Drop-down Menus

Drop-down menus are often used in Web surveys and are one of the basic form elements in HTML (hypertext markup language) used for closed-ended survey questions, in addition to radio buttons and check boxes. They are also referred to as “drop-down lists” and “drop-down boxes.”

Drop-down menus commonly display a single option that can be left blank, and other response options become visible after clicking on the side of the box. A response is selected by then clicking on one of the displayed choices, and multiple selections can be allowed (i.e. “check all that apply”). They are suitable and used for long categorical lists, such as lists of states or institutions, but they can be used for shorter and ordinal lists. While radio buttons and drop-down menus can fulfill the same purpose, there are some key differences. Drop-down menus take less space, as all the options do not need to be visible at all times. They also require two clicks, instead of a single click, to select a response option.

Experimental studies show no difference between radio buttons and drop-down menus in terms of time and break-off rates, but find higher rates of item [Page 212]nonresponse and nonsubstantive responses in dropdown menus.