QUESTIONNAIRE CONTENT

Determining what demographic information to collect can be the most intimidating part of the project. Refer to the reasons for developing the questionnaire and planned uses for the data (see Planning and Policy Documents), as well as the research conducted by peer institutions and other demographic data projects (see Grounding Research and Further Research) to guide decisions around what to gather. The mission and goals should always be centered, and organizations should not collect data for which they have no practical purpose.

Name

To account for names that may not fit into the “first name,” “middle name,” and “last name” structure, questionnaires should provide fields where the artist can identify how they want their name to appear publicly, how they’d

Note

ULAN Guidance on Search provides a helpful breakdown of common fields.

like to be addressed, and a number of options for further clarifying the structure of their name. This may require changes to existing databases that are modeled on limited name structures, such as first, middle, last, and honorific. While alignment is useful, and should be sought after, the need to change an existing database is an expense and process that might not be considered in the early stages of a project but should be reviewed now.

Contact Information

This section could include a main and alternate contact information

(representative, estate, family member, assistant). Be aware that international mailing addresses may require different fields and formats, and try to use a sophisticated form that can adapt to these scenarios. Fields to consider include a personal and/or work email, phone number (indicating type, such as mobile or not, with the country code included), home and mailing address, and alternate contact information.

Languages

Languages spoken and preferred language for communication are often asked together, but should be considered separately. Ask for the respondent’s native language(s), preferred language for communication, and the language(s) they speak as separate questions. These should be open-text fields with options for multiple responses for each. Securing the preferred language for communication allows for an equitable place to collaborate, but institutions should acknowledge their own limitations as relevant. Language questions can be asked as “Preferred language for communication,” “What is/are your native language(s)?,” and “What language(s) do you speak?” And, of course, offering a blank open-textfield response as advised.

Pronouns

Gender and sexuality are fluid and pronouns can change over time. Pronouns should be queried separately and not be conflated or associated with specific gender and sexual identities. Do not use the phrase “preferred pronouns,” because being gendered correctly is not merely a preference and should not be qualified as such—simply use “pronouns.” This is a question for which external resources can be particularly helpful for assisting with understanding. Because it is easy to conflate gender with pronouns, it is recommended to provide a baseline of options. Provide a variety of options and allow respondents to select as many as they would like, as people can identify by a range of pronouns from traditionally masculine (he/him/his) to traditionally feminine (she/her/hers) and beyond (they/them/theirs; ze/zir/ zirs), sometimes in combination. Always provide open-text fields as the options for pronouns are limitless, and allow the respondent to select as many as they want. Recognize that pronouns may not be utilized in the culture or language of the respondent and/or that some people prefer to always be referred to by their name rather than by pronouns.

Gender

Gender identity is a person’s own internal sense of their gender. Gender identity is not the same as gender expression, which is the way a person presents their gender outwardly, and it is not the same as sex, including assigned sex at birth. Assumptions shouldn’t be made; for example, a person who has a gender identity of “woman” does not necessarily have a traditionally feminine gender expression, does not necessarily use she/ her/hers pronouns, and may not have been assigned female at birth. Provide a range of options and allow respondents

Resource

Gender and Identity Questions to choose as many as apply, including agender, cisgender, cisgender man, cisgender woman, gender fluid, gender queer, intersex, nonbinary, man, woman, transgender, transgender man, transgender woman, and two-spirit (note that this term can be used to describe sexual orientation as well). If asking this question, acknowledge this is a response from a moment in time and ask the artist if they wish this answer to be aligned with their identity, a certain time period, or in any specific way.

“Pronouns Matter,” Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center, University of California San Francisco.

“A Guide to Gender Identity Terms,” NPR.

“Sex and Gender Identity,” Planned Parenthood.

“Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions,” Human Rights Campaign.

GLAAD Media Reference, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation is the emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction that a person feels toward another person, and an individual’s sexual orientation is independent of their gender identity or expression. Include a range of multiplechoice options with the opportunity to choose as many as possible and multiple open-text fields. Some terminology to consider using is: aromantic, asexual, bisexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian, pansexual, queer, straight, and two-spirit

(note that this term could be used to describe gender as well). If asking this question, acknowledge this is a response from a moment in time and ask the artist if they wish this answer to be aligned with their identity, a certain time period, or more broadly.

Nationality/Residency/ Place of Birth

Note that many databases used by U.S. institutions are structured around limited conceptions of identity related to place, and that will not necessarily align with the articulation of every artist’s nationality. Allowing openness and flexibility in this and all fields is important. Be inclusive of a variety of scenarios, including refugee status, countries that have changed names in the respondent’s lifetime, disputed territories, multiple nationalities, and tribal nationalities as separate from cultural affiliations. Also note that nationality, ethnicity, race, and even religion can be overlapping points of identity but also have differing responses. If this is data that is displayed publicly or used frequently for querying, confirm that you’re asking the artist how they’d like this information to be displayed publicly. For example, “American, born Japan,” “Japanese and American,” “Japanese American,” “American,” “Japanese,” and “Japanese, working primarily in America” can all refer to the same artist based on the raw data, but one of these options might be preferred by the artist. Consider separating out questions about place of birth, place of residence, and national identity, including immigration and naturalization. It is preferable to use open-text fields for these responses.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity refers to commonalities among groups that share cultural, traditional, and familial bonds, and should not be conflated with race. Questions about ethnicity, as with all demographic data, are sensitive and should be treated as such. It is possible to reference government forms or other demographic surveys used in the institution to think about the respondent options to the questions (see Grounding Research and Further Research ). Census surveys can be a starting point, but as noted earlier, many of these are outdated and can lead to offensive generalizations that do not reflect increased flexibility or changing terminology. An institution also needs to acknowledge its geographical viewpoint in considering ethnicity, which does not always apply globally.

Open-text options to respond are encouraged. Pay particular attention to terminology that may be controversial or could be construed as disrespectful or outdated. Be as expansive as possible if it is opted for in order to align data, however, do ensure you provide open-field capacity as well. In a shifting landscape, research on the most inclusive response options should be utilized.

Race

Questions about race are responses often sought after by demographic studies. However, it is also among the most sensitive of questions. In creating this inquiry, an institution needs to acknowledge its geographical viewpoint in considering race and not rely on outdated options such as those available in many government censuses.

Open-text responses are the ideal method for collecting this information in terms of sensitivity, yet multiple-choice formats are used frequently to receive aligned data for aggregation. If moving ahead with a multiple-choice response, it is required that particular attention be paid to terminology that may be controversial or could be construed as disrespectful or outdated, and as noted, open-field responses have to be provided here regardless. If utilizing this information, it is strongly encouraged to ask if the respondent identifies as a person of color directly. Do not ever make assumptions based on responses.

Question formats to consider if a path of multiple choice (with multi-select options) are chosen include: “How would you describe your racial identity?” with responses that include but are not limited to Alaskan Native, Asian, Biracial, Black, Indigenous American, Indigenous, Monoracial, Multiracial, and/or White, along with options to not respond and an open-field option. Note that Latina/o/x/e and Middle Eastern identities are generally considered ethnicities, not races.

Religious Affiliation

Dive deeper into why this question is being asked in order to determine how best to ask it, or if multiple related questions are needed, or if you need to ask this question at all. This question may also be shaped by the collecting practice of the institution—for example, a Jewish art museum might have a very different structure for this question than a modern art museum, and both may vary by location. Understand that someone might identify with a religion without actively practicing it and assumptions should not be made otherwise. A sample question for religious affiliation could be, “Do you observe or practice a religious faith or multiple religious faiths?”

Ability/Disability

This section should be created in collaboration with colleagues who have expertise in this field, including accessibility, education, and human resources. Be especially sensitive to the fact that information about disabilities can sometimes involve protected health information. A question about if the respondent identifies as having a disability can be separate from those asking about the nature or category of the disability (sensory, learning, etc.) and/or the terminology they use to describe it (“If yes, how would you describe your disability?”). Consider separating out neurodivergence (e.g., autistic, ADHD) as its own option.