Set 1
A survey report is written without headings and placed in one long paragraph.
Evaluate this format. Is it effective? Why or why not?
Not effective. Headings organize information into sections (executive summary, background, results, etc.). Without headings, the report becomes difficult to read and lacks structure.
A survey question says:
“Don’t you agree that our school events are always fun?”
Evaluate this question. What is wrong with it?
It is a leading question. It suggests a preferred answer (“Don’t you agree”), which can bias responses and reduce accuracy.
A researcher makes the survey 5 pages long with many repeated questions.
Assess this practice.
Not effective. Surveys should be short and simple. Long and repetitive surveys may cause respondent fatigue, leading to careless or incomplete answers.
The executive summary copies exact sentences from the full report.
Judge whether this is appropriate.
Not appropriate. An executive summary should paraphrase and briefly summarize key points, not copy text directly.
A survey uses technical English terms, but the respondents are Grade 6 students.
Evaluate how this affects the reliability of the responses.
It reduces reliability. If respondents do not understand the language, their answers may be inaccurate or guessed, affecting data quality.
Two questions are combined into one:
“Are you satisfied with your teacher and the school facilities?”
Analyze why this weakens the quality of data collected.
This is a double-barreled question (two ideas in one). A respondent may like the teacher but dislike the facilities, making it hard to answer accurately.
A survey report skips the background section and only presents results.
Assess how this affects the credibility of the report.
Credibility decreases. The background provides context, research support, and purpose. Without it, readers may question the foundation of the study.
A researcher only uses Yes/No answers and avoids response scales.
Evaluate this choice.
It limits depth of data. Response scales (e.g., strongly agree to strongly disagree) capture degrees of opinion, providing more detailed and meaningful analysis.
Which step in writing a survey report do you think is most important for ensuring credibility?
Defend your answer with reasoning.
Clear objectives (guides the entire report)
Background section (supports the study with research)
Proper structure with headings (ensures clarity)
If a survey contains biased and leading questions, how will this affect the validity of the entire report?
Provide a detailed evaluation.
Validity decreases because responses are influenced by wording rather than true opinions. The results no longer accurately reflect respondents’ real views.
You are given a poorly written survey report with unclear objectives and no executive summary.
Evaluate the major weaknesses and propose three improvements.
Weaknesses:
Lack of direction (unclear purpose)
Poor organization
Hard for readers to quickly understand findings
Improvements:
Clearly state objectives.
Add a concise executive summary.
Organize sections with proper headings.
Explain how following proper survey-writing steps and tips directly impacts the reliability, validity, and overall quality of survey findings.
Following proper steps ensures clarity, reduces bias, and improves organization. Clear and unbiased questions increase reliability (consistent results) and validity (accurate measurement), leading to trustworthy findings.