Questionnaires and Online Questionnaires

All investigations involving human participants fall within the scope of the Code of Practice on Investigations Involving Human Participants.  This includes studies which are conducted using Questionnaires or Online Questionnaires.  Investigators should complete of the Ethics Review Form in LEON.

Participants must be provided with the relevant information regarding the study.  For online questionnaires, investigators must include a short introductory statement within the questionnaire which includes the relevant study information (a template information section for Anonymous Online Questionnaires is available through LEON).  A copy of the standard Participant Information Sheet can be provided for applicants to download if necessary.  If the questionnaire includes questions that may cause distress, the nature of these questions should be clearly stated within the introduction to the survey. 

Online Questionnaires must include a consent section so that participants can confirm their willingness to take part in the study.  Consent cannot be assumed by completion of the questionnaire or by selecting ‘next’ to continue the questionnaire.  The consent section should list the relevant clauses, but it is not necessary for each clause to be initialled (a template for online consent is available in LEON).  We recommend that there should be one box for participants to tick confirming their consent to take part in the study.

Participants should not be asked to initial or sign the consent section if the questionnaire is intended to be anonymous. 

You must only collect information that is necessary for the study.  Demographic questions are those questions used to collect general background information regarding participants.  Think carefully about which questions you need to ask and how you ask them.

In the case of anonymous questionnaires, investigators should be mindful to ensure that the demographic questions do not result in participants becoming identifiable.  If an individual could be identified from a combination of the demographic information or when linked to other available information, the questionnaire is not anonymous.  Identifiable personal information is subject to Data Protection legislation.

To ensure the questionnaire is anonymous the number of demographic questions should be limited, and it is advisable to use ranges rather than asking for specific details.  For example, instead of asking for date of birth use ranges asking their age e.g. 18-24, 25-40, 41-60, etc.  Investigators should note that details of employment or role within an organisation would also be classed as personal information if an individual can be identified.

If you are asking about an individual’s sex or gender you should consider your reasons for asking these questions to ensure that you are collecting the relevant information for your study. The World Health Organisation regional office for Europe describes sex as characteristics that are biologically defined, whereas gender is based on socially constructed features. 

The UK government defines sex as:

• referring to the biological aspects of an individual as determined by their anatomy, which is produced by their chromosomes, hormones and their interactions
• generally male or female
• something that is assigned at birth

The UK government defines gender as:

• a social construction relating to behaviours and attributes based on labels of masculinity and femininity; gender identity is a personal, internal perception of oneself and so the gender category someone identifies with may not match the sex they were assigned at birth
• where an individual may see themselves as a man, a woman, as having no gender, or as having a non-binary gender – where people identify as somewhere on a spectrum between man and woman

For further information see the ONS guidance on What is the difference between sex and gender?

Please refer to the guidance on Data Gathering - Sex and Gender for further information on which categories to include. 

Questionnaires aimed at participants who are under 18 should follow the Guidance Note on Working with Children and Young People.  Parental consent is required for those under 18.  It is recommended that a gatekeeper (e.g. School/Sports Club) is used for recruitment of participants for the questionnaire and to facilitate parental consent.

If questionnaires are not aimed at those under 18 years old, then reasonable efforts should be made to ensure that they do not have access to the questionnaire.

If investigators are recruiting participants by posting details online it is essential to contact the moderators of forums or groups before messages are posted to ensure that they are appropriate to that forum and they have made the relevant contacts with the groups involved.

If the Questionnaire includes identifiable personal information participants should be offered the opportunity to withdraw their data following completion of the study.  Participants should be given a deadline for withdrawing their data from the study and instructions on who to contact.

If the Questionnaire is anonymous participants should be advised that they can withdraw by closing the browser during completion of the questionnaire.  However, following submission of the questionnaire the data cannot be withdraw as it will not be identifiable.

We do not recommend the use of unique or self-created codes to allow otherwise anonymous participants to withdraw their data.  Use of such codes means that the data collected is no longer anonymous bringing it within the scope of the Data Protection legislation and increasing the risk of a breach of personal data. 

A debriefing statement should be incorporated following the last survey question.  This should include the investigators contact details and details of relevant support services if the survey may cause distress.

There are a number of online survey tools available, which have approved SaaS. For example, investigators across the university have access to onlinesurveys.ac.uk (formerly BOS). Investigators can contact IT Services for an account. In addition, some schools/departments may have access to other online survey tools. Please check the list of approved SaaS and contact IT services to find out whether you have access to more survey tools within your school/department. In all situations, researchers should ensure that they are aware of where the data are being stored and who has access. Researchers should also ensure this is clear to participants.

If identifiable personal information is being collected investigators must ensure that the study is compliant with Data Protection legislation. 

If investigators intend to share their data collection instruments, questionnaires can be archived for future research through the University’s Research Repository.  (Note that this is not a portal for recruiting participants.)

Heidari, S., Babor, T.F., De Castro, P. et al. Sex and Gender Equity in Research: rationale for the SAGER guidelines and recommended use. Res Integr Peer Rev 1, 2 (2016).