Designing
Questionnaires
Chapter 15
Selecting Question Type
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Open ended questions: no response options provided.
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Pros: access concepts the researcher has not considered, gain
insight into respondents’ vocabulary regarding the topic, gain
insight into relative importance (based on ordering)
Cons: difficult to record, to code, to enter data resulting in
greater expense and time
Closed ended questions (fixed alternative): responses
are provided.
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Pros: cheaper, faster, easier data collection and entry
Cons: miss “rich” data, only measures what researcher has
conceived.
Fixed Alternative Questions
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Dichotomous: choose one of two , e.g. yes/no
Multiple choice alternatives:
determinant choice: select only one
 frequency determination: assesses general frequency,
select one
 checklist: select all that apply
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Scale responses
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Likert, Semantic differential, sum scales, distance,
etc.
Question “Shoulds”
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Single issue per question
Brief
Common interpretation
Comprehensible vocabulary
Simple
Exhaustive categories
Mutually exclusive categories
Question “Should nots”
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No unclear assumptions
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Why do you download music? (You may check off more than one box.)
____ CDs are too expensive.
____ CDs only contain a few good songs.
____ It is more practical (no need to leave home).
____ Rather spend money elsewhere.
____ Do not believe in supporting the music industry.
____ Convenience.
____ Other.
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This assumes that they download.
Not beyond experience/ability

Who was the best U of L president in the last 3 decades?
Question “Should nots”
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No specific examples (unless needed)
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Don’t ask info they can’t remember
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What is your favourite brand of chocolate bar? (e.g. Coffee Crisp, Snickers, etc.)
__________________
Stating a few limits ability to remember others (part-list cueing effect)
How much did you spend on groceries in the last month? ____________
No ambiguity

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How many advertisements promoting music sharing can you recall?
A)0
B)1-2
C)3-4
D) more than 4
Does this mean different ads, or different showings of an ad?
Question “Should nots”
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No double-barreled questions
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I believe that all that is legal is ethical and all that is illegal is
unethical.
Strongly disagree 1
2
3
4
5
6 Strongly agree
What if they believe all that is illegal is unethical, but all that is legal isn’t necessarily
ethical?

No leading questions
Do you support the school board’s innovative new math
curriculum?
Not at all 1 2
3
4
5
6 Strongly support
“innovative, new” suggests what the “correct” answer is

Question “Should nots”

No loaded questions
Do you support helping child victims of AIDS?
Not at all 1 2
3
4
5
6 Strongly support
The “morally correct” answer is obvious
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Not overly complex
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Do you feel that the contractual clause 59B section II should
be revised to indicate the new funding options available to
employees in the temporary worker category when workers
are eligible for maternity/paternity leave, conditional upon
their years of service and job classification?
Yes__ No__
Dillman's "Total Design Method“
for Survey Research (mail surveys)
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Use attractive single unit (e.g. one nice survey
booklet)
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Offer incentives (don’t have to be large)
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Use postcard to warn
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Use postcard to remind
Questionnaire Order
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“Cover letter”
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Instructions
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Get the right people
Warm-up (if necessary)
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How to proceed (e.g. don’t skip ahead/back)
Screening
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Who, purpose, explanation, incentive, screening (as needed)
Easy questions
Interesting questions
Transition statement (if necessary)
Key content/difficult questions
Demographics
Sequencing
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Gain attention, pique interest
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Avoid priming concepts, directing responses
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Response order; Question order
Place similar questions together
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General to specific; Open to closed
Randomize or counterbalance
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Start easy and interesting
mind frame
Clearly distinguish question and responses
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CAPS versus lower case, etc.
Clearly distinguish question from
responses:
LAYOUT A (bad):
Do you agree, disagree or have no opinion that this company has:

A good vacation policy - disagree/not sure/agree.
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Good management feedback - disagree/not sure/agree.
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Good medical insurance - disagree/not sure/agree.
LAYOUT B (better):
Does this company have:
Disagree Not Sure Agree
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A good vacation policy
1
2
3
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Good feedback
1
2
3
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Good medical insurance
1
2
3
Pretesting
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Pretest the questionnaire
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Test on “experts”
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Test on target market
Pretesting approaches
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Complete the survey
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Interpret the questions: what do they “mean”
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Define key words
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Comment on confusing items, missing items
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Address response options as well as questions
Response Issues
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Halo effect
Positivity/negativity bias
Extremeness aversion/extremeness seeking
Framing
Priming
The End