Research Topics:

Data Analysis | Quantitative Research

Industry/Market Focus:

Consumers

Content Type:

Glossary

Closed-End Question Definition

Questions that ask the respondent to choose from a limited number of pre-listed answers.

A closed-end question asks the respondent to choose from a limited number of pre-listed and predefined answers. These choices typically include options such as "yes" or "no," multiple-choice or rating scales. Respondents must choose from the provided responses without providing open-ended explanations of their own. Close-ended questions are valuable to market research because they provide standardized data. This data is easily quantifiable and can be analyzed to identify patterns, trends and correlations.

Who relies on closed-ended questions?

Researchers and marketing professionals use closed-ended questions to gather specific, structured data – in particular, quantitative information or statistics designed to easily compare and analyze – from respondents. 

Why should I care about closed-ended questions?

Closed-end questions allow for efficient data collection and analysis, from which quantitative insights from target audiences are easily derived. What’s more, closed-ended questions are easy to administer, which makes them suitable for surveys and questionnaires. Moreover, responses from closed-ended questions can lend themselves to informed decision-making, to better understanding customer preferences and to more effective  measurement of marketing campaigns.