Forms

The provision of this section of the guide does not imply that all forms and surveys should ask demographic questions. However, if your program or service requires those questions, review the language and background provided to be sensitive in how to ask these questions. ACS staff and contractors should be mindful of the ACS Privacy Policy and the recommendations below as they create or edit forms. 

Ask for only what you need

Background:

Each additional question is an added responsibility to maintain the security of that information. Asking nuanced and detailed questions may not be necessary if the information you need could be answered in a more generic way.

Recommendation:

Determine what information is truly needed to administer your program or service or assess participation metrics, and ask for only that information—nothing more. Also be mindful of data that the user may have already provided in previous forms for your program, product, service, or another one in your division.

Example:

An event registration that requires confirmation that attendees are of legal US drinking age:

Use:

Check the box below if you are 21 years of age or older.

Avoid:

Please share your date of birth.

Consider your audience

Background:

In most cases, the intended user for your form will impact not only the types of questions you ask but also the answer options and what is legal to ask at all.

Recommendation:

Consider the following questions and contexts when creating the form. 

  • Who is completing this form? Who will be participating or using the program, product, or service?  
  • If the user is a minor, parental consent will be required for the collection, use, transfer, and disclosure of personal information for the minor. ACS staff and contractors should contact the Legal Office for guidance.
  • Are most of the users US based? Consider how language used in the US might be interpreted differently by international users.
  • Are most users likely to be students or working professionals? How might you ask questions differently or adjust the answer options accordingly?

State the purpose of the request for information

Background:

Stating the purpose of the information can increase response rate because people will understand that providing the information may help them personally or help the organization.

Recommendation:

Specifically state why you are asking for the information, how it will be used (for example, if the data will be used in aggregate), and how long it will need to be kept. 

Examples:

In an ACS program application:

Use:

To help the American Chemical Society track the effectiveness of recruiting efforts and ensure it considers the needs of all program participants, please consider the following optional question. Your demographic information will be used only in aggregate and kept within ACS records for one year after the program ends.

In an award application:

Use:

The American Chemical Society requires the following personal information to confirm eligibility, process applications, and conduct program evaluation surveys. Any collected demographic information will be used only in aggregate.

Disclose who has access

Background:

Sensitive personal information requires a great degree of care in handling, specifically where the data are stored and who has access to them. Users need to know that their information will be secure and accessible only by those authorized by the program.

Recommendation:

Inform users that their data will remain confidential. ACS staff should refer users to the ACS Privacy Policy for more detail. If there are any parties outside ACS that may have access to all or part of the data (for example, if there is a reviewing or selection committee and a third-party vendor that help manage the program or service), state, for example, “We may share information with service providers if necessary for them to perform a business, professional, or technology support function for us.”

Affirm ACS’s commitment to nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect

Background:

It is helpful to inform users that responses to questions on a form will not be used to prevent participation or otherwise disqualify them from receiving services or participating in a program.

Recommendation:

State ACS’s commitment to nondiscrimination before asking certain demographic questions. Consider providing a link to the ACS Statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect.

Example:

Before asking about gender identity:

Use:

The American Chemical Society does not discriminate on the basis of gender identity or gender expression.

Give users the opportunity to opt out

Background:

Providing an opt-out response assures data collectors that people did not inadvertently skip the question. It also gives users the right to privacy. 

Recommendation:

Add the option “Prefer not to say” for each demographic question.

Allow for multiple responses rather than a single choice, where applicable

Background:

In a question on race and ethnicity, restricting responses to one option denies users the ability to acknowledge their full racial and ethnic background. Similarly, there may be other questions where it is possible to select more than one option, such as pronouns or college major. 

Recommendation:

Consider carefully which questions have instances where a user may need to choose more than one option. Specifically state that people may select all that apply. Examples include pronouns, race and ethnicity, and college major. 

Order the responses in alphabetical or numerical order

Background:

The American Psychological Association’s “Bias-Free Language” guidelines explain, “Be aware that the order of social group presentation may imply that the first-mentioned group is the norm or standard and that later-mentioned groups are abnormal or deviant.” 

Recommendation:

Present options in an objective order, such as alphabetical or numerical.  

Avoid the term “Other” 

Background:

The term “othering” means to treat or consider people as alien to oneself. Using the term “other” as an option for people for whom other responses are inaccurate is a form of othering. Using a more inviting phrase to signal an open-response section is more respectful. The label “Other” also does not make it obvious that you’re providing a free-response option.

The Journal of the American Medical Association says, “The nonspecific group label 'other' for categorizing race and ethnicity is uninformative and may be considered pejorative. . . . The term should not be used as a ‘convenience’ grouping or label unless it was a prespecified formal category in a database or research instrument. In such cases, the categories included in ‘other’ groups should be defined and reported. Authors are advised to be as specific as possible when reporting on racial and ethnic categories (even if these categories contain small numbers).” The Urban Institute, in its 2021 guide Do No Harm: Applying Equity Awareness in Data Visualization, recommends alternative phrasing, such as “Additional groups” or “Identity not listed,” even when reporting data from a survey that used the word “Other.” 

Recommendation:

Use “Self-describe” instead of “Other” to label an option in which people can write a response. When reporting data, do not combine all write-in responses or responses with low response rates under the label “Other.”   

Common questions

Names

Background:

Some individuals may not use their legal name regularly. But in some instances, the legal name is required to render services (for example, if the form will be used to provide payment or to arrange lodging, air, or train reservations).

Recommendation:

If the legal name or name on a government-issued ID is necessary for you to run your program, then ask for “Name” and “Legal name (if different).” Use the “Name” response in your interactions with the user and the legal name only when needed for documentation purposes (and see the “Trans inclusion” section of Embedding LGBT+ Inclusivity in Scientific Workplaces: A Guide for Employers, by the Royal Society of Chemistry).

Ensure that your forms can accommodate surnames with multiple parts and names with accent marks.

Honorifics

Background:

The titles of courtesy "Miss," "Ms.," "Mrs.," and "Mr." do not include gender-neutral options. While there is debate on whether “Mx.” as a title is gender inclusive (meaning anyone can use it) or whether it should be exclusive to nonbinary people, providing “Mx.” as an option gives all users the option to select a title that confers respect. There are other titles in addition to “Mx.,” such as “Ind.,” “Misc.,” and “Pr.,” so allow space for people to describe the title they use. In addition, many people prefer to use no title at all.

Recommendation:

Include “Mx.” and “Prefer no title” as options, and include space for people to self-describe.   

Gender identity versus sex

Background:

Gender Spectrum, an organization working to create gender-inclusive environments for children and teens, defines “gender identity” as “our deeply held, internal sense of self as masculine, feminine, a blend of both, neither, or something else. Identity also includes the name we use to convey our gender. Gender identity can correspond to, or differ from the sex we are assigned at birth. The language a person uses to communicate their gender identity can evolve and shift over time, especially as someone gains access to a broader gender vocabulary.”

Recommendation:

Because gender identity does not always strictly match one’s biological sex, labeling this demographic question as “Gender identity” or “gender” instead of “sex” emphasizes that the question is about one’s current identity.   

Gender identity options

Background:

Providing only “male” and “female” options for gender ignores nonbinary people and people of other genders (for example, agender, two spirit). People may also not want to share their gender with an employer or professional society.

Recommendation:

When asking about gender or gender identity, include “Nonbinary” as an option and an open field for people to self-describe their gender. As with other questions, provide an option to decline to answer the question.

Race and ethnicity

Background:

Some people do not consider their race and ethnicity separately. For example, in 2015, the Pew Research Center found that 67% of Hispanic adults described Hispanic as part of their racial background, not just an ethnic background. Additionally, giving users the ability to choose multiple options enables users to more specifically describe a multiracial background. The answer options provided in the template below include origin as a consideration, making the form meaningful for either a US-based or international group of users. For example, someone that identifies as a Black immigrant from an African country may not identify as African American. Additionally, people in the Caribbean may racially identify as Asian, Black, Hispanic or Latino, or White.

Recommendation:

Combine race and ethnicity into one question. Allow users to select more than one race and ethnicity, and give space to self-describe. If you are reporting on programs or services with significant mention of participant race and ethnicity, consider reviewing “Updated Guidance on the Reporting of Race and Ethnicity in Medical and Science Journals” from the Journal of the American Medical Association for recommendations.   

LGBTQ+ self-identification

Background:

Capturing LGBTQ+ self-identity has practical and symbolic implications. If you are collecting participation metrics for a program or service, the option to self-identify makes this dimension of diversity visible. It also shows that ACS recognizes LGBTQ+ inclusion (and support as an ally) as on par with racial, gender, and other identities. Asking the question respectfully, however, is still of utmost importance. The phrase “sexual preference” implies that being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or another sexual orientation is voluntary. Additionally, asking whether someone identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community should be sufficient for the purposes of capturing the data. If you need data on transgender people, adding a question about whether someone identifies as transgender immediately after asking for gender should be sufficient. Asking more detailed or nuanced questions is not usually necessary for ACS programs, products, and services. If the form is offered internationally, note that there are some countries with hostile social environments or conservative cultures, including some countries that criminalize being LGBTQ+.

Recommendation:

Be mindful of what information is actually needed. Do not use the phrase “sexual preference.” Do not ask for detailed nuances beyond self-identifying as LGBTQ+. If you need to ask about transgender status, ask whether a person identifies as transgender after asking for gender.

Disabilities

Background:

There are six types of disabilities commonly asked about for survey purposes—hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, and independent living difficulties. The first four are most applicable to ACS programs, products, and services (in some cases, for the delivery of services, programs, and events, and in others, for measuring participation).

Recommendation:

Ask whether the user has a physical or cognitive disability, and provide the option “Prefer not to say.” If it is more informative to know what accommodations might be required for participation in an event or training, ask those relevant questions instead.

Example form

If you are creating a survey or form for ACS and need to ask demographic questions, consider the template below for recommended options and verbiage. Note that open bullet points are radio buttons (meaning only one answer can be provided), and square checkboxes indicate that users should be able to select all that apply. Ensure that your form has built-in logic to prevent other responses if “Prefer not to say” is selected. Also ensure that all self-describe selections require completion of the open-ended response.

Form preamble

Note:
Be sure to modify this in a way that aligns with the purpose of your form. Include why you are asking for the information and how you will use it. If there are specific eligibility criteria, state that clearly.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is actively committed to cultivating a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and respectful community of chemistry professionals. Read more of the ACS Statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect.

To help ACS track the effectiveness of recruiting efforts and ensure it considers the needs of all program participants, please consider the following demographic questions. Your demographic information will be used only in aggregate and kept within ACS records for one year after the program ends. All data will be handled in accordance with the ACS Privacy Policy.

Most commonly asked questions:

The American Chemical Society does not discriminate on the basis of gender identity or gender expression.
Please select your gender:
Please select your pronouns (select all that apply):
Note:
Why select all that apply? Some people use multiple pronouns (e.g., he/they or she/they)
Please select your title:
The American Chemical Society does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or immigration status.
Please select the race and ethnicity that you most identify with (select all that apply):
Note:
 If your program or service asks this question for the purpose of administering the program, or if race and ethnic identities are inherent to the program’s purpose, consider adding a field for people to share country of origin or additional details on background. For example, all users can provide information on nationality, and Indigenous users can provide the name of a specific Indigenous people.

This question and the answer options were selected to best accommodate a global audience from a US lens. Bear in mind who your respondents are likely to be and how this question might be interpreted in that context.
The American Chemical Society does not discriminate on the basis of educational attainment.
What is the highest level of education you have completed?
The American Chemical Society does not discriminate on the basis of employment or economic status.
What is your current paid employment status?
The American Chemical Society does not discriminate on the basis of employment sector.
In what employment sector do you primarily work?
Note:
 This question should not be asked if someone responds in the previous question that they are not employed. If you ask only this question, add an option “Not applicable” or “Not employed.”
The American Chemical Society does not discriminate on the basis of age.
What is your age?
The American Chemical Society does not discriminate on the basis of physical or cognitive disabilities.
Do you have any physical or cognitive disabilities? Please select all that apply.
The American Chemical Society does not discriminate on the basis of physical or cognitive disabilities.
Do you require any of the following accommodations to fully participate in this event or program? Please select all that apply.
Note:
 Provide options only if you are able to deliver them for your event attendees and they are relevant for the program or service you are providing. For example, if you cannot provide wheelchair or scooter rental, remove that from the list of options.
The American Chemical Society does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
Do you consider yourself a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) community?
Do you consider yourself to be transgender?
Note:
 This question can follow the question for gender.

Resources on inclusive language for forms

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