Surveys to the left of me, surveys to the right of me...

I thought I was done with all the surveys, but then there was another one. I have been having difficulty answering the questions in the surveys, so I thought I might post a few of the areas with which I have been having trouble. The ramifications, of course, are that the results of the surveys I've already taken may be tainted or skewed, but for those of you who will be sending future surveys, here are some pointers.

1. Ask just one question per item, please.
Don't do this: Do you eat raccoons? If so, how many times per week?
Break this into two questions.

2. Be specific when it comes to quantity.
Don't do this: How many raccoons do you eat?
Instead, ask: On average, how many whole raccoons do you eat in one week?

3. When asking money questions, please specify pre-tax or post-tax.
Don't do this: How much do the raccoons you eat weigh?
Instead, ask: After skinning, how much does the average raccoon that you eat weigh?

Attention to clarity and specificity will help me answer your questions and help you to obtain the best results.

P.S. These are examples only. You could also ask questions about journalism; no need to restrict your questions to edible wildlife.

Kye Haina
Kamehameha Maui
Pukalani, Hawai'i