research of positive&negative questions

From several articles that i read, there are some points need to be acknowledged in negative and positive question.

1. avoid double-barreled questions

for example: Do you favor or oppose cutting taxes and government spending?

This question really ask two questions: What does the respondent think about cutting taxes and what does the respondent think about cutting government spending? break questions like this into two items:

Do you favor or oppose cutting taxes?

Do you favor or oppose cutting government spending?

Sometimes there are phrases that seem double barreled because they include the word “and,” but they are common terms that many people use to refer to a single concept. The common phrases “free and fair elections” or “safe and legal abortion” are examples of these. Researchers should be careful when using such terms to make sure they are not really asking two distinct questions.

2. avoid erroneous assumptions

example: In the past twelve months, who has treated you for headaches – a general doctor, a specialist, a physician’s assistant, or a nurse?

The question assumes that a respondent had a headache in the last year and that the respondent saw a medical professional for treatment. Researchers should avoid asking questions that make

assumptions that may not be true. This question can be broken down into two or three separate items. Though the respondent will have to answer more questions, this approach will yield better

data quality and avoid confusing the respondent. Consider these alternatives:

Did you have a headache in the last twelve months?

(if yes) Did you make an appointment with a medical professional to get your headache treated?

(if yes) Who treated you for your headache - a general doctor, a specialist, a physician’s assistant, or a nurse?

3. Clarify ambiguous and imprecise terms or vreak them doun into several questions.

example: Do you agree or disagree that moral values are an important issue facing the nation?

The term “moral values” is vague and abstract. This term can mean different things to different people. Vague phrases like this are fine to use, but the researcher should define them to avoid

differing comprehensions among respondents. Consider this alterative:

Do you agree or disagree that moral values are an important issue facing the nation? By moral values, we mean how much government should be involved in regulating citizen behavior when questions of right and wrong are involved.

4. Avoid loaded, leading, emotional, or evocative language as it can bias responses.

example: Do you believe the US should immediately withdraw troops from the failed war in Iraq?

Do you support or oppose the death tax?

Did the US make a mistake in deciding to defend Kuwait?

Do you approve or disapprove of how our president, George W. Bush, is doing his job?

The questions above all contain biasing language – failed war, death tax, defend, and our president. All of these terms can bias respondents toward a certain point of view. Sometimes the bias is subtle, even to respondents, but in other cases the respondent may actually feel pressured to respond in a certain way. These terms should be replaced with more balanced language.

Sometimes, though, there are terms that some people believe are slanted or offensive, but that are part of common language that most people understand. For example the terms “illegal immigrant,” “partial birth abortion,” and “death penalty” are likely more understandable than some of the alternative phrasings. Researchers will want to carefully choose their language in these instances to weigh ease of understanding against potential biasing language.

(http://dism.ssri.duke.edu/question_design.php)

(http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/survwrit.htm)

(http://www.dism.ssri.duke.edu/pdfs/Tipsheet - Response Scales.pdf)

http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=AXRZbfHM_94C&oi=fnd&pg=PA5&dq=survey+question+development&ots=VNrORVvq5y&sig=ONBoIxRz3kJilXSG1o6pOEnjFys#v=onepage&q=survey%20question%20development&f=false