Glossary
Matrix question
A grid rating several items against one shared scale.
A matrix (or grid) question rates several items — rows — against one shared set of response columns, typically a Likert scale. "Rate each feature: 1–5" across eight features in one compact block is a classic matrix.
Its strength is density: many related ratings collected with one scale, one set of instructions, and minimal vertical space. That is also its weakness — long matrices cause fatigue and straight-lining, where a respondent picks the same column down every row to get through it.
Keep matrices short (cap rows at roughly five to seven, columns at five), use a logical row order, and split very long grids across pages in a multi-page form. On small screens a matrix should reflow to one item per screen, since a wide grid is unusable on a phone and harms form accessibility.