Data & analysis

Survey and instrument design

Most analysis problems are design problems that arrived late. A questionnaire with double-barrelled items, missing scale anchors or no demographic variables cannot be rescued once responses are in.

Suited to

Survey-based Bachelor’s and Master’s dissertations
Mixed-methods projects needing both an instrument and a guide
Students preparing an ethics submission that requires draft instruments

Quote for this service

01In practice

How this actually works

We design instruments backwards from the analysis: if you intend to run a regression, the instrument has to produce variables at the right level of measurement to support one.

Where validated scales exist in your field we use them, with the source cited, rather than writing new items. Validated instruments make results comparable and are far easier to justify to an examiner.

For qualitative work we build interview and focus-group guides with a structure that opens broadly and narrows, and with prompts that do not lead the participant.

02Scope

What is delivered

Written down so there is nothing to discover later.

You receive

A questionnaire or interview guide mapped item-by-item to your research questions
Validated scales identified and correctly cited where they exist
Response formats and scale anchors chosen for the analysis you intend to run
A codebook defining every variable and its measurement level
Participant information sheet and consent form drafts for your ethics submission
Platform setup guidance for Qualtrics, LimeSurvey, Microsoft Forms or Google Forms

Not included

We do not distribute your survey or recruit respondents
We do not submit your ethics application

03Process

From brief to delivery

Map questions to constructs
Each research question is broken into the constructs it needs measured, before a single item is written.
Select or write items
Validated scales preferred; new items written and reviewed for clarity, neutrality and single-barrelling.
Structure and flow
Ordering, filtering and routing designed to reduce dropout and avoid priming later answers.
Pilot readiness
A codebook and analysis plan delivered alongside the instrument, so piloting tests something specific.

04Questions

About survey design

More general questions about how we work are answered on the FAQ page.

Can I use a scale I found in a published paper?

Usually yes, with correct citation, and some scales require permission from the original authors. We check the licensing position for the scales we recommend and flag anything that needs you to request permission.

How long should a questionnaire be?

Shorter than most students draft. Dropout rises sharply past ten minutes. If the instrument is long we look at whether every item earns its place in the analysis plan — items that will not be analysed should not be asked.

Do you help with GDPR requirements for research data?

We draft participant information and consent text covering what you collect, why, how long you keep it and how it is anonymised. Your institution’s ethics committee and data protection officer remain the authority on what is acceptable for your project.

05Related

Statistical analysis

SPSS, R, Stata and Python — with output explained well enough to defend.

Methodology

A design you can actually execute, justified well enough to survive a viva.

Qualitative analysis

Thematic, content and framework analysis with an audit trail from quote to claim.

Research proposals

Proposals that survive a supervisory panel — answerable question, feasible method.

Start here

Get a quote for survey design

Send the assessment criteria and your department’s guidance with the brief. Those decide the shape of the work more than the topic does. We reply within a few hours on working days.

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What to have ready

The assessment criteria or handbook
Your deadline and word count
Anything already written or approved

Not sure which service you need? Describe the project and we will tell you — including when the cheaper one is enough.