Examples for Demographic Questions for Survey Projects Office of

Examples for Demographic Questions for Survey Projects

Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning

January 17, 2019

Context: IRAP has received requests about appropriate phrasing of demographic questions for survey and research projects on campus. To help address those questions and

provide some guidance, this document provides examples for phrasing demographic questions when conducting research on-campus. We reviewed standard reporting

requirements to federal and state agencies and consulted campus units and off-campus resources for the examples.

Researchers on campus are free to use or not use these examples based on your individual project needs. The goal is to provide multiple, inclusive options for collecting

demographic data on surveys as needed to help us provide a supportive environment for all people on campus.

Factors to Consider as you Choose Demographic Questions:

 Adding demographic questions to a survey or research project can be useful if you believe that responses to the main questions in your project might differ based on

how participants answer demographic questions. (e.g. Prior research indicates gender identity might impact responses to survey items or experimental treatments.)

 Adding questions to a survey or a research project can make the survey longer and lead to lower response rates. Carefully consider what questions to add and what

purpose the responses will serve.

 It is advisable to provide an option to allow people to self-identify for a particular demographic variable and an option to not respond.

 The examples provided in columns 2 and 3 of the table below are generally more inclusive than the reporting language required at the state/federal level.

 The needs of your professional organization or publication in your field may follow a standard disciplinary convention that sets an expectation for reporting

demographic information about your sample (e.g. APA Style includes a participants section that includes demographics).

 Determining how representative your sample of respondents is compared to the overall UWL student body or other population is a common task in reporting results.

You can only address that issue if you capture demographic information on your data collection tools or have a method to match students to other sources of that

demographic information (e.g. WINGS).

 Collecting demographic data of a sensitive nature increases the responsibility of the researcher to maintain data security.

 You may need to collapse various responses when analyzing the collected data in order to have a large enough sample for data analysis. The desire to be inclusive often

competes with the methodological/statistical concerns of analyzing data when categories need to be combined to allow for meaningful analysis. Seek guidance from

appropriate campus resources, such as the Statistical Consulting Center, as you face these issues.

 If the number of respondents in a demographic group is smaller than 5, you should not present or publish publicly about that group because the number is small

enough that individuals could be identified. Recall the importance of treating your respondents and their data ethically as required by our IRB protocols.

The most common questions we have received in the office relate to the phrasing of gender identity/gender expression, sexuality, race, ethnicity, first generation status, and Pell

grant eligibility. We have also included military/veteran status and student classification.

Table 1: Exemplars of Demographic Items for Surveys or other Research Projects

Demographic

Category

Example(s) Based on

State/Federal Reporting Requirements

Examples

Additional Examples

Race/Ethnicity

Common Data Set/IPEDS:

 Hispanic/Latino

 Black or African American, Non-Hispanic

 White, Non-Hispanic

 American Indian or Alaska Native, Non-Hispanic

 Asian, Non-Hispanic

 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Non-

Hispanic

 Two or more races, Non-Hispanic

 Race and/or Ethnicity Unknown

A separate variable is captured for international students,

which are reported as

 Non-resident Alien

UW System Common Application:

Ethnicity:

Are you of Hispanic or Latino/a origin?

 Yes/No

(If Yes, choose one or more from the following list.)

 Cuban

 Puerto Rican

 Mexican, Mexican American, or Chicano/a

 Other Hispanic or Latino/a

Race:

Choose one or more of the list below.

 African American or Black

 American Indian or Alaska Native (specific tribal

affiliation)

 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

 Cambodian

 Hmong

 Laotian

 Vietnamese

 Other Asian

 White

Campus Climate 2018:

What is your race/ethnicity? (Check all that

apply)

 White

 Hispanic, Latinx, or Spanish Origin

 Black or African American

 Asian**

 Native American or Alaskan Native

 Hawaiian Native or other Pacific

Islander

 Some other race, ethnicity, or

origin______

**IRAP recommends, based on our student

population, to split the Asian

category into Southeast Asian and Other Asian.

Another option would be to include more

specifiers after Southeast Asian to read

Southeast Asian (Hmong, Laotian, Cambodian,

Vietnamese)

ACPA Standards 2013**:

How would you describe your racial

identity?

 Free Response_______

 Prefer not to answer

Researcher then must code free responses

as:

 African American or Black

 American Indian or Alaska Native

or Indigenous or First Nation

 Arab or Middle Eastern

 Asian or Asian American

 Hispanic or Latina or Latino

 Multiracial or Biracial

 Individual who list two or more

races

 No response

 Prefer not to answer

**American College Personnel Association

(ACPA) is now the College Student

Educators International (www.myacpa.org)

Demographic

Category

Example(s) Based on

State/Federal Reporting Requirements

Examples

Additional Examples

Gender/Gender

Identity**

Common Data Set/IPEDS:

 Male

 Female

UW System Common Application:

Gender

For state and federal reporting, please provide: __Female

__Male

Gender Identity:

 Woman

 Man

 Trans or Transgender

 A gender identity not listed here

 Prefer not to Answer

Campus Climate 2018:

Which term best describes your gender identity?

 Woman**

 Man**

 Transgender woman

 Transgender man

 Non-binary or gender queer

 Two-spirited (refers to a person who

has both a masculine and a feminine

spirit, and is used by some First Nations

people to describe their sexual, gender

and/or spiritual identity. This is a Native

American identity.)

 Self identify:_____________

National Survey of Student Engagement:

What is your gender identity?

 Man**

 Woman**

 Another gender identity, please specify___

 I prefer not to respond

**Some researchers prefer to replace Woman

with Cisgender Woman and Man with Cisgender

Man to denote respondents whose personal

identity and gender matches their birth sex.

ACPA/CSEI Demographic Standards 2013:

How do you describe your gender identity?

 Free Response_______

 Prefer not to answer

Researcher then must code free responses

as:

 Man or Male or Masculine

 Transgender Man or Male or

Masculine

 Transgender Woman or Female or

Feminine

 Woman or Female or Feminine

 Gender non-conforming or

Gender queer

 Intersex or other related terms

 No Response

 Prefer not to answer

First Generation

Status

(often defined as

neither parent or

guardian who

student has lived

with has a

bachelors

degree)

UW System Application:

Has either of your parents earned a four-year

college/university degree?

Yes/No.

Campus Climate Survey 2018:

What is the highest level of education completed

by your parent(s)/legal guardian(s)?

Mother/Legal Guardian 1

 Less than high school

 High school graduate

 Some college

 2 year degree

 4 year degree

 Professional degree

 Doctorate

Same options repeated for Father/Legal

Guardian 2

Note: Focusing this item on the student’s primary

caregivers education level without denoting

parental gender is advised.

National Survey of Student Engagement

What is the highest level of education

completed by either of your parents (or

those who raised you)?

 Did not finish high school

 High school diploma or GED

 Attended college but did not

complete degree

 Associates degree (A.A., A. S., etc)

 Bachelor’s degree (B.A., B. S., etc)

 Master’s degree (M.A., M.S., etc)

 Doctoral or professional degree

(Ph.D., J.D., M.D., etc)

Demographic

Category

Example(s) Based on

State/Federal Reporting Requirements

Examples

Additional Examples

Pell Grant

Eligibility

(sometimes used

as proxy for low

income)

Common Data Set:

 Recipient of a Federal Pell Grant

 Recipient of a Subsidized Stafford Loan who did

not receive a Pell Grant

 Student did not receive either a Pell Grant or a

subsidized Stafford Loan

Note: These categories come from Financial Aid data and

won’t work well as items for student surveys. Shown only

as an example of how IRAP reports data for this variable.

WINGS Student Database: (based on Financial Aid Data)

Pell Eligibility: Yes/No

Arizona State Student Affairs Guide:

Did you receive a Federal Pell Grant as part of

your financial aid package?

 Yes

 No

 I don’t know

It may be useful to use a Social Class

Identity variable in lieu of Pell Grant Status.

Student Experience in the Research

University (SERU):

Which term best describes your social class

identity?

 Wealthy

 Upper-middle or professional

 Middle-class

 Working-class

 Low-income or poor

Sexuality

Sexuality is not asked nor tracked for State or Federal

Reporting

Campus Climate 2018:

Which term best describes your sexuality?

 Asexual (You experience little to no sexual

attraction.)

 Bisexual (You are attracted sexually and/or

romantically to two or more genders.)

 Gay, lesbian or queer (You are a man or a

woman who is attracted sexually and/or

romantically to others of the same gender.)

 Heterosexual/straight

 Pansexual (Gender is irrelevant to you in

matters of sexual and/or romantic

attraction.)

 Questioning (You are someone who is

questioning your sexual orientation.)

 Self identify: ________

 Prefer not to identify

National Survey of Student Engagement:

Which of the following best describes your

sexual orientation?

 Straight (heterosexual)

 Bisexual

 Gay

 Lesbian

 Queer

 Questioning or unsure

 Another sexual orientation, please specify:

________

 I prefer not to respond

ACPA/CSEI Demographic Standards 2013:

How do you describe your sexual identity?

 Free Response_______

 Prefer not to answer

Researcher then must code free responses

as:

 Asexual

 Bisexual

 Fluid

 Gay

 Heterosexual

 Lesbian

 Pansexual

 Queer

 Questioning

 No Response

 Prefer not to answer

Demographic

Category

Example(s) Based on

State/Federal Reporting Requirements

Examples

Additional Examples

Military Status

/Veteran Status

UW System Application:

Have you and/or a parent or spouse served in the U.S.

Military? (Check all that apply).

__Self __Parent/Spouse __ Neither

Campus Climate Survey 2018:

What is your military status? (Check all the

apply)

 Never served

 Active Duty

 National Guard/Reserves

 Military spouse

 Military dependent/child

 Veteran (eligible to receive VA benefits)

Other (Please specify)_______

Arizona State Student Affairs Guide:

Do you identify as an active member or

veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces,

Reserves, or National Guard?

 No

 Yes, veteran

 Yes, active duty.

National Survey of Student Engagement:

Are you a current or former member of the

U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves or National

Guard? Yes/No

Student

Classification

What is you student classification? (Based on Credit

reporting)

 FR (0-29 credits)

 SO (30-59 credits)

 JR (60-89 credits)

 SR (90+ credits)

 Other (for example, non-degree seeking, seeking

second degree) Please specify: _________

Arizona State Student Affairs Guide

What is you academic class standing?

 First-year

 Sophomore

 Junior

 Senior

 Graduate or Professional

Note: First year and Freshman are not

always interchangeable terms. IRAP

standard reports using student credit hours

identify students with under 30 credits as

freshman. First-year student is a broader

term that can encompass any new student

to UWL, or those in their first year of

college on any campus and recognized as

more inclusive. Researchers need to

determine the purpose of tracking class

level to decide upon the appropriate term.

Saved at: N:\IRAP\Reports for UWL Websites

Other Resources:

The ACPA/CSEI 2013 Standards:

http://www.myacpa.org/sites/default/files/Proposal-Demographic-Questions-and-Responses-2.pdf

Guidelines from Arizona State University Student Affairs:

https://lgbtq.arizona.edu/sites/lgbtq.arizona.edu/files/Inclusive%20and%20Functional%20Demographic%20Questions.pdf

File developed by UWL Faculty/Staff for gender and race/ethnicity items:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NMZIBYldFbAvGUdg39ya2D99vg1vJWedQkQu_KYUwro/edit?ts=5c352508

Article describing a process to explain the use of demographic questions to respondents to improve response rates to them.

Lor, M., Bowers, B. J., Krupp, A., and Jacobson, N. (2017). Tailored explanation: A strategy to minimize nonresponse in demographic items among low income racial and ethnic

minorities. Survey Practice, 10 (3).

Duke University Initiative on Survey Methodology with helpful tips (left panel menu): https://dism.ssri.duke.edu/about