selected number from 0 to 9. Use the last digit of the social security numbers listed on the roster that match that number, and you will have as random a selection as you most likely will need. If the sample size is too large (with 10 possible numbers your sample size will be roughly  10  percent  of  your  total  population),  then randomly select another number and match it with social security numbers that have the same digit in the second from the end position. Never use the beginning digits of the social security number because you will end up with a bias in your survey of respondents who come from the same  geographic  area. WRITING  THE  QUESTIONS Social  scientist  Paul  Lazarsfeld  said,  “People  do  not answer what you say (or write), but what they think you mean.” Without making the average respondent sound like the Gilligan’s Island routine of answering questions literally  for  laughs,  when  you  write  survey  questions, remember—often times no one will be around to explain just what they mean. Question Design There are three standards for good survey question writing. The first is precision. Does the question ask exactly  what  you  want  it  to  ask?  If  you  request information on activities and say “recently,” do you know  what  everybody’s  definition  of  “recently”  is?  Can there be any other way to understand the question than the way you have intended the respondent to read it? The second standard is relevance to the respondent. Does the survey ask for opinions on something that the respondent might have no possible thoughts on? An example   of   this   would   be   asking   Third   Class Boatswain’s Mates about F-14 maneuvers. It obviously is not relevant to them. The final standard involves personal assumptions. Do any of your questions assume the respondent will understand  what  is  meant  by  a  certain  phrase  or question? A classic example of this has been written in scores  of  research  methods  books.  A  British  lady  asks another British lady if she was alone last night. The second  lady  says  with  confidence,  “yes.”  However,  the house was full of servants. The lady who answered the question  was  obviously  assuming  the  questioner  wanted to know if she was with anyone that counted in social circles. Assumptions are just as dangerous in surveys as they are in news stories. Pretesting A good method of ridding a survey of assumption problems and other unintended bias is to gather together some willing souls and have them complete the survey. Check  the  answers  to  the  questions  and  ask  the respondents if they had any problems understanding the questions. Then listen to their answers. Do not browbeat them, or call them idiots for not understanding what you wrote. If they did not get it, how many in the sample you take  will  misunderstand  as  well? Format Structurally, the following are the three primary types of survey questions: l l l The yes-no question is simple and is used for data that is censuslike. Demographics is usually an  either-or  question.  Yes-no  categories  include male-female, married-single, and so forth. The multiple choice question  is by far the most common type of question format used. It gives the respondent some alternatives beyond the confining yes-no choice. It is as easy to tabulate as the yes-no question and provides insight into intensities of attitudes. The open-ended question is next to impossible to tabulate and for this reason, it should be used sparingly. However, if there is a topic that is suspected  of  harboring  deep  emotions,  perhaps an  open-ended  question  is  best.  This  type  of question lets the respondent express his exact thoughts. It is also a good indicator of potential trouble spots your office might not be aware of at all. There is nothing wrong with leaving a large blank space at the end of your survey (or the back side)  to  record  any  opinions  the  respondents would  like  to  share.  You  will  not  be  able  to tabulate  the  responses  for  statistical  reliability, but they will make excellent informal data. Measuring  Intensity Another  way  of  measuring  the  intensity  of  a particular belief or attitude, other than the open-ended question,  involves  using  a  scale.  The  scale  most frequently used is the Likert scale, which is named after the  researcher  most  associated  with  its  development. The Likert scale will reveal your audience’s perception of various topics. Moreover, a Likert scale question makes a statement and categorizes the responses from 9-8