Designing a Questionnaire

Questionnaire

•A questionnaire consists of a number of questions printed or typed in a definite order on a form or set of forms.

•Basically there are 7 steps involved in designing a questionnaire

3

Designing a QuestionnaireDetermine what information is

needed

What type of Questionnaire

to be used

Decide on the types of

questions

Decide in the wording of questions

Deciding on layout

Step 1

5

Determine what information is needed•This stage is a planning stage which

includes: ▫Decide on the topic for research ▫Get additional information on the research

issue▫Gather what has been experience with

similar study▫Type of information required (such as

awareness, facts, opinions, attitudes, future plans and reasons)

Determine what information is needed•Recall Loss

▫E.g. - Which television programme did you see last Saturday?

•Memory of events depends on:▫Importance of the events▫Whether it is necessary for the respondents

to remember.

Modes of collection data

•The questionnaire can be used to collect the information through personal interview, mail or telephone.

•The method chosen depends on the information required and the type of respondent.

•If information is to be collected from illiterate individuals a questionnaire would be the wrong choice.

Step 2

9

What type of Questionnaire to be used•Structured and Non-disguised •Structured and Disguised•Non-structured and disguised•Non-structured and Non-disguised

Step 3

11

Decide on the types of questions

•Open ended questions•Dichotomous questions•Close ended questions

Open ended Questions• These are questions where respondents are

free to answer in their own words.• Respondent may mention the attribute

▫ What factor do you consider while buying a suit?

• Respondent may not use same frame of reference▫ What is the most important attribute in a job?▫ Pay▫ Respondent considers basic pay while

interviewer thinks about total pay.

Dichotomous Question

•There questions have only two answers, yes or no, true or false, use or don’t use.▫Do you use toothpaste? Yes.......... No.....▫Do you like to watch movies? Like ....

Dislike....•This technique is most convenient and

easy to answer•This technique limits the respondents

response. This may lead to measurement error.

Close ended Questions

•There are two basic formats in this type:a) Make one or more choices among the

alternativesb) Rate the alternatives

Close ended Questionsa) Which of the following words or phrases best describes

the kind of person you feel would be most likely to use this product?

▫ Young...... Old........▫ Single...... Married.........▫ Modern ....... Old fashioned.........

b) Based on what you saw in the commercial, how interested do you feel, you would be buying the product.

Definitely Probably I would buy I may or may not buy Probably I would not buy Definitely I would not buy

Step 4

17

Decide in the wording of questions

•Wording of particular questions could have a large impact on how the respondent interprets them.

•Example: ▫Don’t you think that Brazil played poorly in

the FIFA cup ?▫Do you think that, Brazil played poorly in

the FIFA cup ?

Avoid Double Barrelled Questions•These are questions in which the

respondent can agree with one part of the question, but not agree with the other or cannot answer making a particular assumption.

•Example:▫Are you happy with the price and quantity

of branded shampoo?

Avoid Leading Questions

•A leading question is one that suggest the answers to the respondents.

•Example:▫Do you like the programme on Radio

Mirchi?▫Answer would likely to be Yes

▫Which is your favourite F.M. Radio station?

Step 5

Sequence and Layout

•Divide the questionnaire into 3 parts:▫Basic information▫Classification ▫Identification Information

•Always move from general to specific questions on the topic. This is known as funnel sequence.

Step 6

Pre-testing of Questionnaire

•It is done to detect any flaws that might be present. ▫Words used by the researcher must convey

same meaning to the respondent.•The questionnaire should not be too long

as the response will be poor.

Step 7

Revise and Preparation of final questionnaire• Final questionnaire may be prepared after pre-

testing the questionnaire with small group of respondents.

• It should be revised as:▫ To correct the spellings.▫ To place the questions in proper order to avoid the

contextual bias.▫ To remove the words which are not familiar to

respondents.▫ To add or remove questions arise in the process of

pre-test, if any.▫ To purge the words with double meaning, etc.

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