How to Develop a Questionnaire
There are various types of questionnaires that can be used in research to ask questions
of a sample of participants. However, one of the most widely used survey instruments
is the self-completed questionnaire. While the development of a questionnaire may at
first appear to be an easy task it is often a more complex process than anticipated.
There are a number of steps required to develop a questionnaire to ensure that the end
product is rigorous, and meets the needs of the research while also being appropriate
to the participant sample. While the steps discussed below are presented in linear
order, the process of developing a questionnaire is actually an iterative process.
Identifying the Research Aims
One of the first steps in developing a survey is to clearly identify the overarching aims
of the survey and to ensure these are linked to the evaluation objectives (i.e., the
research will achieve the evaluation objective). Once these have been identified and
agreed upon by interested parties (e.g., management, providers) one can then move on
to developing a series of well defined questions likely to elicit the kinds of
information you are interested in finding out about. In developing the questionnaire it
is useful to keep the aim of the survey to the fore.
Examples of questions that you might ask:
What is your overarching aim or research question?
What aspects of the aim or research question do you want to find out about?
What are the key questions that are likely to elicit information that will contribute to
answering the overarching research question?
Quantitative and Qualitative Data Methods
The next step is to consider what kind of data is going to best serve your information
needs and the best way to ask questions to elicit the kinds of information you want to
find out about. While questionnaires typically depend on the use of questions that will
produce quantitative data, many also include some questions that can elicit more indepth qualitative information. Quite frequently, a mix of quantitative and qualitative
information can be used to maximise the advantages of each modality (e.g., survey a
large number of people while also obtaining clarification and in-depth information on
select issues). The use of both methods is useful in enhancing the validity of
questionnaire data. Questions that elicit quantitative data are typically referred to as
closed questions whereas those that elicit qualitative data are often referred to as
open-ended questions.
Quantitative Data Methods
Some commonly used quantitative methods used in survey questionnaires include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Basic quantity, information or categorical questions
Forced choice yes/no questions
Multiple choice questions
A scale
Ranking
Quantity, Information or Categorical Questions
This form of questioning is usually used to find out basic demographic or related
information that will inform the context of the participant group you are surveying.
It would be usual to include questions about age, gender and ethnicity and other
demographic information that may be useful to the purpose of the research. Other
kinds of quantitative information you may want to find out include what year
participants first started using a programme or intervention of interest, for example,
joined a gym or began a public health course. Alternatively you may use categorical
questions to find out whether participants have ever or currently attend a
cardiovascular clinic, an organised sport etc.
Forced Choice Yes/No Questions
Forced choice questions are self-explanatory. The intention is to produce simple
quantitative data relating to a certain issue or topic.
For example:
Have you ever cycled to work?
Yes
No
Don’t know

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Don’t
1
2
3
Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple choice questions offer participants a range of responses but they must choose
only one response.
For example:
How many vending machines does the school have on the school grounds that are
accessible to students?
Please tick one box only
1
2
3
4 or more
Don’t know
Not applicable
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1
2
3
4
5
6
Scale
A commonly used scale is the Likert Scale. This scale is used when you want to find
out the extent to which participants agree or disagree with a statement. The Likert
Scale includes five possible ratings.
For example:
It is important for staff working in your organisation to have free fruit available in the
workplace?
Please circle one answer only
Strongly Agree
Agree
Unsure
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Ranking
A ranking approach is used when you want to find out how participants prioritise
certain issues. This approach is often used to find out how important an issue is to
participants. A ranking approach requires participants to rank their responses in order
of priority.
For example:
In your household what are the most common barriers to physical activity: (please rank
in order of importance where a 1 indicates the barrier that is most important to you and a 6
indicates the barrier that is the least important to you).
Lack of money

1
Lack of time
Lack of energy
Unsafe neighbourhood
No one to be active with
Health problems
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2
3
4
5
6
Qualitative Data Methods
In the questionnaire context open-ended questions that elicit qualitative data are often
used to understand behaviour, to gain insights into how participants make sense of
their experiences and construct meaning about a particular issue, and to understand
certain behaviours within a sociopolitical or cultural context. This approach is also
useful when researchers are exploring new areas of investigation or attempting to gain
new insights into a particular problem or issue. Qualitative data is often useful in
supplementing or complementing information obtained using quantitative approaches.
In deciding whether to collect qualitative data one needs to consider how useful the
information will be to your overarching aims or research questions, and whether there
is merit in identifying more complex information and the nuances that are not tapped
using closed questions that produce quantitative data. For example, while you may
want to find out the total number of participants who have ever bought food from a
vending machine you may also want to understand why those who have never bought
food from a vending machine have not done so. Alternatively, you may want to find
out how many people in a work place regard free fruit as a top priority, but also why
participants view this as more important than showers or bicycle parking.
Questionnaire Presentation
Question sequence
A questionnaire needs to be shaped into a logical sequence that provides some order
and is likely to make sense to participants. The general rule of thumb is to work from
the broadest to the narrowest questions, and from the least sensitive or difficult
questions, to the potentially most sensitive or most difficult questions. Filter or
skipping questions can be used when an issue is likely to apply to only some
participants. For example:
Has your school ever updated or reviewed the food and nutrition policy/procedures?
Yes
No
Don’t know



1
2
3
continue to question 42
If No go to question 45
If Don’t know go to question 45
If Yes
Questionnaire length
When developing a questionnaire it is wise to keep the length to a minimum in terms
of the time it is likely to take participants to respond to the questionnaire. Obviously,
where an issue is of importance to a particular group and where there is likely to be
good compliance the length of the questionnaire will matter less than if the issue has
low level interest and compliance is likely to be a problem. However, if it is necessary
to construct a relatively long questionnaire it is useful to insert headings and transition
statements which explain to the participant what the next group of questions is about.
Language and Phrasing
A key issue in developing questionnaires is to constantly keep your participant
audience in mind, to use language appropriate to the group/s targeted, and to pitch the
wording and phrasing of questions in a way that is likely to be most appropriate to the
group/s concerned. Some key pointers regarding wording include:
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avoid wording that is ambiguous or imprecise
avoid double barreled questions
avoid leading questions
use small precise questions rather than long complex questions
phrase questions in the positive wherever it is appropriate to do so or
ensure a mix of positive and negative questions throughout the
questionnaire
minimise the number of open-ended questions
consider translation where necessary
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consider use of showcards or pictures to illustrate concepts (e.g.,
portion size or definition of moderate activity)
Presentation and Layout
The way a questionnaire is presented and laid out has an impact on its appeal to the
audience and the likelihood participants will participate in a survey. While this may
seem like the most trivial aspect of constructing a questionnaire it is actually an
important variable in gaining compliance from participants and maximising the
response rate. In considering how to present and layout a questionnaire it is also
useful to think through how the data will be managed and coded once the surveys are
returned. While presentation and layout will vary depending on the target audience
some key pointers include:
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clear headings
clearly separating questions from answers
making the form of response required constant (e.g., a tick or circle)
placing questions on one side of the paper only (for later use in the data
management and analysis process)
using sufficient space between sections of the questionnaire and
individual questions to prevent the appearance of overcrowding
allowing sufficient space for participants to record their responses to
open-ended questions
laying out questions in a way that ensures the visibility of all questions
in the questionnaire
thank the participant at the end of the questionnaire
It is also important to consider factors such as paper texture, quality, colour and size,
the print style and size, and whether to include graphics or images as a way to bring
the questionnaire to life or to enhance appeal to certain audiences. When a large
number of questionnaires are being administered it is useful to include a coding
system on the questionnaire as it is being developed.
Some points to keep in mind when developing and finalising a survey questionnaire
include:
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Is the questionnaire clearly worded and easy to read?
Is the questionnaire easy to follow, does the ordering of questions
make sense?
Is the layout appropriate and appealing?
Is the language used and the way the questions are worded culturally
appropriate?
Is the language used and the way the questions are worded appropriate
to the participant group, especially targeted groups (e.g., unemployed
male youth, pregnant teen women, migrant health workers)?
Is the spelling and grammar correct?
Are all the questions, question numbers and pages included?
It is useful to pilot or trial a draft survey questionnaire with the target audience.