Notes on surveys, privacy, and GDPR
Survey methodology, privacy engineering, and what "GDPR-compliant" should actually mean in practice.
Subscribe via RSS →Async video interview questions: how to collect video responses in a survey
What an async video interview question is, when to use one instead of a live call, and how to record video, audio, drawing, or location answers directly inside a survey.
Question Order Effects: How Survey Sequence Biases Answers
Priming effects, respondent fatigue, why sensitive and demographic questions typically go last, and why grouping related questions together improves data quality.
How Long Should a Survey Be? Optimal Length for Response Rates
Completion-time thresholds, drop-off curves, and when to split a long survey into multiple shorter ones — a practical guide to survey length and response rates.
5-Point vs. 7-Point vs. 10-Point Scales: Choosing the Right Rating Scale
Granularity tradeoffs between 5-point, 7-point, and 10-point rating scales, when NPS's 0-10 scale makes sense vs. a 5-point Likert, and the even-vs-odd neutral midpoint debate.
Survey question types explained: when to use each one
Every major survey question type — multiple choice, Likert scale, NPS, matrix, ranking, and more — with example wording, when to use it, and when to avoid it.
The Likert scale: how to build one and actually read the results
A practical guide to the Likert scale: labeled 5-point and 7-point examples, when to use an even vs. odd scale, how to word statements, and how to read the results correctly.
How to write survey questions that actually get honest answers
Most bad survey data isn't a sample-size problem — it's a wording problem. A practical guide to writing questions that measure what you think they measure.
How to increase survey response rates: what actually moves the number
Response rate is mostly decided before anyone opens your survey. Here's what actually drives completion — length, timing, incentives, and design — and what doesn't.
Customer feedback survey questions: what to ask and when
A practical guide to building a customer feedback survey — which questions to ask at which stage of the relationship, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.
Anonymous employee feedback surveys: how to actually get honest answers
Most 'anonymous' employee surveys aren't anonymous in any technical sense. Here's what real anonymity requires, and how to design a survey people will trust enough to be honest in.
Why Surveyee never stores your respondents' IP address by default
Most survey tools log every respondent's raw IP address without telling you. Here's what Surveyee does instead, and why it's set up that way from the start.
NPS vs. CSAT vs. CES: which survey metric should you actually track
Net Promoter Score, Customer Satisfaction, and Customer Effort Score all answer different questions. A complete comparison — with a worked example, an FAQ, and how to set each one up.
A practical GDPR checklist for anyone collecting survey responses in the EU
You don't need to be a lawyer to run a GDPR-compliant survey. Here's a practical, non-exhaustive checklist covering the parts that actually trip people up.