Which interaction came to mind when you read the question?
Optional short open textIdentify the selected episode without requesting private interaction contents.Survey design and interpretation / Survey guide
Survey methods · Worked example
Pretest a survey recall period
Check which experience people recall before choosing a survey reference period. Use free-text probes and an explicit out-of-window case.
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DESIGN THE ANSWER SPACE
Approximately when did it happen, if you remember?
Optional short open textAllow uncertainty instead of manufacturing an exact date.How did you decide it belonged in the stated period?
Optional short open textCheck whether people used the same time boundary as the question.Suggested formats to adapt, not preconfigured product fields.
A worked interpretation example
From a comment to a practical next step.
Illustrative scenario. These are not customer results.
Keep the finding specific
Synthetic pilot episodes are five days ago, 12 days ago, 41 days ago and unknown; the draft’s period is the past 30 days.
Choose an action to test
Clarify the 30-day boundary and no-experience route; keep the 41-day and unknown cases visible as interpretation issues.
Check the experience again
Pilot the revision with new volunteers and check whether their chosen episodes match the stated period; retain reasons for uncertainty.
Read the answers carefully
Limits to preserve
A few pilot interviews cannot establish population recall accuracy. Do not convert uncertain dates into exact values or average them with known dates.
Pilot note: the period is interpreted inconsistently; revise boundary wording and retain unknown timing instead of forcing a date.
From question to next step
Make the feedback useful.
Set the decision
Run the optional pilot before fielding the main questionnaire with people similar to the intended respondents.
Invite relevant voices
Clarify the 30-day boundary and no-experience route; keep the 41-day and unknown cases visible as interpretation issues.
Choose an action
Pilot the revision with new volunteers and check whether their chosen episodes match the stated period; retain reasons for uncertainty.
A useful starting point
Free-text pilot questions
A draft asks about the past 30 days. Some pilot readers choose their last interaction even when it occurred earlier; another cannot place it in time.
If nothing was unclear or difficult, say so. Skip questions about steps you did not experience; use not applicable where appropriate.
Which interaction came to mind when you read the question?
Identify the selected episode without requesting private interaction contents.
Approximately when did it happen, if you remember?
Allow uncertainty instead of manufacturing an exact date.
How did you decide it belonged in the stated period?
Check whether people used the same time boundary as the question.
What would you do if you could not recall an interaction in that period?
Test a skip or no-applicable-experience route.
If nothing was unclear or difficult, say so. Skip questions about steps you did not experience; use not applicable where appropriate. Which interaction came to mind when you read the question? Approximately when did it happen, if you remember? How did you decide it belonged in the stated period? What would you do if you could not recall an interaction in that period?
Download the questions as text ↓
Examples to adapt, rather than a validated research instrument.
Choose the response format
Make room for the explanation.
| Question | Suggested format | What to preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Which interaction came to mind when you read the question? | Optional short open text | Identify the selected episode without requesting private interaction contents. |
| Approximately when did it happen, if you remember? | Optional short open text | Allow uncertainty instead of manufacturing an exact date. |
| How did you decide it belonged in the stated period? | Optional short open text | Check whether people used the same time boundary as the question. |
| What would you do if you could not recall an interaction in that period? | Optional short open text | Test a skip or no-applicable-experience route. |
Make questions optional where appropriate. If you add a rating scale, label its endpoints, keep one idea per question, and retain a follow-up for reasons. These examples are not a validated measurement instrument.
Before you send it
Check what your wording assumes.
Think about your last interaction, whenever it was.
Think about an interaction within the past 30 days; skip if none comes to mind.
The revision makes the intended time boundary and no-experience route explicit; it still needs pretesting.
Build with SurveyTeams
Adapt these pilot questions in SurveyTeams
Use these examples to draft your questionnaire. Create a survey draft, add questions, and check the respondent preview in SurveyTeams. Additional features depend on your account and plan.
Create your survey in SurveyTeams
Opens product registration. Example questions are not imported automatically.
Learn about the product ↗Run a focused feedback cycle
Plan the invitation, review and follow-up.
When and whom to ask
Run the optional pilot before fielding the main questionnaire with people similar to the intended respondents.
Who reviews the finding
The questionnaire reviewer chooses the period based on the decision and the pilot evidence.
What to check after a change
Review episode-selection explanations after revision; do not claim the pilot proves that every future answer is accurate.
Handle responses carefully
Do not request private messages or precise personal event histories. Approximate dates and not remembered are acceptable.
A worked measurement study
Inspect the data. Trace the decision.
Every record here is synthetic. Use the rule to review your own evidence before taking action.
Follow the example events
- P15 days ago
Known, within window
- P212 days ago
Known, within window
- P341 days ago
Known, outside window
- P4Timing unknown
Not forced into a date
Work through the rule
Two known episodes are within 30 days; one is outside; one is unknown. These are pilot cases, not a recall-accuracy percentage or a valid population sample.
Pilot note: the period is interpreted inconsistently; revise boundary wording and retain unknown timing instead of forcing a date.
Invented records · inspect every count
| Invented pilot ID | Recalled timing | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5 days ago | Inside stated window |
| P2 | 12 days ago | Inside stated window |
| P3 | 41 days ago | Outside stated window |
| P4 | Unknown | Keep uncertainty |
On small screens, scroll a wide table sideways to see all columns.
Download example data (.csv) · Download method worksheet (.json)
Keep evidence and inference separate
Observed
Four episode-selection explanations
Supports a specific wording revision to test.
Unknown
Population recall error
Do not report an accuracy benchmark.
Next check
Pilot the revised wording with new volunteers
Look for boundary misunderstandings and skip clarity.
Before you send it
Questions, answered.
Should I always use a 30-day period?
No. This is an example period chosen for the draft; your decision and respondents’ experience determine the appropriate period.
Is an unknown date a failed answer?
It is useful uncertainty in a pilot. Preserve it without guessing.
Does a clearer period guarantee accurate recall?
No. The pilot only helps identify specific interpretation problems.
Can I load this example automatically?
No. Copy or download the free-text pilot questions and adapt them in your draft. The registration link does not import them. The calculation worksheet is a separate manual example; verify supported fields and features in your account.
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