mastering the question types in google forms
TRANSCRIPT
Google Forms● It is one of the best ways to collect raw data so you can
manipulate it as you need
● The next slides we’ll look at how to master the question
types:
What they are
What to collect
What to look out for
● The key is to ask the right question so you don’t collect
useless data
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1)The Basics - Text & Paragraph● There are 2 question types for collecting text of varying lengths:
a. Text - used to collect short pieces of text such as: phone numbers, email addresses,
street addresses, names, etc.
b. Paragraph - used to collect longer data. You would use this to hold open-ended answers
for questions like “Why is Sriracha Hot Sauce supreme to all others?”
● These types are not interchangeable. As each type only holds a certain amount of data.
● Each question in a Google Form ultimately connects to a Google Spreadsheet and all Sheets
have their limits.
● Tip: Using the wrong question type on your form looks unprofessional and wastes valuable
space especially when your users view it in mobile devices.
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2) Multiple Choice & Checkbox● Multiple Choice
○ For Tests:
■ Multiple Choice Is really a Multiple Alternative because you can only choose one answer
■ It is designed to tease the one answer from someone, such as on a test.
■ Perfect for making choices where you only want responders to use the radio button to
make a single selection.
■ Great for generating lists from user
○ For Assessments:
■ Ensure you have at least 5 answer alternatives; otherwise it’s too easy to guess.
■ Five choices lowers the percentage of times your student should be able to randomly
guess correct answers to just 20%, which is better in the long run, and limits bad data.
● Checkbox
○ Great for generating lists from users
○ Allows responders to mark the checkbox on multiple selections and will deliver the answers in a
comma-separated list inside one cell in your tally spreadsheet.
○ Use this type if you need to get more information from the user (you can’t do this with Multiple
Choice)
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3) The List
● Use this question type:
o if you’re asking repetitive questions
o need the user to pick from a long list (ie: ‘What state do you live in?’)
● It keeps you from wasting a bunch of screen space (think mobile devices, here!).
● Google has created a blank space for the default so you no longer have to worry about bad data
from users simply not selecting an answer!
● To save time, you can use an existing list in a spreadsheet right into the question answer
choices. Just copy and paste into the new form.
● List question types do not take up too much space and it’s commonly used on the web.
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4) Scales & Grids
● Scales
o The Scales question type allows you to create your own rating scale, and to set the bottom
and top descriptors, such as “Horrible” to “Heaven”.
o What you get back is a number, not the label
o Tip of the day: you tend to get better data if you set your scales for an even number of
choices (such as four rather than five options to choose from), removing the ability of the
user to leave a “neutral” response (3 on a scale of 1-5). Nobody’s completely neutral,so
don’t create the option for respondents to give you bad data.
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● Grid
o Perfect for rating a statement, and then have them “Agree”, or “Disagree”.
o Do not include “Neutral” choice, or “Undecided”. Nobody’s neutral.
o Start with your Rows (which are you statements that need to rated) then create your Columns
which are your rating scale.
o The simplest and basic scale is the Likert Scale, consisting of “Strongly Agree”, “Agree”,
“Disagree”, and “Strongly Disagree”.
o Can be used for “Usefulness” scale, which modifies the Likert scale in terms of usefulness,
ranging from “Very Useful”, to “Not Useful at All”. It’s great for measuring people’s experience
with a certain something, like “How useful is Sriracha Hot Sauce in making your life worth living?”
Using the verb from the question in your rating scale makes for an interesting touch.
o If you use the “Useful” route, you’ll have to make several Grid question types to collect data.
o If you keep the Likert scale, you can ask multiple questions in a row using the same Grid
question type. The choice is yours.
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5) Date & Time
● Use to collect Date & Time information
● Users may encounter an error if they don’t enter the Date or Time question type on
the form. And that includes not filling out the seconds, if that’s what it asks for.
● You will have to perform some data manipulation on the data that you get back from
your spreadsheet
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