Which question were you trying to answer?
Use this answer to locate the part of the experience that needs explanation. The example issue to investigate is: readers cannot locate assumptions behind the conclusion.
Marketing and audience research / Survey guide
Marketing and audience research · Practical survey guide
Research guide structure survey
Improve navigation of a substantial downloadable document.
Opens product registration. Example questions are not imported automatically.
ILLUSTRATIVE QUESTIONNAIRE3 prompts
Try the first three questions here. Nothing is submitted or saved.
Read the answers carefully
Keep the conclusion within the evidence.
Do not imply independent research without evidence.
Readers cannot locate assumptions behind the conclusion. This is a synthetic example, not a customer result. Do not imply independent research without evidence.
A useful starting point
Questions to understand the actual experience.
Improve navigation of a substantial downloadable document. Use the prompts relevant to your audience and allow people to skip situations they did not encounter. Keep response handling consistent with what you explain in the invitation.
If nothing was unclear or difficult, say so. Skip questions about steps you did not experience; use not applicable where appropriate.
What section was hard to find?
A hard-to-find section identifies a navigation need within the document's actual content. Add descriptive headings or references to that section, without assuming a longer document is more useful or that every reader follows its sequence.
What summary would help?
Turn the requested improvement into a testable next step. One illustrative action is: add an assumptions summary and clear section index.
If nothing was unclear or difficult, say so. Skip questions about steps you did not experience; use not applicable where appropriate. Which question were you trying to answer? What section was hard to find? What summary would help?
Download the questions as text ↓
Examples to adapt, rather than a validated research instrument.
A worked interpretation example
From a comment to a practical next step.
Illustrative scenario. These are not customer results.
Keep the finding specific
Readers cannot locate assumptions behind the conclusion.
Choose an action to test
Add an assumptions summary and clear section index.
Check the experience again
After trying the change, repeat “Which question were you trying to answer?” with people who experienced it. Check whether they still describe the original issue: readers cannot locate assumptions behind the conclusion. Compare explanations and sample context, rather than claiming the change caused an improvement.
Before you send it
Check what your wording assumes.
Would you agree that everything about research guide structure was clear and easy?
Which question were you trying to answer?
The first wording combines an assumed positive outcome with two different judgments. The revised prompt asks about a specific experience and permits an inconvenient or uncertain answer.
Choose the response format
Make room for the explanation.
| Question | Suggested format | What to preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Which question were you trying to answer? | Optional short text | Retain the specific point or condition described; avoid replacing it with an unexplained rating. |
| What section was hard to find? | Optional written explanation | Keep context that distinguishes different experiences. Do not imply independent research without evidence. |
| What summary would help? | Optional improvement suggestion | Keep the suggested change separate from whether it has been tested. Add an assumptions summary and clear section index. |
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.
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Draft your own research guide structure questionnaire.
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 ↗From question to next step
Make the feedback useful.
Set the decision
Start with the decision: Improve navigation of a substantial downloadable document.
Invite relevant voices
Invite people with relevant experience. Ask after someone has encountered the situation described in “Which question were you trying to answer?”, while they can still recall the details. For material testing, show the actual draft first; for planning, ask before the next relevant activity.
Choose an action
Add an assumptions summary and clear section index.
Before you send it
Questions, answered.
Who should receive this questionnaire?
Readers or prospective users evaluating the described material. Ask only about steps each person encountered; do not treat a voluntary response sample as representative.
When should I ask these questions?
Ask after someone has encountered the situation described in “Which question were you trying to answer?”, while they can still recall the details. For material testing, show the actual draft first; for planning, ask before the next relevant activity.
What should I investigate in the answers?
Readers cannot locate assumptions behind the conclusion. This is an illustrative pattern to look for, not a claim about your respondents. Do not imply independent research without evidence.
What would a practical follow-up look like?
Add an assumptions summary and clear section index. After trying the change, repeat “Which question were you trying to answer?” with people who experienced it. Check whether they still describe the original issue: readers cannot locate assumptions behind the conclusion. Compare explanations and sample context, rather than claiming the change caused an improvement.
How should I ask “What section was hard to find?”?
A hard-to-find section identifies a navigation need within the document's actual content. Add descriptive headings or references to that section, without assuming a longer document is more useful or that every reader follows its sequence. Use an optional written explanation when predefined choices would hide relevant context.
Can I use the questions in SurveyTeams?
Copy the prompts or download TXT, CSV, JSON, or a Markdown worksheet, then adapt them in your own survey. The CTA opens registration; it does not import this example automatically. Verify available features in your account.
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