Developing Questionnaires

What is a questionnaire?

A group of printed questions that the respondent answers by him/herself

A key assumption: the respondent can, wants to, and does give a truthful answer.

Parts of a questionnaire

A) Title: Usually in bold and attractive type Tells the respondent which topic to be discussed

Examples?

B) Introduction:◦May appear at the top of the first page or as a covering

letter

◦ Information to include:◦ Introduction of yourself◦ The purpose of the study◦ Request for co-operation◦ Instructions for returning the form◦ Assurance of confidentiality◦ Deadline for return◦ Contact person and phone number◦ Expression of appreciation for respondent’s co-operation

C) Background Information:

◦Used to describe your sample and to divide it into sub-groups for data analysis

◦ If not related to your research question, DON”T ASK IT

◦ Information asked may include:◦ Male or female - education◦ Age ( use ranges) - marital status◦ Occupation ( categories are best e.g. Management, health

care, sales )◦ Name and other identifying information should not be

asked to ensure confidentiality

D) Questions:

◦Work directly from your set of research questions

◦Ask only if it’s related to your research purpose

◦ Items may be phrased as questions or statements.

Some hints for formulating questions:

1) Keep things simple

◦Avoid complex statements or charts

◦Avoid fancy words where simple ones will do; use plain language

◦All instructions should be clear and exact; give examples where needed

2) Avoid Abbreviations:

Your respondents may be completely unfamiliar with your short forms

Examples FACS, CAS,

3) Keep language appropriate to your respondents

children cannot be expected to read adult level questions

certain occupations have specialized vocabularies.

4) Avoid Bias: Your choice of words may reflect your own bias unless care is taken

5) Avoid hidden assumptions: don’t assume that your respondent has a certain belief or behaviour

6) Be specific about whether you require an opinion or a factual answer

7) Avoid introducing more than one concept per question

ResponsesInclude instructions on how to respondExplain the scale ( if appropriate)Responses options should be exhaustive,

including all possible choices.Offer option of not responding ( by adding

categories such as Don’t know, Undecided, or no opinion)

Allow the options of volunteered comments

Only one response option should be applicable to a particular respondent

F) Conclusion: thank the respondent for cooperating

Types of Questions/responses

1) Open-ended

An open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer using the subject's own knowledge and/or feelings. It is the opposite of a closed-ended question, which encourages a short or single-word answer. Open-ended questions also tend to be more objective and less leading than closed-ended questions

Tell me about your relationship with your boss. Open ended

Do you get along with your boss? Closed

Who will you vote for in this election? Closed

What do you think about the two candidates in this election? Open

hypothetical questions

Fill-in-the-blank

Rank order

Avoid