What is the primary advantage of using open-ended questions in surveys?

Open-ended questions are instrumental in surveys because they enable respondents to express their thoughts and opinions in their own words. This format leads to richer, more nuanced data, as participants can elaborate on their feelings, beliefs, and experiences without being constrained by predefined response options. Such detailed responses can uncover insights that closed-ended questions might miss, allowing researchers to better understand the complexity of respondents' viewpoints.

The other options highlight aspects that are typically associated with closed-ended questions, such as quantifiability, speed of analysis, and limiting ambiguity. Open-ended questions, on the other hand, are inherently qualitative, encouraging depth over breadth. This makes the insights gained from open-ended responses particularly valuable for qualitative analysis and exploratory research, where understanding respondent motivations and perceptions is crucial.