For students and researchers

Your thesis survey, step by step

From working out how many responses you need to exporting the data for your analysis. With free tools and a Free plan to build and share the questionnaire.

Create my free surveyCalculate my sample

How to run your thesis survey

  1. 1. Calculate your sample

    Before writing questions, decide who you will survey and how many responses you need. Your supervisor will ask you to justify that number.

    • Define the population: for example, “undergraduate students in my faculty” or “small shop owners in my area”.
    • With the confidence level (almost always 95%) and margin of error (usually ±5%) you get the sample size.
    • Not everyone will answer: if you expect 1 in 3 to respond, invite three times as many.
    Sample size calculator

  2. 2. Build the questionnaire

    Start from your objectives and variables: every question should measure something you will analyze. If you don’t know what you’ll do with an answer, drop it.

    • Group questions by dimension or variable, each group on its own page.
    • Use agreement scales (Likert) to measure attitudes and perceptions, and closed options for data like age or major.
    • Avoid double-barreled questions (“Is the course useful and fun?”) and leading words.
    • Make the questions you need for the analysis required, so you don’t end up with incomplete responses.

  3. 3. Run a pilot test and check reliability

    Send the survey to 20 or 30 people similar to your sample. Check whether they understand the questions, how long it takes and whether the scales measure consistently.

    • Ask them at the end what was hard to understand. Fix the wording before launching.
    • Export the responses and calculate Cronbach’s alpha for each scale. 0.7 and above is usually considered acceptable.
    • If a question lowers alpha, rewrite it or remove it.
    Cronbach’s alpha calculator

  4. 4. Share it and track progress

    In SurvIQ people answer from their phone without creating an account. Share it by link, WhatsApp, email or QR code.

    • Ask before posting it in university or community WhatsApp groups, and explain what it is for.
    • Put a QR code on a poster or on a class slide.
    • You can close the survey automatically when it reaches your number of responses or on a date.
    • See in real time how many responses you have and how many people finish.

  5. 5. Analyze and export your data

    Results show up in charts as responses arrive. For your statistical analysis, download the data.

    • Export to CSV (on the Free plan) and open it in Excel, SPSS (File > Import Data > CSV), R, Stata or Jamovi.
    • Use SurvIQ’s AI to summarize open answers or group them into themes, and always review what it suggests.
    • To compare groups (for example men and women), you can use the compare two percentages tool.
    Compare two percentages

Informed consent

Many universities require people to agree to take part before answering. In SurvIQ you can add a text at the start and a required “I agree to take part” question.

You are invited to take part in a study on [topic] for the thesis of [your name], [program], [university]. It takes about [X] minutes. Taking part is voluntary and you can leave the survey at any time. Responses are anonymous and will only be used for academic purposes. If you have questions, write to [email].

This is an example. Check with your supervisor or your university’s ethics committee what it must say.

What the Free plan includes

  • Up to 3 active surveys, no credit card.
  • Single and multiple choice, rating scale, NPS, text, number and date questions.
  • Information text at the start (for consent) and required questions.
  • Link, WhatsApp, email and QR code sharing.
  • Live results and CSV export.
  • AI actions every month to build the survey or summarize answers.

From the Basic plan

  • Likert scale and matrix questions (several statements on the same scale).
  • Conditional logic: show questions based on earlier answers.
  • Excel, PDF and PowerPoint export for your appendices and defense.

On the Free plan you can build an agreement scale with a 5-option single choice question.

Free survey tools

Sample size calculatorHow many responses you need for results you can trust.Margin of error calculatorHow precise the results from the responses you already have are.Cronbach’s alpha calculatorCheck your questionnaire’s reliability with your pilot test data.Compare two percentagesFind out if the difference between two groups is real or could be chance.NPS calculatorGet your Net Promoter Score from promoters, passives and detractors.CSAT calculatorShare of satisfied customers and average score on a 1 to 5 scale.Response rate calculatorWhat share of people answered your survey and how many dropped out halfway.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?
Yes. The Free plan is free forever and is enough to build, share and export a thesis survey. You can try the paid plans for 7 days.
Are responses anonymous?
SurvIQ doesn’t ask respondents for an account or email. A response only includes personal data if you ask for it in the survey.
Can I move the data to SPSS?
Yes. Export responses to CSV and in SPSS use File > Import Data > CSV Data. Each question becomes a column.
How many responses do I need?
It depends on your population, confidence level and margin of error. The sample size calculator tells you in seconds.
Can the survey be in another language?
Yes. Each survey can be in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German or Italian, and you can add translations.

Start your survey today

Create your free account, build the questionnaire and share it in minutes.

Create my free survey