When deciding how to present the gender question you need to consider how you intend on using the data and exactly what it is you are trying to understand.

It is important to note that gender is not the same as sexuality or physiological sex. If you need an in-depth understanding of sexual orientation, this has been covered in the STANDARD QUESTION – LGBTIQ entry.

When considering gender identity and transgender people, it is important to note that someone who is transitioning will generally choose to select the gender to which they are transitioning.

Option 1: Simple categories (if you don’t intend on analysing the non-binary aspect, but want to provide an option).
1) Male
2) Female
3) Prefer to self-describe
4) I’d prefer not to say

Option 2: Simple categories with more respectful classification than ‘other’, although it assumes the respondent understands the term ‘non-binary’.
1) Male
2) Female
3) Non-binary
4) Prefer to self-describe
5) I’d prefer not to say

Option 3: Collecting self-definition for non-binary to better understand these identities.
1) Male
2) Female
3) Prefer to self-describe [Specify box]
4) I’d prefer not to say

Option 4: Closed options with additional detail. Only really needed if knowing this level of detail is useful for your study.
1) Male
2) Female
3) Neither
4) Both
5) I’d prefer not to say

Option 5: As adapted from the global drug survey. It avoids the use of the word ‘other’ (more exclusionary than ‘different’) and if you also include the follow-up questions you can identify those who have transitioned from the gender assigned at birth.
1) Male
2) Female
3) Non-binary
4) Different identity
5) I’d prefer not to say
In this survey, there were additional questions for ‘What gender were you assigned at birth?” (male or female) and “Are you intersex?” (yes, no, prefer not to say).

Option 6: If you wish to collect data that enables you to identify those whose gender identity is different to that assigned at birth, a good pairing of questions is as follows. This is particularly useful when surveying young people who may be questioning as it helps them understand the differences in categories.
Q1. What is your sex (your physical self)?
1) Male
2) Female
3) Intersex
4) Transitioning M-F
5) Transitioning F-M
6) Non-binary
7) I’d prefer not to say

Q2. What is your gender (your psychological self)?
1) Male
2) Female
3) Amalgagender (intersex)
4) Gender-fluid (feeling of gender that changes over time)
5) Agender (feeling of no gender)
6) Androgynous (feeling of both male and female genders)
7) Other non-binary (gender not included above)
8) I don’t know / am not sure yet
9) I’d prefer not to say

Option 7: Collect greater detail about the transitioning status of the respondent.
Are you?
1) Male
2) Female
3) Transgender m-f
4) Transgender f-m
5) Gender Queer (non-binary, gender fluid, agender, androgynous)
6) Other
7) I’d prefer not to say

Option 8: As used by YacVic (youth survey)
1) male
2) female
3) transgender – male to female
4) transgender – female to male
5) gender questioning
6) pansexual
7) queer
8) Other (specify)
9) I’d prefer not to say

in Survey Tools Tags: genderquestions