Likert scale questions play a crucial role in conducting research using survey software. As Likert scale questions involve a 5, 7, or 9-point agreement scale to gauge respondents’ feedback, they help researchers gain insightful and accurate information about their products or services. Now the question arises how to develop Likert scale questions? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! Lets take a look at some tips that would help you effectively create Likert scale questions:
Start with framing clear questions.
There’s no doubt that Likert scale questions empower you to gain more specific and accurate results. To achieve that, it’s imperative that the phrasing of the questions should be factually correct and specific. Remember that respondents will answer the question that they’ve been asked, so frame them properly.
For example, in a customer satisfaction survey, if you add a question – “Please rate how satisfied are you with our product?” would yield different responses than a question “Please rate your level of satisfaction with the pricing of our product?”. Thus, it’s necessary to acknowledge the particular aspect that you want to gain feedback on.
Make use of adjectives properly
When framing options using online survey tools, always make sure that your survey audience clearly understands the literal meaning of all the included options. This can happen if you give proper attention to the adjectives that you use in your Likert scale question. In your scaling, each adjective must have a clear position, ranging from highest to lowest. You should use “Extremely” or “Strongly” on both the ends of your scale (like from “Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”), define a midpoint (like “Neither agree nor disagree”), and include moderate ratings using the similar adjectives (like “Somewhat agree”, “Somewhat disagree”).
Leverage unipolar and bipolar scale
Likert scales are known to have either one end (unipolar) or two ends (bipolar). The bipolar scales come into the picture when researchers want their respondents to choose their answer positively or negatively. For instance, including a question such as – “How likely are you to buy XYZ (product) from our website?” This will include answer options ranging between “Extremely unlikely” to “Extremely likely”.
Whereas the unipolar scales are considered to be simpler for respondents as they range from a zero scale to extremes, thus making it easy to follow. For instance, adding a question such as “How helpful does our product look to you?” can have answer options like “Not helpful at all” to “Extremely helpful”.
Prioritize questions over statements
To avoid any bias caused due to the respondents’ tendency to positively answer the questions, it’s important to stay mindful while phrasing your Likert questions. Always try avoiding any leading questions and use questions instead of statements. For instance, you’re going to get a biased response by asking – Would you agree with the statement: “I am happy with the product’s quality”? Instead, you should ask – “How satisfied are you with XYZ’s (product’s) quality?”
Review your questions wisely
Seek help from others and ask them to review your questions before you conduct your market research study. This enables you to check if the phrasing is correct and identify any grammatical errors too. Also, it’s important to keep your tone positive and avoid using repetitive language for increased engagement.
