Call For Proposals
Time Estimation Rubric
Below is a scoring rubric for estimating the expected time CivicPulse respondents will take to complete your module. This scoring system is based on analyses of past CivicPulse surveys.
Using this rubric, (1) write the total point value and estimated survey time on top of your submitted questionnaire, (2) write the point value for each question in parentheses next to each question number.
When working on your proposal, keep in mind that survey can be a maximum of 4 minutes long.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to email us at info@civicpulse.org.
Point-to-time conversion: 1 point = 10 seconds
Note on length of question prompts: All categories below assume a prompt of no more than 30 words (about two sentences). Each additional 10 words (rounding up) should be scored as an additional 0.5 points.
Note on length of answer choices: Each answer choice is assumed to be no more than 5 words. Each additional 5 words of text (rounding up) should be scored as an additional 0.5 points.
Category | Base Point Estimate | Other Comments |
|---|---|---|
Multiple-choice, choose one | 1 point | We generally discourage more than seven answer choices. |
Multiple-choice, choose multiple | 1 point for every three answer choices | |
Grid | 1 point + 0.5 points per row | We do not recommend more than 5 answers choices (columns). |
Open-ended question
(single-line answer) | 2 points | Responses that only require a few words |
Open-ended question
(multi-line answer) | 4 points | 2-3 sentence responses |
Ranking | 1 point for every two answer choices | |
Numerical response | 1.5 points | |
Slider | 1 point |
¹ We add a standard statement after all multi-line open-ended questions that says, “Please limit your answer to 2–3 sentences.” In the past, we have found this encourages a higher question completion rate — the current rate is approximately 60-70%. The 4-point score is “discounted” to reflect this partial completion rate.