ERIC Number: EJ1398772
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1525-822X
EISSN: EISSN-1552-3969
Available Date: N/A
Comparing Readability Measures and Computer-Assisted Question Evaluation Tools for Self-Administered Survey Questions
Stenger, Rachel; Olson, Kristen; Smyth, Jolene D.
Field Methods, v35 n4 p287-302 2023
Questionnaire designers use readability measures to ensure that questions can be understood by the target population. The most common measure is the Flesch-Kincaid Grade level, but other formulas exist. This article compares six different readability measures across 150 questions in a self-administered questionnaire, finding notable variation in calculated readability across measures. Some question formats, including those that are part of a battery, require important decisions that have large effects on the estimated readability of survey items. Other question evaluation tools, such as the Question Understanding Aid (QUAID) and the Survey Quality Predictor (SQP), may identify similar problems in questions, making readability measures less useful. We find little overlap between QUAID, SQP, and the readability measures, and little differentiation in the tools' prediction of item nonresponse rates. Questionnaire designers are encouraged to use multiple question evaluation tools and develop readability measures specifically for survey questions.
Descriptors: Readability, Readability Formulas, Computer Assisted Testing, Evaluation Methods, Surveys, Response Rates (Questionnaires), Test Construction, Test Items, Prediction
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Flesch Kincaid Grade Level Formula
Grant or Contract Numbers: USDANASS58AEU50023
Author Affiliations: N/A