When there are only a few mutually exclusive choices, radio buttons are often displayed in a single column vertical format. The command used to create this example was: Radio Age

When a question contains more than half a dozen choices, they are often displayed in two columns in order to save screen space. The order in which the response choices are presented can be randomized. Additionally, a text box can be placed adjacent to any choice (usually used for the "Other - please specify"). The command used to create this example was: Radio (2) Fruit

Likert scale questions are often presented in a horizontally. The horizontal format is ideal where there are few choices with short answers. Numeric values and be shown or not shown with the response choice labels. The command used to create this example was: Radio (H) Rating

Horizontal matrix formats are useful when a series of questions can be logically grouped together and all have the same response choices. The order of the questions can be randomized. Numerical values can be placed next to some or all of the response choices. For example, you wouldn't want the "No Opinion" choice to have a numerical value. The command used to create this example was: Radio (-) Opinion1 - Opinion4

In some surveys, there are two response scales for each question. These can be presented as two separate horizontal matrices, or they can be displayed side-by-side. The command used to create this example was: Radio (C) Q1a - Q6b

Male Female

When there are too many possible responses for radio buttons, dropdown menus are used instead. Screen space is at a premium in Web surveys and dropdown menus use very little space. List boxes do not save space. They are just another way to display response choices that could be shown with a single column radio button format.

Multiple response questions use check boxes. Radio buttons allow respondents to only select one choice. Check boxes let respondents select more than one choice. Several validity checks can be performed (e.g., select at least x check boxes, select exactly x check boxes, and select up to x check boxes).

When there are only a few items to select, a single column vertical format works well. If the response choice text is very long (i.e., complete sentences or phrases) then the single column vertical format is a good choice. The command used to create this example was: Checkbox HearAbout1 - HearAbout4

When screen space is at a premium, check boxes can be displayed in two columns. The command used to create this example was: Checkbox (2) Q5_1 - Q5_8

Multiple response checkboxes can also be presented in horizontal format. The command to create the Web object is easy to change from one format to another, so you can easily try the different formats to see what looks best. The command used to create this example was: Checkbox (H) Day1 - Day7

Check boxes can also be displayed in a matrix format. When a series of multiple response questions can be logically grouped together and all have the same response choices, the matrix format is a good choice. The command used to create this example was: Checkbox Q1_1 - Q3_4

Text boxes are frequently used in Web surveys. They allow the respondent enter free form text rather than selecting from a set of response choices. Text boxes can be used to rank items, to enter numeric responses, or to enter open-ended text.

A single line text box is used when the expected response is brief or will be numeric. While a single line text box can accommodate as much text as you want, the respondent will only see the text that is displayed in the text box window at any given time. When longer responses are expected, a multiple line text box is preferred. The command used to create this example was: Textbox (1) Email

When you expect that the respondents will type long responses consisting of one or more sentences, a multiple line text box is preferred. You can limit respondent's answers to a specific number of characters and display a progress indicator bar underneath the text box to show them how much they've typed and how much is left. The command used to create this example with a progress indicator was: Textbox (P) Suggestions

The most common use of grouped text boxes is when there are a series of questions that can logically be grouped together, all requiring a numeric response. The command used to create this example was: Textbox Prices - Dividends

When you want the sum of the numeric responses to add to 100, you can modify the command to provide a "total" cell to make it easier for the respondent to know what's left. The command used to create this example was: Textbox Growth1 - Growth4 /T

In another example, you might want respondents to rank a group of items, say 1, 2, and 3. You can create various validity checks to control the responses (e.g., no duplicate ranks, all three ranks must be specified, etc.). Two commands were used to create this example, one for the text boxes and one for the validity check:
Textbox Priority1 - Priority6
Rank (3) Priority1 - Priority6

Sliders are a good method to present psychometric scaling questions in a visual perspective. Instead of asking a respondent to type a number between 0 and 100, you ask them to move the slider to a position on the scale.  Sliders are not a standard Web object, but rather a special feature in StatPac Web survey software. The command used to create this example was:
Slider (Pessimism/Optimism Rating, Very Pessimistic, Neutral, Very Optimistic) Economy