A Question Template for Non-Methodologists when Redesigning a Questionnaire

When implementing a large survey redesign, we found a simple question template to be a useful tool for sharing detailed information about the goals of the question and the concerns that should be explored in cognitive testing. The template, in its basic form, reported the research question, question universe, question text and responses, and information to be reported back from testing. Some teams further adapted the template to include more information, creating a comprehensive record of all information relevant to the programming and testing of each question, and the connections between questions. The template was a success and helped facilitate communication between subject matter experts and the methodologist. We recommend this template for any size redesign.