Opinion questions that show whether readers see the range you publish
Ask readers whether they can tell commentary from reporting, how fair the range of views feels and whether a column made its case. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What opinion section survey questions tell you
Opinion section survey questions ask readers whether they can tell commentary from reporting, how fair the range of views is, which voices are missing and whether a single column made its case. Clicks show which columns drew readers. These answers show which arguments held up and whether your labeling works.
Ask the questions about one piece at the end of columns, targeted to opinion pages, and ask the questions about range and labeling across the whole site twice a year. Two or three questions suit a column; five to seven suit a survey about the section.
Each written answer gets a theme and a sentiment, so arguments readers found weak and voices they want are easy to find by theme. Give each writer's answers an owner in the inbox, so feedback reaches the person who wrote the piece.
- Questions
- 13
- Best asked
- At the end of a column, or twice a year
- Industry
- Media
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 13 opinion and reporting questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Opinion and news kept apart
Ask these across the site, including news pages, so you learn whether readers see where reporting ends and commentary begins.
- 01Yes / No
Can you tell our opinion pieces from our news reporting?
Whether readers can tell commentary from reporting. A low share of yes is a reason to label opinion pieces more clearly at the top and in the byline.
- 02Multiple choice
How much opinion do we publish?
The reader's view on the amount of opinion you publish. Results shows a donut with each share; select Too much to see how those readers rate the range of views.
- 12Matrix
Rate the opinion pages on each
Rates range of views, writing, labeling and evidence in one grid. The heat map with row averages shows which part of the opinion pages pulls the rating down.
The range of views
Use these twice a year and before you commission new voices, so the range follows what readers find missing.
- 09Big scale
How fair is the range of views we publish?
How fair the range of views feels, from one to ten. Results shows the average and a column per step; ask it twice a year and compare with the period before.
- 04Dropdown
How often do you read a view you disagree with here?
How often a reader meets a view they disagree with on your pages. Results shows each share and count; a lead for never suggests the range of views is narrow.
- 05Text
Which voice is missing from our opinion pages?
An open question for the missing voice. Each answer gets a theme, so filter by theme to see which perspectives readers ask for most before you commission.
- 13This or that
In opinion writing you prefer
Two choices: a strong line or a balanced view, experts or people who lived it. Results shows a split bar per pair, useful when you choose guest writers.
One opinion piece
Short questions for the end of a column, so each writer hears how the argument landed.
- 06Stars
How would you rate the argument in this piece?
A five star rating for the argument in one piece. Results shows the average and the share who gave four or more; ask it at the end of columns only.
- 07Yes / No
Did this column change your mind on anything?
A yes or no on whether the column moved the reader. The share who said yes shows which writers persuade, beyond those who draw the most clicks.
- 11Text
Which argument in this piece did not hold up?
An open question for the weak point in a piece. Each answer gets a theme and a sentiment; share them with the writer and the editor before the next column.
What readers want from the section
Ask these when you plan the opinion pages, so space goes to the formats readers read.
- 03Multiple choice
Which opinion formats do you read?
Readers pick every opinion format they read, from columns to debates. Results shows a bar per format, and a format few readers pick is worth rethinking.
- 08Multiple choice
What should an opinion piece do?
The job readers expect an opinion piece to do, from arguing a case to telling a personal story. Results shows a donut with each share, a brief for your commissioning editors.
- 10Points allocation
Split 100 points across the opinion pages
Readers split 100 points across the parts of the opinion pages. Results shows the average points per item, a guide to where space and budget should go.
Tips for asking about opinion and reporting
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask at the end of columns
Target the questions about one piece to opinion pages only, and place them inside the page after the last paragraph.
- 02
Ask about labeling across the site
Ask whether readers can tell opinion from news on news pages too, including readers who never open the opinion section.
- 03
Keep column surveys to three questions
The rating, whether it changed their mind and the argument that didn't hold up. Readers who just finished a column answer those quickly.
- 04
Pass answers to the writer
Give each writer's answers an owner in the inbox, so feedback on an argument reaches the person who made it.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about opinion and reporting
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
Target the survey to opinion pages and place it inside the page after the last paragraph, or in a popup once the reader scrolls most of the way down.
Two or three: the rating for the argument, whether it changed the reader's mind and an open question. Keep the questions about the whole section for a separate survey.
Yes. Ask the first question across the site, including news pages, and select No in Results to see what else those readers said.
Start with whether readers can tell opinion from reporting, the fairness of the range of views and the voice that is missing.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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