Demographics questions in Simulator

Getting the questions right

It's important to ask the right demographic questions for your organisation.

There is a balance to be struck between asking questions that support the exercise and aid analysis, and ensuring not to block participation or compromise a respondent's anonymity.

Your customer success manager will be happy to help you frame the questions to ensure they are inclusive and specific.

Top tips...

  • Try and keep the number of questions minimal (maximum of 10 allowed)
  • Let your respondents know why you're asking the questions
  • Give respondents the opportunity to opt out i.e. 'Prefer not to say'
  • Keep required questions to a minimum - this helps you to keep respondents happy 

If your question requires further explanation or 'framing' let your customer success manager know and we can put in text above or below the question. 

Demographic question and answer component types

Single line text boxes (NB the explanatory text in grey below the answer component)

Example of a single line text box being used for the question: Please tell us your home postcode. Set as required with help text stating: This will be used for analysis purposes only and we will not be able to identify individuals from this information.

Drop down menu (respondent can select only one option)

Example of a dropdown question type for 'What is your age?' with a dropdown list to select an age group.

You have a couple of choices on how you'd like us to frame this for you. You can have the standard drop down options, where each line is an answer option. There is an option, called a 'nested' drop down, which has grey headings that helps to split up the answer options into groupings, but is not selectable itself.

Example of a dropdown question, 'How would you describe your ethnic background?', with nested headings for the different answer options. Grey group headings include: White; Irish; Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups; Asian/Asian British; Black/African/Caribbean/Black British; and Other Ethnic Group. The answer options are within each relevant group.

Chose which you'd prefer depending on the answer.


Radio buttons (respondent can select only one option) 

Example of a radio button question where the respondent selects one answer to the question. Example question: What is your gender? With the answer options, Male, Female, Transgender, Rather not say

Check boxes (respondent can select as many options as they like) 

Example of a check box question where the respondent can select multiple options to the question: Which of the following apply to you? Answer options include: I'm involved with a voluntary/community sector organisation; I am involved with a private sector organisation; I am involved with a public sector organisation; I receive housing, advice or benefit services provided by the Council; I am a parent / guardian of a child at nursery, primary or secondary school; and a child in my family receives care from the Council.

Multiple line text  

Example of a multiple lines text box question where the respondent can leave an extended typed answer. Question example; Please enter your name and contact details if you are happy for us to contact you by post/email. With help text: We won't pass your details to anyone else.

Please be aware that all questions are subject to our formatting and standardisation templates.

It is worth keeping the below in mind, as we aren't able to:

  • route questions depending on answers given. 
  • implement any components that aren't listed above. 

Making changes to questions once deployment has started

The demographics questions handed over to your customer success manager need to be the final signed off version.

With this in mind, please ensure you have had the questions, wording and punctuation completely signed off before passing them to Delib. This is especially important if we are deploying a version for you in any other language than English.

If in doubt ask your customer success manager for a chat, we will be happy to discuss what is possible and agree an approach before deployment.