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Are surveys and questionnaires the same? Not quite.
TL;DR—A questionnaire is a set of written questions, while a survey is the full process of asking those questions, collecting responses and analyzing the results. In short: a ‘questionnaire’ is a research instrument, while a ‘survey’ is a more complete package of research.
But let’s dig a little deeper. When do you use which and how do you use them the right way?
Questionnaire is not just a fancy word for survey. And yet, many people use the words survey and questionnaire interchangeably.
But they are in fact two different, although overlapping, elements of market research. Let’s look at what each of them is and how they are similar, and how they are different.
What came first, the survey or the questionnaire?
Let’s say both.
Both are used to collect information from a group of people. Businesses use them to make informed decisions on marketing, product, pricing and so much more.
A company might conduct a survey to gather customer feedback on a new product. They might conduct a survey that includes a questionnaire, with questions about usage, satisfaction, and NPS scores.
Surveys and questionnaires both can be administered in several ways. We’re here to help you with online surveys, but you can also survey people over the phone for instance.
Questionnaires always have to be written questions, so you could send them via post, email—any for that allows writing.
If we look at the difference between the both of them, surveys are more of a complete research method. They include not only the set of questions you’re asking, but also the collection and analysis of the responses.
It might help to remember the other ways ‘survey’ can be used. For example, you might have a survey done on your property to make sure it’s structurally sound. A survey is a term for a more comprehensive type of analysis.
In fact, here’s the literal dictionary definition of ‘survey’:
noun: survey; plural noun: surveys /ˈsəːveɪ/ 1.a general view, examination, or description of someone or something.”the author provides a survey of the relevant literature” Definition from Oxford Languages
noun: survey; plural noun: surveys
/ˈsəːveɪ/
If we zoom in on surveys, we might find that within that survey, questionnaires are used as a way to carry out this research. As we said, questionnaires are any written set of questions. It’s therefore a data collection tool, but not a full research method.
Here’s the dictionary definition of ‘questionnaire’:
questionnaire /ˌk(w)ɛstʃəˈnɛː/ noun noun: questionnaire; plural noun: questionnaires a set of printed or written questions with a choice of answers, devised for the purposes of a survey or statistical study. Definition from Oxford Languages
questionnaire
/ˌk(w)ɛstʃəˈnɛː/
noun
noun: questionnaire; plural noun: questionnaires
A market research survey is used by businesses to inform decisions. Using market research surveys gives them the confidence that what they’re doing is in line with what consumers want.
It also helps them analyze and minimize risks by making smart decisions. And market research surveys can help businesses spot new opportunities.
You can check out this example of survey questions for a new food product to see what it’s all about.
So market research surveys are used to understand different parts of the market. They are generally directed at consumers. You could use a market research survey to get to know an audience better, to learn what they think of your competitors or to gauge how they feel about a certain idea of yours.
The benefit of using surveys for market research is that they’re easy to scale, meaning you can get a lot of respondents—especially when using an online survey.
This is a list of written questions sent to your target audience to gather information for your market research.
Written questions are easy to distribute, especially online. You can give respondents answer options, making it easier to analyze data. And they are easy to set up—particularly when you have an intuitive platform like Attest!
But sometimes questionnaires are not the way to go, simply because there are limitations to written questions. Sure, you might be able to formulate every question you have and put it all in writing, but your respondents need to do the same for their answers—and not everyone wants to write long responses.
So, when you want to collect a lot of in-depth, qualitative data to gather consumers’ opinions, ask yourself whether written questions and answers are the way to go.
Another scenario in which a market research questionnaire might not get you the best results, is when your questions aren’t clearly defined yet. In some cases you might benefit more from having an open and flowing conversation with consumers. A phone survey or a focus group might be better in that case.
You should use a market research survey when you want to base your business decisions on data, not on guesswork.
You use a market research survey to factor the opinions and wants of your target audience into your business decisions. It doesn’t always have to be externally though. You can also run a brand perception survey, to find out how consumers (or employees) see your brand.
And you can do that for all kinds of things, from concept testing to market analysis. Check out our survey templates to find inspiration for your next survey.
Ah, the art of conducting surveys! Here are our top three rules to make sure your survey will be a success.
It doesn’t matter how many respondents you have, if you’re not asking questions that relate specifically to your research purposes, you might as well be talking to a wall.
On top of that, make sure you’re surveying the right people. Often a nationally representative sample won’t give you a specific enough audience to make your insights really hit the mark, so you might need to figure out which audience segment you want to target.
This is important for both the customer experience, aka your respondents answering the questions, and your team. Choose a tool that is easy to work with, lets you analyze the survey results in a user-friendly dashboard, and provides you support along the way to make sure you’re crafting the ideal survey for your needs.
The goal should never just be data collection. The goal is to inform your business decisions. Make sure you ask questions that give you actionable survey data, not just fluff questions. Be decisive on which questions stay and go.
Learn from the Consumer Research Academy
Find out everything you need to know about consumer research to make sure you get insights that’ll have a real impact on your business
Well, if you’ve decided that the best way for your business to gather information from your target audience is through written responses—sometimes defined as more qualitative research. That could be for a variety of reasons. It might be the most cost-effective survey method, or because you really want to understand why people think and act the way they do.
It might also be that your research question involves collecting quantitative data and statistical data, which is easily collected through questionnaires.
But you could also be conducting qualitative research and want to send open-ended questions to a large group of people.
There are plenty of research methods out there, and depending on your research needs, it could be the best choice to conduct questionnaires—but it depends entirely on your goals and resources!
It’s not (just) because we are research geeks and want you to use the right words.
You need to go into research projects knowing what your data collection goals are, and what tools can help you reach them. That’s why it’s important to understand the main difference between a survey vs questionnaire.
While both collect data, you want to communicate with your team why and which approach you are choosing and where you are in the process, and for that it helps to use the right terminology.
The survey vs questionnaire is not a battle, but a collaboration. Now you know the difference between a survey and a questionnaire, it’s time to start making your own. We’ve got templates ready for you and a list of 100 market research survey questions to ask.
100 essential market research questions
Unsure where you might start with your market research survey? Our team of experts has compiled this list of 100 essential survey questions
Not sure which ones fit your research best? With Attest, you get a dedicated research team that’ll help you dig deeper and helps you conduct research like a professional.
Customer Research Lead
Nick joined Attest in 2021, with more than 10 years' experience in market research and consumer insights on both agency and brand sides. As part of the Customer Research Team team, Nick takes a hands-on role supporting customers uncover insights and opportunities for growth.
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