Sample Audience Analysis Questionnaire

From TechWriter Wiki

1. What is your highest qualification? [Suggested options: Doctorate, University Degree, High School Diploma]

This allows you to gauge their educational level, and therefore their reading level.

2. (a) What is your job title? (b) How long have you been in this job?

These two questions allow you to determine if there are any assumptions that can be made about prior (job) knowledge.

3. (a) Have you used {this product/technology/similar machines} before? (b) If yes, for how long?

This will allow you to decide whether you need to go back to basics when describing the product.

4. (a) Do you currently use a computer/the Internet at work? (b) If so, how often? [Suggested options: Constantly, once a day/week/month/less]. (c) If no, do you use a computer/the Internet at home?

For software documentation, this question is useful for gauging the level of computer literacy of the users. It is useful to checking whether a user use a computer at home. With the prevalence of the Internet and home computers, it is quite possible that users who do not use a computer at work are still computer-literate. It is also worth asking whether a user uses the Internet, even if only for browsing - even minimal usage will ensure that users understand how to navigate around a screen, and understand such concepts as hyperlinks (and their visual cues).

5. What is your nationality?

This allows you to decide if there are any cultural issues that need to be considered. This question may not be necessary if the documentation is for a single, known destination country, or if the survey is being conducted in a single country (but don't forget the Expats!).

6. (a) What is your native language? (b) In which other languages are you fluent?

This allows you to determine if translation is required, or whether you need to consider other 'language-neutral' methods of communication. [But bear in mind that you need to consider providing the questionnaire in multiple languages.] Asking what other languages they speak will allow you to capture English-speakers who do not consider English to be their mother tongue; not asking this could skew results by reducing the number of identified 'English-speakers'.

7. Where do you normally work? [Suggested options: In an office, on the shop floor, on the road, at home, etc.)

This allows you to capture some basic information about the user's environment. Note, however, that there is no substitute for physically viewing the user's workplace and observing them at work.

8. What one thing do you find most useful/effective/helpful about your current user documentation?

9. If there is one thing you could improve about your current user documentation, what would it be?

These last two questions allow you to gauge the user's attitude. They do not specifically address the users attitude, but specific questions (such as "Are you happy in your current job?") may be viewed suspiciously or not answered honestly. You should be able to assess the user's attitude toward documentation from their answers. It is worth while limiting the question to "...one thing" so that the users don't get carried away; it also allows you to focus on the most important issues.