How to Tabulate Survey Results

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A survey is a great way to gather information about the needs and opinions of your target market. Many survey questions ask for answers that are too complex to tabulate (like, "What else would you like to tell us?"), but many survey questions use a multiple choice approach that lends itself to quantifying answers in a simple, direct format. Once you have tabulated your survey results, you can produce bar graphs or pie charts to depict these answers and make them even clearer and more accessible.

1 Create a chart

Create a chart for each question with a multiple choice answer. Dedicate a column for each possible choice.

2 Go through the completed surveys

Go through the completed surveys and make a scratch mark for each multiple choice answer in the column you have designated for that answer.

3 Count the scratch

Count the scratch marks you have made next to each answer to determine the number of people surveyed who have chosen that option.

4 Count the total number

Count the total number of completed surveys. Divide the number of people who have chosen each answer by the total number of respondents to calculate the percentage of respondents who have chosen that particular answer.

Devra Gartenstein is an omnivore who has published several vegan cookbooks. She has owned and run small food businesses for 30 years.

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