What is a questionnaire
- Aim : collect accurate data in a consistent format
Influences on Questionnaire Design
- Purpose of research
o Until we have a clear understanding of purpose of research, no point in thinking about questions
- Who Will be answering the questionnaire
o Style and complexity of language
- How Will Questionnaire Be Administered
o Self completion vs computer based
General Format of Questionnaire
- logical sequence
o simple then complex
o general then specific
o neutral before personal
o "flows" from one topic to another
o Vs omnibus
Basic Structure of Questionnaire
- Title
- Name of sponsoring organisation
- Introduction / purpose & use of survey / confidentiality
- Screening questions
- Main questions
- Verification (respondent contact details)
- Thank you
- Authentication : interviewer name etc / detail of interview
What can we measure in a questionnaire
- Behavior
- Beliefs – what people think is true
- Knowledge – accuracy of beliefs
- Attitudes – what people think is desirable
- Attributes – respondent's characteristics
Behavioral Questions
- Did respondent exhibit behavior
- Frequency
- Time elapsed since
- Intended behavior
Measuring Knowledge & Beliefs
Measuring Attitudes
- What is desirable
- Conviction
- Context / seasonality
- Measured by scale
Recording Attributes
- Descriptive information
- Analyse sub-groups
- Define quotas
- Determine if sample is representative of population
Response Formats
- open ended
- pre-coded
- uncoded open ended – respondent free to provide any answer
- precoded open ended – respondent provides answer of choice, but interviewer then codes it
- pre-coded – respondent has to select choice
o one answer : discrete / single response question
o multiple response
- Open ended
o Analysed qualitatively as anecdote
o Quantitatively – percentage who gave certain response (particularly where number of response options too large to precode)
o Response options unknown
o Get general feelings
o Get reasons for opinions
- Precode
- Which format ?
o Kind of info sought
o Whether researcher wants to pre-condition respondent
o Prior knowledge of possible responses
o Ease of processing info
o Available resources.
o Info potentially available from respondents
o Level of accuracy required
o Sensitivity of questions
o Experience of respondents.
Question Wording Rules
- Set of response options for precoded questions must be exhaustive
- Response categories to be mutually exclusive
- Scale should be unidimensional
o Scale should only measure single concept.
Structuring a Questionnaire
- Logical order
- Apart from primary questions
o Secondary questions – consistency or reliability checks
o Tertiary questions – breathers after sensitive questions
o Probes – gather details : what else
o Direct & indirect questions
§ Direct – about respondent
§ Indirect – info about respondent by asking about other
o Suggestive – assume respondent has particular view on issue and these questions attempt to confirm that view
o Filter & contingency questions – select certain groups of respondents
Minimizing Respondent Burden
- Relevance
- Language used: conversational / clear
- Question length : single issue
- Avoid leading questions
- Dealing with sensitive issues
o Casual approach
o Numbered cards : which one of these statements applies to you
o Everybody approach
o Other people approach
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