Pew Research’s Web IQ Quiz Suggests Need for Higher Questionnaire Design IQ

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What makes a survey good? It needs to be correct (i.e., to have correct answers that are representative of the populations being surveyed) and actionable (i.e., to have conclusions that are useful and can be implemented). Unfortunately the recent Pew Research Center’s Web IQ Quiz fails on the second criterion. Most of its questions would be more appropriate to a game of Trivial Pursuit than to a proof that U.S. adults are clueless about using the Web. Being able to identify Bill Gates or Sheryl Sandberg from their pictures is meaningless. Ditto the name of the first browser or the date of introduction of the iPhone. Moore’s Law is important as a predictor of computer speed and storage size, but has nothing to do with how people should use the Web. Etc. Interestingly, two of the most useful questions—on privacy policy and net neutrality—were answered as well (or even better) by older (50+) people than younger ones.

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