Design an Academic Survey Instrument

An academic survey instrument should begin with the research question, not the software. List the constructs you need to measure, the treatment or exposure if the study is experimental, the respondent population, and the outcomes that will appear in analysis.

Domandata helps turn that plan into a social science research survey with blocks, question types, flow, experimental conditions, quotas, and exportable data. A written instrument map makes the build faster and reduces mid-field changes.

1. Step 1: Start from Surveys. Use the top navigation to open Surveys, then choose New survey for a new instrument or open an existing draft if you are revising a study; see Create Your First Academic Research Survey for the full build path.

   Step 1: Surveys Dashboard

2. Step 2: Build sections in Block Builder. Inside the survey editor, stay on Block Builder while you create consent and screening, treatment, outcome, demographic, and end screen blocks.

   Step 2: Block Builder

3. Step 3: Move to Flow after the sections exist. Use the Flow tab to connect blocks, add condition sets, and check whether the planned paths match the instrument map.

   Step 3: Flow Canvas

4. Step 4: Use Deploy and Export as final checks. Open Deploy for link and quota settings, then open Export after pilot responses exist to confirm the data structure.

   Step 4: Deploy Tab

1. Section 1: Consent. Add a content block with the study summary, risk language, contact information, and participation choice required by your protocol.

   Section 1: Add Consent Block

2. Section 2: Screening. Add eligibility questions before the main task so ineligible respondents can be routed to the correct end screen.

   Section 2: Screening Block

3. Section 3: Treatments or stimuli. Place experimental material in its own block so Flow can route respondents into the correct arm.

   Section 3: Treatment Block

4. Section 4: Outcomes. Add the dependent variables and primary measures immediately after the relevant treatment or task.

   Section 4: Outcome Questions

5. Section 5: Covariates. Add demographics, background measures, or baseline variables where they fit the protocol and respondent burden.

   Section 5: Covariate Block

6. Section 6: End screens. Create separate completion, ineligible, quota-full, or debriefing screens so each path ends clearly.

   Section 6: End Screens

Use Multiple Choice or Dropdown for categorical variables, Short Answer for open text or numeric entry, Grid Matrix for batteries and Likert scales, Slider for continuous ratings, and Conjoint for preference experiments.

Write expected variable names, recodes, condition arms, and quota cells before publishing. This makes the export easier to analyze and helps collaborators understand the survey structure. See Survey Variable Names and Recodes and Pre-Analysis Plans and Survey Codebooks.

• Create Your First Academic Research Survey
• Organize Research Surveys With Blocks
• Demographic Survey Questions
• Create Experimental Conditions
• Preview and Pilot Test a Survey