11 Designing the Questionnaire

7/28/2019 11 Designing the Questionnaire

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Questionnaire


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What is a Questionnaire?

A questionnaire is

the vehicle used to

pose the questions

that the researcher

wants respondents

to answer.


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QUESTIONNAIRE

A questionnaire is formal set of questions or

statements designed to gather information

from respondents that will accomplish the

goals of the research.

Questionnaires measure peoples attitudes,

behavior and feelings toward just about

everything.


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o is a research instrument consisting of a series of

questions people answer about their life

condition, beliefs or attitudes.

o can be administered either as a printed

document that respondents fill out or as a list of

queries posed by an interviewer, who then

compiles interviewees answers either by writing

on a printed form or by recording the replies on

A QUESTIONNAIRE


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ADVANTAGES OF A

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. There is low cost even when the universe is

large and is widely spread geographically.

2. It is free from the bias of the interviewer;answers are in respondents' own words.

3. Respondents have adequate time to give well

thought answers.

4. Respondents who are not easily approachable

, can also be reached conveniently.


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DISADVANTAGES OF A

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Low rate of return of the duly filled in questionnaires.

2. It can be used only when the respondents are

educated and cooperating.

3. It is difficult to know whether willing respondents are

truly representative.

4. This method is time consuming and very slow in

process.


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KEY FEATURES FOR CONSTRUCTING A

QUESTIONNAIRE

The researcher must be well acquainted with the research problem.

Rough draft of the Questionnaire should be prepared and questions

must be in sequence.

Researcher must invariably re-examine, and in case of need may

revise the rough draft for a better one. Technical defects must be

identified and removed if any.

Questionnaire must contain simple but straight forward directions for

the respondents so that they may not feel any difficulty in answering


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TYPES OF QUESTIONS IN

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Open Format Questions. Eg.

2. Closed Format Questions. Eg.-

3. Leading Questions. Eg.


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4. Dichotomous Questins. Eg.

5. Likert Questions. Eg.

6. Importance Questions. Eg.


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7. Bipolar Questions. E.g.

8. Rating Scale Questions. E.g.


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STEPS TO DEVELOP A

QUESTIONNAIRE

Determine which information is being sought.

Choose a question type (structure and amount of disguise) and method of

administration (for example written form, e-mail, telephone, interview etc.).

Determine the general question content needed to obtain the desired

information.

Determine the form of response

Choose the exact question wording.

Arrange the questions into an effective sequence.

Specify the physical characteristics of the Questionnaire, such as

paper type, number of questions per page, etc..


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ATTRIBUTES OF AN EFFECTIVE

QUESTIONNAIRE

It should be user friendly.

The questionnaire should look professional.

It should be valid.

It should be attractive and motivational in

nature.

The questionnaire should encouragerespondents to answer honestly and

accurately.


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Questionnaire Design

Questionnaire designis a systematic process

in which the researcher contemplates various

question formats, considers a number of

factors characterizing the survey at hand,

ultimately words the various questions very

carefully, and organizes the questionnaires

layout.


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The Functions of a

Questionnaire

Translates the research objectives into specific

questions

Standardizes those questions and the response

categories

Fosters cooperation and motivation

Serves as permanent records of the research

Can speed up the process of data analysis


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Questionnaire Development

Process


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PRE-CONSTRUCTION

QUESTIONNAIRE CONSTRUCTION

POST-CONSTRUCTION

Determine questionnaire objectives

Target respondent characteristicsResource constraints

Decide on data-collection method

Question format

Number of response choices per question

Questionnaire wording

Organization and layout of questionnaire

Obtain client approval

Pre-test

Revise questionnaire based on pre-test resultsAdminister questionnaire and tabulate results

Process


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PRE-CONSTRUCTION

Determine questionnaire objectives.

What needs to be achieved from a data gathering effort?

Target respondents characteristics.

What characteristics of our target respondents affect

questionnaire designs?

Resource constraints.

What are the limits of our company resources?

Decide on data collection method.

How should information be obtained?

How should the research efforts be?


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QUESTIONNAIRE

CONSTRUCTION

Question Content

The utility of data .

Effectiveness in producing data.

Participants ability to answer accurately.

Respondents willingness to answer accurately.

Effect of external events


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QUESTION FORMAT

Open-Ended Questions

Close-Ended Questions

Dichotomous Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Ranking Questions

Checklist Questions


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Open ended questions

No predefined response choices

Also called infinite response or unsaturated typequestions

Acts as a memory prompts

Useful when narrative answers required andwhen researcher is uncertain

Freedom of response


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Closed end questions

Questions, which restrict the interviewees

answers to pre-defined response options.

The uniformity of the questions makes them

easier to record and analyze results quantitatively.

They give respondents a finite set of specified

responses to choose from.

Motivates respondents to complete the

questionnaire.


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Dichotomous questions

Offers only two response choices

Breaking category into two parts

Understanding respondents demographic

composition or behaviour inclination

Not time consuming


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Multiple-Choice Questions

Closed end questions that give respondents

several choices.

The three issues that must be considered are:

Options should be exhaustive

Options should be worded carefully

Response options should be distinct from oneanother


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Contd Example:

How would you rate the food quality at the

restaurant you last visited?

-Excellent

-Very good

-Good

-Fair-Poor


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Ranking Questions

The respondent ranks the response options listed on a

continuum basis in order of preference.

Example:

Factors that influence your buying from a particular

supermarket. Rank in order of preference

Conveniently located

Helpful sales staff

Availability of all requirements

Regular discount offered


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Checklist questions

The participant has the freedom to choose one

or more of the response options available.

Different from multiple choice questions.


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Question Wording

Factors to be looked into while framingquestionnaires:

-Shared Vocabulary

-Unsupported Assumptions

-Frame of Reference

-Biased Wording

-Adequate Alternatives

-Double barrelled questions

-Positively & negatively worded questions

-Generalizations & Estimates


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Shared Vocabulary

Interactive language to be kept simple &

understandable

Highly technical language should be avoided as

much as possible

Words used should not be ambiguous or vague.

Example: Vague: How satisfied are you with Sita

Resorts?

Better: How satisfied are ou with the hos italit at


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Unsupported Assumptions

Assumptions should be explicitly stated not

implied.

Unsupported assumptions lead to exaggerated

estimates.


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Frame of Reference

A single word can have several connotations

under different situations.

The frame of desirability should be made clear.

Example: capacity may be connotated

differently by an industrialist & an educator.


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Biased Wording

Biased Wording should be avoided.

Awareness of desirable response leads to shift

of focus from actual response.

Example:

Biased: Do you think TV has negative effect on

children?Unbiased: What are your views on the effect ofTV on children?


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Adequate Alternative

Every question should have ample numberof alternatives.

They should be explicit rather than beingimplicit.

Example: Do you prefer eating inrestaurants?

Which do you prefer eating in restaurantsor eating at home.


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Double- barrelled Questions

A single question that asks for two responses.

Interpretation of the responses not effective.

Example: Do you believe most Japanese

automobiles are comfortable and worth theirprice?


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Positively/Negatively worded

questions

Respondents are often guided by the

directions of the questions.

Responses are different when surveys areeither exclusively positive or negative.

Combination of both is desirable.


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Generalizations & Estimates

Proper structuring of questions to avoidgeneralizations.

Answers which require calculations should beavoided.

Example: How many times have sales

promotion influenced you to switch brands overthe last one year?

Better: How many times in the last month havesales promotion influenced you to switch

brands?


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Questionnaire Sequence

Important to elicit required information from the

respondents.

The sequencing steps are:

-Lead-in questions

-Qualifying questions

-Warm-up questions

-Specific questions-Demographic questions

POST CONSTRUCTION


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POST CONSTRUCTION

Pre-testing

Trial run of the questionnaire using a small

sample from the target population.

Helps to refine the instrument and identify

errors.

Two stages involved:

Personal interviews

-Protocol analysis

-Debriefing

Administer the survey


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Revise the questionnaire

At this stage the flaws and ambiguity identified

in the pre-test are eliminated.

It also tests if right sample selectionprocedures are adopted.

Preliminary indication of what to expect fromthe full test.


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Administer Questionnaire & Tabulate

Results

The interviewers should :

-code the information

-tabulate the data

-conduct appropriate statistical tests

-locate the relationships and differences among

variables

-draw conclusions


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Developing Questions

Question developmentis the practice ofselecting appropriate response formats andwording questions so that they areunderstandable, unambiguous, and unbiased.


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Developing Questions

Marketing research questions measure

Attitudes

Beliefs

Behaviors

Demographics


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How wording affects answers

Did you see

A broken headlight?

The broken headlight?

Which generatesmore agreement?

Words to Avoid in Questionnaire


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Words to Avoid in Questionnaire

Development

All

Always

Any

Anybody

Ever

Every

Never


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Why Avoid These Words?

These words: all, any, anybody, best, ever,

every, never, etc. are all EXTREME

ABSOLUTES

They place respondents in a situation wherethey must either fully agree or they must

completely disagree with the extreme

position in the question.

Do you always observe traffic signs?

Would you say all cats have four legs?

Four Dos of Questionnaire


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Four Do s of Questionnaire

Wording

Question evaluation refers to scrutinizing thewording of a question to ensure the question is

not biased and is worded such thatrespondents understand it and can respond toit with relative ease.

Four Dos of Questionnaire


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Four Do s of Questionnaire

Wording

1. The question should be focused on a singleissue or topic. What type of hotel do you stayin on a trip? Pleasure or business trip? Enroute or final destination?

2. The question should be brief.

3. The question should be grammatically simple,if possible.

4. The question should be crystal clear.

Four Do Nots of Questionnaire


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Four Do Not s of Questionnaire

Wording

1. The question should not lead the respondent

to a particular answer. Dont you see any

problem with using credit cards for online

purchases?2. The question should not have loaded

wording or phrasing. Use universal

beliefsSince our Founding Fathers gave us

the right to bear arms

Four Do Nots of Questionnaire


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Four Do Not s of Questionnaire

Wording

3. The question should not be double-barreled.

4. The question should not use words that

overstate the conditiondo not use

dramatics. Would you buy sunglasses thatprotect your eyes from harmful ultraviolent

rays that cause blindness?


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Questionnaire Organization

Questionnaire organization is the sequence of

statements and questions that make up the

questionnaire.

It is important because the questionnaire

appearance and ease of flow affect the quality

of the information gathered.


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The introduction is called a coverletter if

the introduction is written to accompany amail survey or online survey.


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Five functions:

Introduces yourself / surveyor

Indicates the purpose of the survey

Explains how the respondent was selected

Requests for provides incentive forparticipation

Determines if respondent is suitable


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Incentives

Incentives are offers to do something for

the respondent to increase the probability

that the respondent will participate in the

survey.


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Incentives

Incentives may be monetary ornon-monetary.Anonymity: respondent assured name

not identifiedConfidentiality: respondents name is

known by the researcher but not

divulged to a third partyBoth are used as non-monetary

incentives to increase participation


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Screening Questions

Screening questions are used to ferret out

respondents who do not meet research study

qualifications.

Research objectives should specify who

should and should not be included in theresearch study.


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Screening Questions

Example: If you were conducting research on factors

consumers use in selecting a new car, wouldnt you

only want to talk to persons who have recently selected

a new car?

If you were doing a study to determine the potential for

an e-zine targeting college students, wouldnt you only

want to talk to college students?

Screening or qualifying questions are asked to ensure


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Question Flow

Question flow pertains to the sequencing

of questions or blocks of questions.

Warm-up questions

Transitions

Skip questions

Classification and demographic questions

Question Flow in a


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Question Flow in a

Questionnaire

First Questions Screens/Qualifiers

Have you shopped at Big Bazaar in the

last month?

Immediately following screens - Warm-ups

How many major grocery shopping trips

do you do in a month?

Question Flow in a


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Question Flow in aQuestionnaire

Prior to major sections - Transitions

Did you purchase any cereal on your last

trip?

Do you use coupons for groceries?

Middle of questionnaire - Complicated &

Difficult-to-Answer

Rate each of the following aspects of Big

Question Flow in a


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Question Flow in a

Questionnaire

Last SectionClassification

What is the highest level of formaleducation you have to your credit?

Performing the Pretest of the


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Performing the Pretest of the

Questionnaire

A pretest involves conducting a dry run of the

survey on a small, representative set of

respondents in order to reveal questionnaireerrors before the survey is launched.

It is important to pretest on respondents that are

representative of the target population to be

studied.


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ThankYou, All!

11 Designing the Questionnaire

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