What is the Question Keeper for?
The Question Keeper is a database of survey questions that allows you to build your own evaluation questionnaire. The overall purpose is to enable everyone working in the area of food systems do their own evaluation. Users are free to modify the tools they generate in Question Keeper to match their own situation.
Who can use the Question Keeper?
Anybody wanting to evaluate a program, policy, activity or meeting related to local foods. Start by creating a free account here: Apply Now.
How did this project start?
Over the years, the Leopold Center and Local Foods team evaluators (Corry Bregendahl and Arlene Enderton) have received countless requests for help building evaluation surveys and questionnaires from a variety of groups and partners. This tool will help individuals and organizations (including ourselves) efficiently and quickly create evaluation tools that have been field tested and refined.
A contract with the University of Minnesota allowed us to develop this tool.
How are the surveys in the database selected?
These are surveys that have been administered at least once by the local foods team team or partners. Some have been developed and published by leaders in the field.
Is there a list of all the surveys in this database?
Yes, and you can find that list, along with a short description of the survey and its target audience here: https://www.questionkeeper.extension.iastate.edu/surveys-and-audiences
Are the questions validated? (Published in peer-reviewed journals)
Not in the scientific sense, but they have been tested and administered and in some cases modified as a result.
Why do I need to create an account?
The creators of the database would like to track who is using the database.
Can I remove questions from the list before I download them?
Yes. Go to My Questionnaires in your Navigation box and click on the Remove questions button and select the questions you would like to remove before clicking on "Remove selected questions from [NAME OF QUESTIONNAIRE]".
The file in my excel file is messy, what can I do?
Select your entire table and click on wrap around.
Can I choose multiple audience categories in my search?
You can only choose one audience category for your search. However, you can choose as many tags as you wish - these might help refine your audience type.
How can I find the entire survey a question comes from?
The survey your question comes from is referred to in the 4th column in the question selection page. That reference will also be downloaded into your csv file. If you are interested in finding the questions only from a particular survey, select the survey you are looking for in the drop down menu called Survey in the question selection page.
Where can I find a definition for each tag?
The definition of each tag is listed on the left hand side of your screen when you are selecting questions.
I still have questions, who can I contact?