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Questionnaire construction

Questionnaires are frequently used in quantitative marketing researchand social researchin

general. They are a valuable method of collecting a wide range of information from a large number

of respondents. Good questionnaire constructionis critical to the success of a survey.

Inappropriate questions, incorrect ordering of questions, incorrect scaling, or bad questionnaireformat can make the survey valueless. A useful method for checking a questionnaire for problems

is to pretest it. This usually involves giving it to a small sample of respondents, then interviewing

the respondents to get their impressions and to confirm that the questions accurately captured

their opinions.

Questionnaire construction issues

The wording must be kept simple no technical or speciali!ed words. "se short sentences.

#riting style should be conversational, yet concise and accurate.

The meaning should be clear. Avoid ambiguous words and equivocal sentence structures.

Avoid double negatives. $ven single negatives should be reworded as positives. Avoid biasing the responses. A biased question or questionnaire encourages respondents

to answer one way rather than another. Avoid %loaded& questions.

Ask one question at a time. Avoid comple' questions. If more than one question is hidden

in a survey question, the researcher will not know which one the respondent is answering.

Avoid personal or intimate questions. (ost people will not answer them.

)onsider the respondent*s frame of reference. #hat is their background, and how will

this effect their interpretation of the questions+ o respondents have enough

information or e'pertise to answer the question+

Ask yourself if each question is really necessary. "nneeded questions are an e'pense to

the researcher and an unwelcome imposition on the respondents. To answer this question,

you must consider the ob-ectives/ of the research.

Ask yourself what type of data analysis techniques are available for various kinds ofquestions. #ill the question provide you with the statistical analysis that you want+

#hat type of content will responses to the question yield+ #ill the question responses

provide facts, beliefs, feelings, descriptions of past behavior, or standards of action+

#hat type ofscale,inde', or typology should be used+

0ow should the questions be presented on the page or computer screen/+ 0ow much

white space+ 0ow many colours+ o you use pictures, charts, or other graphics+ It should

be colourful enough to gain and maintain respondent interest, but not so graphic as to

distract from the questions.

1hould questions be open2ended or should respondents* answers be limited to a fi'ed set

of responses+

#hat order should the questions be in+ Is there a %natural& grouping to the questions+

#ill previous questions bias later questions+

1hould the questions be numbered+ Generally this is a good idea.

Are possible responses mutually e'clusive+ The respondent should not find themselves in

more than one category, for e'ample in both the %married& category and the %not living

with spouse& category. )ategories should not overlap.

Is the list of possible question responses inclusive+ The respondent should not find

themselves with no category that fits their situation.

Is the questionnaire going to be administered by research staff, or will it be self2

administered by the respondents+ 1elf administered questionnaires must give clear,

detailed instructions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_marketing_researchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_researchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_(social_sciences)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_(social_sciences)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_(social_sciences)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_marketing_researchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_researchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_(social_sciences)

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Types of questions

3. Contingency questions2 A question that is answered only if the respondent gives a

particular response to a previous question. This avoids asking questions of people that do

not apply to them for e'ample, asking men if they have ever been pregnant/.4. Matrix questions2 Identical response categories are assigned to multiple questions. The

questions are placed one under the other, forming a matri' with response categories

along the top and a list of questions down the side. This is an efficient use of page space

and respondents* time.

5. Scaled questions2 6esponses are graded on a continuum e'ample rate the appearance

of the product on a scale from 3 to 37, with 37 being the most preferred appearance/.

$'amples of types of scales include the 8ikert scale,semantic differential scale,and

rank2order scale1eescalefor a complete list of scaling techniques./.

9. Closed ended questions2 6espondents* answers are limited to a fi'ed set of responses.

(ost scales are closed ended. :ther types of closed ended questions include

o ichotomous questions 2 The respondent answers with a %yes& or a %no&.

o (ultiple choice 2 The respondent has several option from which to choose.;. Open ended questions2 icture completion 2 6espondents fill in an empty conversation balloon.

o Thematic apperception test 2 6espondents e'plain a picture or make up a story

about what they think is happening in the picture

Question sequence

Questions should flow logically from one to the ne't.

The researcher must ensure that the answer to a question is not influenced by previous

questions.

Questions should flow from the more general to the more specific.

Questions should flow from the least sensitive to the most sensitive.

Questions should flow from factual and behavioural questions to attitudinal and opinion

questions.

Questions should flow from unaided to aided questions

According to the three stage theory also called the sandwich theory/, initial questions

should be screening and rapport questions. Then in the second stage you ask all the

product specific questions. In the last stage you ask demographicquestions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Likert_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Likert_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_differential_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_differential_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_differential_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rank-order_scale&action=edithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_(social_sciences)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_(social_sciences)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_(social_sciences)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Likert_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_differential_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rank-order_scale&action=edithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_(social_sciences)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics