diff --git a/webapp/source/Application.ts b/webapp/source/Application.ts
index 6a565300..05d8d5f6 100644
--- a/webapp/source/Application.ts
+++ b/webapp/source/Application.ts
@@ -147,10 +147,18 @@ class Application {
             const itemID = fieldSpecification.value;
             let success = buttonActions.checkThatItemHasShortName(itemID);
             return success ? null : ["You must enter a short name for this item."];
-        } else if (functionName === "requireShortNameAndQuestionOptionsIfNecessary") {
+        } else if (functionName === "requireShortNameAndType") {
             const itemID = fieldSpecification.value;
             let success = buttonActions.checkThatItemHasShortName(itemID);
             if (!success) return ["You must enter a short name for this item."];
+            success = buttonActions.checkThatQuestionHasType(itemID);
+            return success ? null : ["You must enter a question type for this item."];
+        } else if (functionName === "requireShortNameTypeAndQuestionOptionsIfNecessary") {
+            const itemID = fieldSpecification.value;
+            let success = buttonActions.checkThatItemHasShortName(itemID);
+            if (!success) return ["You must enter a short name for this item."];
+            success = buttonActions.checkThatQuestionHasType(itemID);
+            if (!success) return ["You must enter a question type for this item."];
             success = buttonActions.checkThatItemHasOptionListIfRequired(itemID);
             return success ? null : ["You must enter at least two options for this type of question."];
         } else {
diff --git a/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeQuestionsAboutParticipants.ts b/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeQuestionsAboutParticipants.ts
index 670f4f48..7ee2ee58 100644
--- a/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeQuestionsAboutParticipants.ts
+++ b/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeQuestionsAboutParticipants.ts
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ const panel: Panel = {
                     columnsToDisplay: ["participantQuestion_text", "participantQuestion_type", "participantQuestion_shortName", "participantQuestion_options"],
                     viewButton: true,
                     editButton: true,
-                    validateAdd: "requireShortNameAndQuestionOptionsIfNecessary",
-                    validateEdit: "requireShortNameAndQuestionOptionsIfNecessary",
+                    validateAdd: "requireShortNameTypeAndQuestionOptionsIfNecessary",
+                    validateEdit: "requireShortNameTypeAndQuestionOptionsIfNecessary",
                     addButton: true,
                     removeButton: true, 
                     navigationButtons: true,
diff --git a/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeQuestionsAboutStories.ts b/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeQuestionsAboutStories.ts
index fb7c600c..c858dc25 100644
--- a/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeQuestionsAboutStories.ts
+++ b/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeQuestionsAboutStories.ts
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ const panel: Panel = {
                     columnsToDisplay: ["storyQuestion_text", "storyQuestion_type", "storyQuestion_shortName", "storyQuestion_options"],
                     viewButton: true,
                     editButton: true,
-                    validateAdd: "requireShortNameAndQuestionOptionsIfNecessary",
-                    validateEdit: "requireShortNameAndQuestionOptionsIfNecessary",
+                    validateAdd: "requireShortNameTypeAndQuestionOptionsIfNecessary",
+                    validateEdit: "requireShortNameTypeAndQuestionOptionsIfNecessary",
                     addButton: true,
                     removeButton: true, 
                     navigationButtons: true,
diff --git a/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeStoryElicitingQuestions.ts b/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeStoryElicitingQuestions.ts
index 66584c1a..cee9c78d 100644
--- a/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeStoryElicitingQuestions.ts
+++ b/webapp/source/applicationPanelSpecifications/collection/page_writeStoryElicitingQuestions.ts
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ const panel: Panel = {
                     editButton: true,
                     addButton: true,
                     removeButton: true,
-                    validateAdd: "requireShortName",
-                    validateEdit: "requireShortName",
+                    validateAdd: "requireShortNameAndType",
+                    validateEdit: "requireShortNameAndType",
                     navigationButtons: true,
                     columnsToDisplay: ["elicitingQuestion_text", "elicitingQuestion_shortName"]
                 }
diff --git a/webapp/source/buttonActions.ts b/webapp/source/buttonActions.ts
index 11167186..975a7cc8 100644
--- a/webapp/source/buttonActions.ts
+++ b/webapp/source/buttonActions.ts
@@ -310,6 +310,31 @@ export function checkThatItemHasShortName(itemID): boolean {
     return item[shortNameKey] && item[shortNameKey].length > 0;
 }
 
+export function checkThatQuestionHasType(itemID): boolean {
+    if (!itemID) return false;
+    const item = project.tripleStore.makeObject(itemID, true);
+    if (!item) return false; 
+
+    // item types where question types are required, for lookup:
+    // story, participant, and annotation questions 
+
+    let itemType = null;
+    if (itemID.indexOf("StoryQuestion") >= 0) {
+        itemType = "storyQuestion";
+    } else if (itemID.indexOf("ParticipantQuestion") >= 0) {
+        itemType = "participantQuestion";
+    } else if (itemID.indexOf("AnnotationQuestion") >= 0) {
+        itemType = "annotationQuestion";
+    } else {
+        const message = "Error: Unsupported question type validation check for item: " + itemID;
+        alert(message);
+        console.log(message);
+    }
+
+    const questionType = item[itemType + "_type"];
+    return (questionType && questionType.length > 0);
+}
+
 export function checkThatItemHasOptionListIfRequired(itemID): boolean {
     if (!itemID) return false;
     const item = project.tripleStore.makeObject(itemID, true);
@@ -331,8 +356,13 @@ export function checkThatItemHasOptionListIfRequired(itemID): boolean {
 
     const questionType = item[itemType + "_type"];
     if (["radiobuttons", "select", "checkboxes"].indexOf(questionType) >= 0) {
-        const questionOptions = item[itemType + "_options"].split("\n");
-        return (questionOptions && questionOptions.length > 1); 
+        const questionOptionsString = item[itemType + "_options"];
+        if (questionOptionsString) {
+            const questionOptionsList = item[itemType + "_options"].split("\n");
+            return (questionOptionsList.length > 1); 
+        } else {
+            return false;
+        }
     } else {
         return true; 
     }