Table 1.
Question phrasing, modality and response rate in the COVID‐19 Research survey
| Question | Response type | Response rate (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section one: About you | |||
| 1 | What is your gender? | Multiple choice | 99.6 |
| 2 | What is your job title and department? | Open response | 85.1 |
| 3 | What type of organisation do you work for? | Multiple choice | 99.6 |
| 4 | In which region do you work? | Multiple choice | 99.6 |
| 5 | Have you had essential worker status at any stage since lockdown? | Multiple choice | 99.2 |
| 6 | Please select which best describes your usual work status prior to lockdown | Multiple choice | 99.2 |
| 7 | Please select which best describes your current work status since lockdown | Multiple choice | 98.6 |
| 8 | I have been able to continue my usual role since lockdown | Likert scale | 99.0 |
| 9 | My general productivity has increased since lockdown | Likert scale | 99.0 |
| 10 | My general wellbeing has improved since lockdown | Likert scale | 98.6 |
| 11 | Are there particular challenges that you have faced as a result of the outbreak that you would like to tell us about? | Open response | 62.0 |
| Section two: About your organisation | |||
| 12 | What did your organisation do to prepare for lockdown? | Open response | 63.1 |
| 13 | How did your organisation respond during lockdown? | Open response | 63.1 |
| 14 | Were there any unanticipated challenges during this time? | Open response | 58.1 |
| 15 | What are the lessons learnt from preparing for lockdown? | Open response | 53.8 |
| 16 | How will your organisation adapt in the medium term? | Open response | 58.8 |
| 17 | What challenges might you face in adapting to working practices? | Open response | 57.2 |
| 18 | How might this crisis change your future operations? | Open response | 55.8 |
| 19 | Do you think we will return to pre‐lockdown working practice? | Multiple choice | 66.3 |
| 20 | If no, what do you perceive to be the new ‘normal’? | Open response | 46.8 |
| 21 | Do you think this crisis will change investment priorities in resilience? | Open response | 58.2 |
| 22 | Is more strategic guidance needed to support water companies through this crisis and beyond? | Multiple choice | 64.7 |
| 23 | What guidance can regulators provide? | Open response | 36.7 |
| 24 | Has your organisation noticed a change in customer behaviours during the lockdown? | Multiple choice | 64.5 |
| 25 | If yes, what has changed? | Open response | 34.1 |
| 26 | Do you think any of the changes identified in Q24 will continue into the future? | Multiple choice | 59.8 |
| 27 | Do you think there will be any implications of the lockdown on other aspects of public policy? | Multiple choice | 63.5 |
| 28 | What role should collaboration play in addressing future challenges? | Open response | 40.4 |
| 29 | Do you think this crisis will change research priorities? | Multiple choice | 61.8 |
| 30 | Would you like to share any other thoughts or experiences? | Open response | 19.7 |