pain in this moment on a scale from 0-10?
Please put the tick on the line 0 (No pain) -------------------------------I----------------------------- 10 (Very severe pain)

Likert Scale

Another option is the use of the Likert scale to measure attitudes.

Sunburns cannot be avoided during outdoor activities.
No, I strongly disagree
No, I disagree quite a lot
No, I disagree just a little
I'm not sure about this
Yes, I agree just a little
Yes, I agree quite a lot
Yes, I strongly agree

FEM PAGE CONTRIBUTORS 2007

Editor

Viviane Bremer

Original Author

Viviane Bremer

Contributors

Katrine Borgen

Lisa Lazareck

Viviane Bremer