Declaration design principle #2: Ask as few questions as possible.

(continued from previous post)

Once the random sample of individuals is selected, the declaration statement or
survey questions must be carefully designed. As a general rule the declaration
statement or survey form, and questions asked of the potential class members,
should be as parsimonious as possible. Shorter forms and questions will tend to
increase the amount of effort and thought that each potential class member puts into
completing the survey.

As a general rule only questions that are germane to the issue at hand should be
included. Questions that ask the respondent about information that can be directly
obtained from other sources, such as human resource or time card records, should
be avoided. For instance, questions that ask about the person’s job title, employment
length or other work schedule related issues should generally be avoided because
this information can be obtained from other sources. The additional work required to
match the respondent's information to the survey responses is generally outweighed
by the benefits of a shorter form.

In the off-the-clock case discussed above, the attorneys, with the assistance of
economists and statisticians, devised a detailed declaration statement document of
the grocery store chain’s pharmacists. The declaration statement document had 10
questions that asked the pharmacists about their meal breaks and the frequency in
which those meal breaks were interrupted. There were also questions about the
individual’s knowledge of the company’s policy concerning meal breaks and their time
clock punch activity.