Most of us like to be liked. We tend to present ourselves in a favorable light; we do not like to appear ill-informed or ill-prepared. So, when we are asked to participate in an online questionnaire, we are eager to please, to provide useful information.

On the other hand, others of us may not trust those gathering the information. We want to know how the information we provide will be used, where and to whom it will be disseminated. We need to trust that our answers will not be attached to us or adversely affect us in any way before sharing things about our personal behaviors, opinions or attitudes.

In survey research, social desirability is the tendency of some people to respond in a way that is socially acceptable, a response different than their non-socially acceptable answer would be. They may report attending church more often than they actually do, smoking less, and exercising more. They stretch the truth to make themselves look good in the eyes of those asking the questions.

When designing questionnaires, the order of items on the questionnaire creates a context, or meaning, for the entire questionnaire. Items placed early on in the questionnaire effect the way in which people respond to later questions.

“Each item will be interpreted by respondents within the context of the questionnaire, previous questions and the wording of each item,” notes Gregory G. Holyk, University of Illinois at Chicago, in the Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods.

To ensure positive use of context in questionnaires, it is important that you clearly define the purpose of the questionnaire. Start writing drafts of items to be included on the questionnaire – items that directly relate to the purpose of the questionnaire. The next step is to put items into a meaningful format (e.g. open-ended, multiple choice, etc.) and order. The order in which items appear can bias people’s thinking and, thus, their responses to your questions.

The value of survey research cuts across all industries and disciplines. It’s a tool for collecting information that can improve customer satisfaction, offer insight into a company product, pinpoint the mood of the voter and gauge public opinion on social issues. But definitive research for mainstream purposes isn’t the only use for surveys. Occasionally, surveys can be used for the downright bizarre and can come up with some, shall we say, unique results.