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Define the decision before questions
Choosing a time, understanding an obstacle or improving welcome requires different questions. Write what you will do depending on answers. Avoid asking opinions on matters you cannot change. A short questionnaire can suffice when every question connects to an action.
Remove unnecessary fields
CNIL defines minimisation as collection limited to what the purpose needs. Check each field, including information automatically collected by the tool. Do not promise anonymity when identifiers or details can identify a person. Distinguish required and optional information.
Test wording and comprehension
Ask someone to rephrase each question. Avoid combining two subjects or suggesting a correct answer. Include “not applicable” where relevant. Check phone, keyboard and readability. Test the form with fictitious data before inviting the community.
Plan results and retention
Explain who sees responses, why and where processing information is available. Plan the duration needed for the project and how relevant requests are handled. Share results without exposing identifying responses. Non-respondents may have other needs: state that limit rather than generalising.
Choose the right check for the situation
These editorial pointers help prepare and review your work. Choose the situation matching your content; check current features and conditions in the cited sources before applying it to a service.
| Situation | Useful action | Mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Open question | Limit instructions to the useful subject and ask respondents not to provide private data. | Encouraging detailed personal stories unnecessary for the objective. |
| Answer choices | Check that options are distinct and allow a relevant answer. | Forcing respondents to choose an option that does not describe their situation. |
| Recruiting respondents | Explain where the questionnaire is distributed and who actually responds. | Presenting voluntary followers as a sample of the whole population. |
| Publishing findings | Aggregate answers, avoid identifying quotations and state response counts. | Publishing a raw participant list as proof of survey credibility. |
Hypothetical example: apply the method
A community wants to choose a meeting time. It asks available slots and access barriers without demanding birth dates or addresses. It announces when the decision and an unnamed summary will be published.
Template to adapt
Copy this outline into your working document. It collects no information on this site; complete it for your situation.
Decision: Related question: Necessary data: Optional or required field: Response access: Information provided: Results and retention:
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Frequently asked questions
Is a nameless questionnaire anonymous?
Not necessarily. The tool, metadata or responses themselves may enable identification.
Do responses represent all members?
Voluntary participation may omit some groups. Present the actual response scope.
Continue with related content
Sources and scope
Primary references consulted for factual points. Methods and templates are editorial suggestions; service conditions should still be checked in current documentation.