10 academic survey examples for effective research

Academic surveys are structured research tools that help you measure attitudes, behaviours and outcomes with clarity and rigour. They turn complex questions into data you can analyse, compare and use to strengthen scholarly work.

This guide brings together 10 academic survey examples, ready-to-use questions and expert-written templates to support your next study.

Related: Why are surveys important in research?

An academic survey is a research tool used by researchers in educational or scholarly settings to explore, test or validate ideas and theories. 

Common survey formats:

Academic surveys are research instruments that help scholars translate ideas into measurable data that can be analysed, compared and used to guide academic decisions. They provide a structured way to test hypotheses, track trends across cohorts or over time, and evaluate whether programmes or interventions have a meaningful impact. 

When designed well, academic surveys provide researchers with reliable evidence to support course improvements, allocate resources, refine institutional policies and deepen understanding of the populations they study.

Below are survey examples for research you can adapt quickly to fit your organisation’s needs. Each example links to an expert-certified template so you can quickly move from idea to data collection using proven methods.

Use our university instructor evaluation survey template at the end of a course or term to understand how students experienced instructional clarity, engagement and support.

Starter questions:

A mix of Likert-scale items and open-ended questions gives you comparable metrics across groups and terms, as well as qualitative context that instructors can act on quickly.

Things to keep in mind: Keep questions behaviour-based, avoid double-barrelled items and consider enabling anonymous responses to reduce social desirability bias.

Use our teaching assistant evaluation survey template after midterm exams, major labs or discussion sessions to evaluate facilitation, feedback quality and student support.

Starter questions:

These questions focus on facilitation and responsiveness, which are two key drivers of TA effectiveness and student satisfaction.

Things to keep in mind: Provide anonymity where possible and randomise question order or tutors’ names if multiple tutors are being evaluated.

Use this university faculty satisfaction survey template to understand faculty experience, support and culture.

Starter questions:

These items examine resource access, procedural fairness and belonging, which are drivers of retention and morale.

Things to keep in mind: A longitudinal approach with a baseline and annual follow-ups makes it easier to track the impact of policy or leadership changes.

Use this university student satisfaction survey template each term to benchmark student experience and identify support gaps.

Starter questions:

These questions combine service quality and psychosocial factors linked to persistence and retention.

Things to keep in mind: Use benchmarking to compare across groups, then segment by attributes (e.g. first in the family to attend a higher education institution) to reveal equity gaps.

Use our university student graduation survey template at or shortly after graduation to track outcomes and career readiness.

Starter questions:

These items help institutions align programme inputs with measurable student outcomes and accreditation requirements.

Things to keep in mind: Invite graduates to join an alumni follow-up panel to collect periodic updates and build a longitudinal dataset.

Use this course evaluation survey template at the end of a course to evaluate design, content, workload and assessment quality.

Starter questions:

These questions connect design choices with the actual student experience, making it easier to refine future iterations.

Things to keep in mind: Ask high-level satisfaction items after detailed ones to avoid priming, and balance open-ended questions with scaled questions to streamline analysis.

Use our alumni survey template once or twice a year to understand post-graduation outcomes and engagement.

Starter questions:

These questions help connect academic preparation to labour market performance and guide alumni support strategies.

Things to keep in mind: Refresh contact lists frequently, use mixed-mode outreach to reduce non-response bias and compare results across cohorts to surface trends.

Use this education demographics survey template during orientation and periodically for reporting and equity analysis.

Starter questions:

These demographics make subgroup analysis possible and support more equitable service delivery.

Things to keep in mind: Follow an inclusive demographic survey design, include a “prefer not to say” option and consider using standardised items from the SurveyMonkey Question Bank.

Gender survey

Use our gender survey template in campus climate or inclusion research to understand students’ experiences related to gender identity and belonging.

Starter questions:

These items highlight belonging and safety indicators that strongly correlate with learning outcomes.

Things to keep in mind: Use people-first language, follow sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) question guidance and be clear about confidentiality and available support resources.

Use this social support survey template in mental health or student success initiatives to understand how connected and supported students feel.

Starter questions:

These questions provide insight into social connection and help identify factors linked to engagement and persistence.

Things to keep in mind: Include local support information if topics may be sensitive, and offer a follow-up outreach option for students who request additional support.

Academic surveys help you collect reliable data, refine your approach and build evidence that supports your research goals. These practices can strengthen your study design and improve the quality of your findings – before, during and after data collection.

A small pilot survey helps you test assumptions and catch confusing wording, unexpected completion times or early drop-off points before you scale your study. This early check makes your methodology stronger and prevents costly mid-study revisions.

Related: Survey research for your academic papers

Start by identifying the audience segment you need, such as students who are the first in their family to go to university or participants in a specific programme, and choose the sample size that gives you the confidence level and margin of error you need. Then decide how you’ll reach that group, whether through email, SMS or QR codes. For harder-to-reach populations, SurveyMonkey Audience can help you quickly source respondents who match your criteria.

When your research focuses on how attitudes or outcomes change over time, longitudinal surveys are the clearest way to track those shifts. A simple baseline paired with periodic follow-ups can reveal patterns and intervention effects that a one-time survey can’t. You can also compare your results to industry norms using benchmarking.

Surveys are useful for gathering feedback during practicum work, teaching placements or lab training. They provide structured insights into communication, preparedness and professional conduct, giving emerging educators and researchers actionable guidance as they develop their skills.

Benchmarking survey data against industry standards or existing research helps validate your findings and strengthen their real-world relevance. It can also uncover trends, highlight gaps and spark new research questions by revealing where your data aligns or diverges from the norm.

Academic surveys can strengthen your overall research design when your questions are tested to ensure they are clear, neutral, and interpreted consistently. A short round of pilot testing or a quick cognitive interview can reveal whether respondents understand key terms as you intended, improving reliability before full deployment.

Baseline surveys provide a starting point for evaluating the impact of programmes, policies or interventions. With pre- and post-comparisons, you can quantify effect sizes and better demonstrate outcomes for grants, accreditation or institutional reporting.

Trying different distribution channels helps you reach the right audience and maximise response rates. Test email, SMS, web links or QR codes to see what your population engages with and use reminders or progress indicators to improve completion.

Related: Ways to conduct data gathering

Below are topic-specific prompts you can copy, adapt and pair with templates across education and academic research fields. Each question set includes both closed-ended questions, which are easy to analyse, and open-ended questions.

Healthcare surveys help you understand access to care, patient experiences, and the factors and behaviours that may influence their health. Use these questions to explore service use, confidence and unmet needs.

Try these closed-ended questions:

Add context with open-ended prompts: What made it easier or harder to get care this year?

Tips for better data: Keep time frames clear and wording neutral. When asking about identity, follow inclusive SOGI guidance and offer a “prefer not to say” option. This guide by Stonewall can also help inform your approach.

Lifestyle surveys help you explore daily habits, such as movement, nutrition and sleep, and how they connect to broader health outcomes. These examples measure frequency and perceived impact.

Try these closed-ended questions:

Add context with open-ended prompts: What would improve your overall well-being next month?

Tips for better data: Normalise sensitive topics and include a “prefer not to say” option to encourage honest responses.

These questions help you examine learning behaviours, confidence and support both at home and in school. They can be useful for early interventions or programme evaluation.

Try these closed-ended questions:

Add context with open-ended prompts: Which classroom strategies or activities does the child find most engaging?

Tips for better data: Use age-appropriate language and include parent or guardian response options to ensure clarity.

These academic surveys help you understand attitudes, norms and behaviours, from media habits to identity and political engagement.

Try these closed-ended questions:

Add context with open-ended prompts: What helps you feel safe sharing your perspective in group discussions?

Tips for better data: Watch out for social desirability bias in value-based questions. Randomise the order of items to reduce priming effects.

Demographics help you understand who is represented in your results and allow for meaningful subgroup analysis. These questions are foundational for most academic studies.

Try these closed-ended questions:

Add context with open-ended prompts: If you selected “Other”, please describe.

Tips for better data: Follow inclusive demographic survey guidance and consider using verified items from the Question Bank to maintain consistent wording across studies.

Business surveys help you understand how organisations operate and how academic preparation connects to workplace experiences.

Try these closed-ended questions:

Add context with open-ended prompts: Which course concepts proved most valuable during your internship or job experience?

Tips for better data: Define key terms, such as “internship” or “work experience”, so respondents classify themselves accurately.

These questions help measure financial well-being, social impact and how economic conditions shape day-to-day experiences.

Try these closed-ended questions:

Add context with open-ended prompts: What campus or community resources have helped with your basic needs?

Tips for better data: Include resource links in the survey so respondents can access help immediately if needed.

Follow these steps to design and run academic research surveys that generate reliable, defensible insights.

Start by drafting 2–3 core research questions, then outline what you need to measure and how you plan to evaluate the results. This early clarity shapes your scales, question formats and sampling needs and ensures the final survey supports your research goals.

If you need a single snapshot, use a cross-sectional design. When your research requires tracking shifts over time, such as attitudes, knowledge or behaviours, use a longitudinal approach. You can start quickly by selecting from our education survey templates, which support both approaches.

Whether you begin with a survey template or create one from scratch, the next step is to formulate your questions. It’s crucial to use clear and straightforward language to ensure that all respondents understand the questions. Keep your research objectives in mind when crafting your questions to align with your survey goals. Don’t forget to include demographic data questions to provide context for your results.

A short pilot survey helps you confirm that questions are interpreted as intended and that the survey flows smoothly. Check completion time, identify any drop-off points and revise wording or ordering based on what you learn. A small pretest often prevents major rework later.

Distribute your survey through channels that your audience naturally uses, such as email, SMS or QR codes, and send reminders to boost participation. Features like progress bars and mobile-friendly formatting also improve completion rates. Consider staggering invitations if response quality may fluctuate by time of day or week.

Analyse the data received from respondents to identify patterns and trends and uncover valuable insights. Begin with summary statistics to understand overall patterns, then use crosstabs to explore differences across groups. Code open-ended responses for common themes and apply benchmarking when you want to compare your results to similar populations.

Academic surveys work best when they’re clear, well-structured and easy for respondents to complete. SurveyMonkey gives you the foundation to do that, whether you’re testing research ideas, tracking outcomes over time or gathering feedback across programmes. 

With education survey templates to help you design strong questions, SurveyMonkey Audience to reach the right respondents and benchmarking to add context to your results, you can focus on the insights that move your research forwards.

If you're ready to build your next study, explore what’s possible with SurveyMonkey for Education or get started for free.