Survey Methodology Consulting - Survey Instruments

Standardized, scientifically successfully tested survey instruments are an indispensable prerequisite for the quality of the data collected in a survey. The development of a questionnaire that is correctly understood and answered by the respondents therefore requires expertise in survey methodology. Our GESIS experts will check your items, scales and questions for suitability for your project. If you are planning an international or multilingual survey, we can advise you on suitable translation methods. Benefit from our many years of experience for your project!

Survey Methodology Consulting for Survey Instruments

Consulting on Questionnaire Design and Question Wording

Questionnaires are among the most important survey instruments used in social science research to obtain quantitative data for measuring attitudes and behavior. Our experts can advise you on the development and design of questionnaires. Our scope of advice includes, for example, administration, questionnaire length, principles of question formulation as well as common problems and quality requirements. In addition, we offer you individual advice in which we examine your survey instrument in detail and provide specific instructions for action

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Consulting on Items and Scales

Items and scales are measuring instruments used to record social science characteristics. In order to obtain valid data, these instruments must meet scientific standards and also be tailored precisely to your survey. Thanks to our many years of experience and GESIS's own research work, our experts can support you in the selection, development and evaluation of social science measurement instruments.

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Consulting on Socio-structural Characteristics

Socio-structural characteristics are important concepts in survey research, as they make the social structure of societies visible. Our experts will be happy to advise you on the collection of socio-structural characteristics, their coding and their harmonization across samples, e.g. for international comparative studies. Our focus is on measuring education and socio-cultural background.

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Consulting on Questionnaire Translation

International and multilingual surveys are challenging because, in addition to the linguistically correct translation of the survey instruments, cultural differences and peculiarities of the target culture must also be taken into account. We support you in your project with our experience in international survey projects. In addition to advising you on scientific methods for translating questionnaires, we can provide you with training and translation guidelines for your research project. If required, we can also advise you on questionnaire development in an international context.

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How much does our Service cost?

Our advice to help you help yourself is free of charge. We are happy to support you with more in-depth services for which costs are incurred. You can find more information in our cost overview.

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  • Items and Scales

    Research tested items and scales or request us to develop new ones for your research project

  • Socio-Structural Characteristics

    Consulting on the measurement of socio-structural characteristics

  • Survey Instruments

    Consulting on questionnaire design, item and scale development, socio-structural characteristics and questionnaire translations

  • Translations

    Consultation on the translation of multilingual and international questionnaires

  • Quandt, Markus, and Peter Schmidt. 2024. "Introduction to the special issue of the International Journal of Comparative Sociology on “National identity, nationalism, patriotism, and globalization”." International Journal of Comparative Sociology 2024 (65, 2): 101-111. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/00207152241232577.
  • Daikeler, Jessica, Leon Fröhling, Indira Sen, Lukas Birkenmaier, Tobias Gummer, Jan Schwalbach, Henning Silber, Bernd Weiß, Katrin Weller, and Clemens Lechner. 2024. "Assessing Data Quality in the Age of Digital Social Research: A Systematic Review." Social Science Computer Review. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/08944393241245395.
  • Singh, Ranjit K., Cornelia Neuert, and Tenko Raykov. 2023. "Assessing conceptual comparability of single-item survey instruments with a mixed-methods approach." Quality & Quantity online first. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-023-01801-w.
  • Hadler, Patricia. 2023. Context effects in question evaluation via web probing: Exploring the interaction of open-ended and closed survey questions. Mannheim: MADOC. https://madoc.bib.uni-mannheim.de/66207/.
  • Höhne, Jan Karem, Conrad Ziller, and Timo Lenzner. 2023. "Investigating respondents’ willingness to participate in video-based web surveys." International Journal of Market Research online first. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/14707853231198788.