A question can push respondents towards the answer its writer hopes to hear. For students exploring business research, improving the wording is part of improving the evidence, rather than a cosmetic edit at the end.
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Spot the assumption hidden in the question
Consider this fictional prompt: 'How much do you love our convenient new booking tool?' It assumes that the respondent loves the tool and finds it convenient. A negative or mixed experience has no natural place in the wording.
A more neutral starting point is: 'Tell us about the last time you tried to book a session.' This invites an account of what happened before asking for a judgement about a proposed product.
Ask about one issue at a time
'Was the tool quick and reliable?' combines two attributes. A respondent may find it quick but unreliable, making a single yes or no difficult to interpret.
Separate the attributes and define any measurement you need. A recorded task duration, a person's opinion about speed and the number of failed attempts are different kinds of information. They should not all be labelled 'satisfaction'.
Distinguish behaviour from imagined intention
'Would you use this every week?' asks for a hypothetical prediction. It can be useful context, but it is not evidence that weekly use has occurred.
For a permitted student exercise, distinguish what someone reports doing, what you directly observe and what they imagine doing later. Use fictional examples if you have no real research, and never describe invented responses as interviews.
Interpret the scope of the responses
A few classmates may share useful experiences without representing every potential user. Record the question wording, who was eligible to respond and the circumstances, while following school requirements for privacy and participation.
This article teaches a general business-research skill relevant to CBPA interests. It is not an organiser's mandatory questionnaire or a completed student submission. Students should design their own questions, analyse their own evidence and consult the organiser's current information for programme requirements.
Continue reading: CBPA Business Skills: A SWOT Label Is Not Evidence.
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Official information and further reading: Source 1
