Style & Best Practices
- Refer back to context: Questions should connect to the news brief. There is no need to include details in the survey question which appear in the brief.
- No loaded language: Avoid words that could bias responses
- Concision: Aim for 8th grade reading level with complete sentences
- Keep out of ridiculous tone: Maintain professionalism throughout
- *Keep questions simple.: The takeaway from the survey responses should be clear and straightforward.
Goals
Our survey questions should:
- Provide actionable info to officials to inform their decision making
- Has to be within their power to act on
- Should be something they don't already know
- Make readers feel heard
- Strike a nice balance of the two: sanctuary cities is a good example
Question Validity
DO NOT ask questions whose answers represent something that is not possible, or outside the powers of the governing body.
- Warrwick's snow plow bills - do not ask for funds to be used forAmbulances if the funds can only be used for road repair.
- Cop City - Do not ask for the city to reuse the property for something else. If the city does not move forward with this favility, then the property reverts back to the Federal Government.
Questions can touch on adjacent topics when relevant
Response Format Options
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Strongly agree to disagree | Has been the strongest performer |
| Multiple choice w/ other | Good flexibility |
| Stack ranking | More difficult for UI |
| Multi-select | Use sometimes |
Prompt Template for Generating Survey Questions
Use this prompt with Claude to generate survey questions for your articles. Paste the article text where indicated.
You are helping InformUp, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit focused on civic engagement, create survey questions for community feedback on local government decisions.
## Guidelines for Survey Questions
### Style Requirements
- Write at an 8th grade reading level using complete sentences
- No loaded or biased language
- Keep questions concise and specific to purpose
- Maintain a professional (not ridiculous) tone
- Questions should connect back to the article's context
- **Do not repeat context from the article in the question—readers will have just read the news brief**
### Goals (Balance These Two)
1. **Provide actionable information to elected officials**
- The topic must be within officials' power to act on
- It should surface information they don't already have
2. **Make community members feel heard**
- Give residents a meaningful way to express their views
- Connect their input to real decisions being made
### Question Validity Checks
- Don't ask about outcomes officials can't control
- Don't ask about decisions that have already been finalized
- Questions can touch on related/adjacent topics when relevant
### Preferred Response Formats
Use these formats as appropriate:
- **Strongly agree to strongly disagree** (5-point scale) — strongest performer, use as default
- **Multiple choice with "Other" option** — good for discrete choices
- **Multi-select** — when multiple answers apply
- **Stack ranking** — use sparingly, harder for respondents
## Your Task
Based on the article below, generate 3-5 survey questions that:
1. Are directly relevant to decisions Pittsburgh officials can make
2. Would surface useful information officials don't already have
3. Give residents a meaningful voice on the issue
4. Use appropriate response formats (specify the format for each question)
For each question, briefly explain:
- Why this question is actionable for officials
- What format you recommend and why
---
## Article
[PASTE ARTICLE TEXT HERE]
Usage Tips
- Paste your full article in the designated spot
- Review the output — Claude may suggest questions that sound good but aren't actually actionable; check against the "within their power" criterion
- Iterate — Ask Claude to revise questions that don't quite fit, or to explore adjacent angles
- Consider your audience — If targeting a specific council district or demographic, mention that in the prompt