"Don't Know" Responses in Research

When researchers encounter 'don't know' responses they need to have a system for handling them. A don't know response can be because of a couple different things. If a researcher responds don't know they may truly have no response or idea on how to answer the question. The other thing could be that they do not understand the question. Either scenario could have negative affects on the research results. If they subject truly doesn't know the answer then the best course of action is to not include the response in the results. If the subject does not understand the question then the question can be restated to be clearer. If the question is restated then it may be best to return to the question later in the survey rather than directly following the initial ask.

Another possibility with 'don't know' responses is that the subject may be unwilling or uncomfortable answering the question. This is where it is critical to explain the contents of the survey ahead of time and also to word the questions in such a way as to not make the subjects any more uncomfortable than necessary. Also, designing the questions as to illicit the appropriate response will include wording to avoid 'don't know' response.