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An opinion question screens in enthusiasts. Ask what the person did, and let the session collect what they think.
User research screener: qualify people by what they did
A user research screener decides who is invited to an interview or usability test, so its questions should ask about recent behavior rather than opinions or future intentions. Write the criteria and the exclusions before the form goes out, and keep sensitive personal details out unless the study truly needs them. The screener qualifies people; it does not give them the study's answers, so the closing message should not reveal which responses passed.
Field blueprint
Eleven fields that qualify, exclude and schedule
| Field | Type | Required | Why you ask it |
|---|---|---|---|
Name | Short text | Required | How you will address the person in an invitation. Collect only the name the scheduling needs. |
| Required | The route for the invitation. The form does not email participants, so your own message is what reaches them. | ||
In the past month, how often did you plan a project?NeverOnce or twiceWeeklyMost days | Single choice | Required | Screens on recent behavior. People tend to describe last month more accurately than what they would do in future. |
Which tools did you use for that planning?SpreadsheetProject boardShared documentEmail or chat onlyOther | Multiple choice | Required | Shows which tools people already rely on, so the sample reflects the mix of tools in your study. |
Which role best describes your work?ManagerIndividual contributorFreelancer or consultantOwner or founderOther | Dropdown | Required | Selects the mix of roles the study needs. Do not list roles you will not recruit. |
Do you work for a company that makes project software?NoYes | Single choice | Required | Excludes people whose view is shaped by the product category or who could share confidential information. |
Have you taken part in one of our research studies in the past six months?NoYes | Single choice | Required | Keeps the same people from appearing in every study, and lets you rotate participants. |
Briefly describe your last planning session | Long text | Optional | Shows whether the person has the experience the study covers, in their own words. Do not use it to rank people by how well they write. |
Are you available for a session in the next two weeks?YesNo | Single choice | Required | A scheduling filter. Keep it to availability, and state the session length in the invitation, not here. |
I agree to be contacted about this researchYesNo | Single choice | Required | Records the choice to be contacted for a study. Keep it separate from newsletter or marketing consent, and have your counsel review the wording. |
Access needs for sessions | Long text | Optional | Lets the team plan the format or support for a session. Answering is optional. |
A filled example
A screener for a planning tool study
Example only, not a real submission
- Study
- Usability test of a new planning view, with two sessions for each team size
- Who qualifies
- Team leads who plan projects weekly or most days, using a board or shared document
- Who is excluded
- People who work for a company that makes project software, or who took part in a study in the past six months
- Sample
- Six participants, split across two team sizes, chosen from the qualifying responses
- Closing message
- Thank you for your time. We review every response and contact people if the study is a fit.
- Contact
- [email protected]
Questions to leave out
Questions a screener should not ask
Would you pay for a premium plan?
Purchase intent belongs in a separate study. A screener that asks it recruits people who want to say yes.
What is your household income, health condition, religion or political view?
Many product studies do not need these details, and collecting them creates consent and handling obligations. Gather one only if the study requires it and your counsel and privacy review have approved it.
What frustrates you most about your current tools?
Open complaints tend to attract the most opinionated respondents, which can skew who you invite. Ask about the task and the steps instead.
Try it
Try the screener as a candidate would
After a response arrives
From response to invitation
Processing runs on a schedule, not on arrival
Each run in production is hourly, and the creator is notified once that run has processed the response. Leave time to review responses before you start recruiting.
Review against the criteria you wrote first
Read the grid against the criteria you set before the study began. Do not loosen a criterion because the pool of applicants is small.
Invite and decline in your own system
The form does not email participants. Send invitations from your own system, and tell people who do not qualify that the study is full, without listing the criteria they missed.
Export a scheduling list, then close it
Export the qualifying responses to CSV for scheduling, keep the file where only the research team can open it, and delete it when the study closes.
Frequently asked questions
What is a user research screener?
A screener is a short set of questions that decides who is invited to an interview or usability test. A good screener asks about recent behavior, excludes people who would bias the study, and never asks people to predict how they would act.
Is there a user research screener template I can download?
Yours to adapt: the questions and exclusion rules here. They are not a Word or PDF file. Attain OS hosts the screener at a link you share, and the responses export to CSV for scheduling. Have your own counsel review the consent wording before you use it.
How many screener questions should I ask?
Ask only what decides who qualifies, who is excluded, and when someone can attend. Each extra question can be another reason to stop before the end, so keep the list to the questions you will use when you choose participants.
Should the screener ask people to describe their problems?
Ask what people did and when, not what they think is wrong. Open questions about frustrations tend to attract the most opinionated respondents, which can skew who you invite.
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