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Abstract:
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Six surveys conducted in 2006 on a variety of populations and topics have included variations in the space provided to answer open-ended questions. In each case one-half of the prepared surveys provided white space below the open-ended question to enter a response. In the other half of the surveys the whitespace was framed with a solid line, creating a box, as a visual cue to the respondent as the space where an answer could be entered. Under investigation here are the different response rates using the two formats, the length of the answers provided, whether the borders of the boxed versions were violated when answers were longer than the space provided, and the number of themes contained in answers using both response formats.
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