Questionnaire Design Basics

Questionnaire Design: Collecting Primary Data

• Questionnaires are techniques for collecting data where each participant responds to the same set of questions in a pre-determined order.
• Questionnaires should meet basic assumptions:
  • Avoid unreasonable demands on respondents.
  • No hidden purpose.
  • Request information respondents likely possess.
  • Include interesting questions.
  • Avoid asking for information obtainable by other means.

Question Design

• Questions should be answerable and straightforward.

Questionnaire Format

• The presentation should be attractive, professional, and easy to understand.
• Questions and pages should be clearly numbered.
• Directions must be clear and explicit.
• Questions should be objective.
• Questions should be ordered logically.
• Use examples where necessary.

Importance of a Cover Letter

• A cover letter informs the recipient about the research.
• It establishes the importance of the research.
• It makes the recipient feel part of the research effort.

When to Use Questionnaires

• Use for explanatory (cause-and-effect) or descriptive research.
• Link with other methods (e.g., multiple-methods research).
• Gather responses from large samples before quantitative analysis.

Types of Questionnaires

• Self-administered:
  • Postal questionnaires
  • Internet and Intranet-mediated questionnaires
• Interviewer-administered:
  • Delivery and collection questionnaires
  • Telephone questionnaires
  • Structured interviews

Considerations for Choosing Self-Admin or Interviewer Admin

• Respondent characteristics and access.
• Respondent biases in answers (e.g., contamination or distortion).
• Sample size required.
• Question type and quantity.
• Available resources (e.g., software).

Essential Data Collection

• Precisely defined questions (unlike in-depth interviews).
• Representative and accurate sampling.
• Understand the organizational context.
• Know relationships between variables (dependent, independent, extraneous).
• Know variable types (opinion, behaviour, attribute).
• Use a data requirements table.

Designing Individual Questions

• Adapt existing questions if necessary—always check copyright.
• Avoid misleading wording.
• Translate into other languages if needed.
• Code questions.

Questionnaire Construction

• Consider the logical order and flow of questions.
• Design a clear and user friendly layout.

Explaining Purpose & Testing

• A cover letter is essential.
• Clearly introduce the questionnaire and its purpose.
• Provide clear instructions.
• Thorough pilot testing and assessing validity are crucial.

Questionnaire Administration

• Administer questionnaires appropriate to their type (e.g., internet vs. postal).
  • Internet and intranet-mediated responses.
  • Postal questionnaires.
  • Delivery and collection questionnaires.
  • Telephone questionnaires.
  • Structured interviews.

Summary of Questionnaire Usage

• Questionnaires are frequently used for descriptive or explanatory research to gather data.
• Five key questionnaire types exist (Internet/intranet-mediated, postal, delivery/collection, telephone, and interview).
• Precise research data can be gathered using a data requirements table (or similar).

Summary of Questionnaire Validity and Reliability

• Data validity and reliability, and response rate, depend on the questionnaire's design, structure, and rigorous pilot testing.
• Question wording and order, as well as the types of questions used, are very important.
• Closed questions should be pre-coded.

Summary: Important Design Features

• Clear layout.
• Logical question order.
• Easy completion of the questionnaire.
• Introduction and pilot testing of questionnaires.
• Appropriate administration method for each questionnaire.