Abstract:

Open-ended feedback is often overlooked in survey design; however, social media and big data have transformed the way textual analysis is viewed. Taking inspiration from this the presenters have sought to reappraise the role of the open-ended question as not just as qualitative tool, but an exceptionally powerful means of gathering quantitative data. Through the establishment of a simple analytic framework, this presentation outlines how a single open-ended question can be used to replace a complete study’s worth of close-ended questions. Data from over 25 studies will be used to illustrate how a well-crafted open-ended question provides both multi-faceted and easily quantifiable data. Armed with this knowledge the researcher is able to conduct more fruitful and more engaging studies.