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The Demographix Research Blog

Random thoughts from the team at demographix, keeping you up to date with what's new in the world of online research. Use the year and month links below to navigate the blog entries.

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April 2013 blog entries:

Matrix questions to be slimlined for smartphones

17 Apr 2013 — Matrix questions with long pieces of text in the y-axis (row titles) or many options on the x-axis (answer options) are simply not suitable for smartphones, though slightly less problematic on tablets. Here's an example of a standard matrix question grid:

We have recognised that the current "mass move to mobile" among technology users means that for many respondents using smartphones, matrix questions can be difficult to navigate.

Our development labs are currently working on technology that will create "slimline" versions of matrix questions, and these will automatically display when a survey is being viewed on a smartphone, as shown at left.

We are expecting to be able to offer slimline versions of all matrix questions, with dynamic redisplay technology. Currently we offer (radio button) single choice, (tick box) multi-choice, and (text entry) write-in options as the three main alternatives for matrix questions.

In the meantime, when using matrix questions with a single choice per row, it is better to use dropdown menus rather than columns of radio buttons (as the column headers will not be visible as they scroll down).

Read our tips on survey optimisation for mobiles here

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