I find a lot of the questions difficult to answer. Q2 for example. I can't separate the fact that I use the same cycling journeys as a mode of transport, as leisure and as exercise. The appeal of cycling is that I get all of these things simultaneously. I fear you'll interpret my responses as indicating distinct journeys or distinct roles for cycling. Q13 won't get to the nub of it because it demands that I select one but that would be arbitrary. I suppose I'd eventually settle on mode of transport because I'm mainly going to work but if I only wanted a mode of transport, a comfy car, with a radio and hot coffee would be a better choice.
Q4 important to me. In what sense should they be important to me? Politically, as part of a conscious societal effort to increase cycling, they are all important to me. But personally, in terms of how they impact on my experience of cycling in Edinburgh, most of them are less important and some not important at all. How do you want me to answer?
Q5 - this will sound picky but what is a cycling accident? Do you mean a collision with another road user or just any incident while cycling - a badly judged corner or falling over in the snow? If I had an accident within the last 5 years then logically I've also had one in the last 10 years and in my lifetime but I assume you don't want me to record the same accident three times. Maybe "More than 5 years ago but within the last 10 years" and "longer ago" would be better options.
Q8 - how should I record the fact that I think many of those things are problems but they don't put me off cycling? I cycle in spite of them.
Q9/Q10 - how do I indicate that I think many of those things are safe but could also be improved? I fear I'd leave the impression that they are unproblematic by recording that generally I feel safe. Also, I modify my route to reflect that some are relatively more safe than other even though generally, they're all safe.
Q11/12 - How do you interpret negatives to the form of question you've used here. I already cycle in Edinburgh as much as practically possible. How will you interpret my response that none of those things will increase the chances of me cycling (more) in Edinburgh? I wouldn't want to give the misleading impression that they are worthless things. I want to convey quite the opposite impression but the question doesn't allow it.
Sorry, aside from being a picky **, I also run a research company so I think a lot about how people answer questions and especially about how to answer them badly.
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