Chapter 11
Designing Data Collection
Forms
The Functions of a Questionnaire
• Translates the research objectives into specific
questions
• Standardizes questions and all or some of the
response categories
• Fosters cooperation and motivation
• Serves as permanent record of the research
• Can speed up the process of data analysis
• Can serve as the basis for reliability and validity
measures
The Questionnaire Development Process
Developing Questions
Research Questions
• A questionnaire (“survey”) item or question:
statement or question used in research projects
to obtain overt, written or oral communication
from individual study participants
• Its intended function is to obtain meaningful
responses from study participants.
• Survey item or question measures such as:
• Attitudes
• Beliefs
• Behaviors
• Demographics
Developing Questions
“Shoulds” of Question Wording
• Question should be focused on a single issue or
topic. No “double-barreled” questions.
• Question should be brief.
• Question should be interpreted the same way by
all respondents; no ambiguity in word meaning.
• Question should use respondent’s core
vocabulary. Keep wording simple.
• Question should be a grammatically simple
sentence if possible.
Developing Questions
“Should Nots” of Question Wording
• Question should not assume criteria that are not
obvious.
• Question should not be beyond the respondent’s
ability or experience; also, you do the math.
• Question should not use a specific example to
represent a general case.
• Question should not ask the respondent to recall
specifics when only generalities will be
remembered.
• Question should not require the respondent
to guess a generalization.
Questionnaire Organization
Five Functions of the “Introduction”
• Identification of the survey or respondent
• Undisguised
• Disguised
• Purpose of survey
• Explanation of respondent selection
• Request for participation/provide incentive
• Incentives
• Anonymity
• Confidentiality
• Screening of respondent
Questionnaire Organization
Typical Question Sequence
Approaches to Question Flow
• Work approach: is employed when the researcher
realizes that respondents will to need to apply
different mental effort to groups of questions
• Sections approach: organizes questions into sets
based on a common objective of questions in the
set
Precoding the Questionnaire
• Precoding: placement of numbers on the
questionnaire to represent answers; facilitates
data entry after the “survey” has been completed
• Numbers are preferred for two reasons:
• Numbers are easier and faster to keystroke
into a computer file
• Computer tabulation programs are more
efficient when they process numbers
Pretesting the Questionnaire
• Pretest the entire survey process, including the
questionnaire: sampling frame, sample draw,
data gathering (mail, phone, online, etc.), editing,
coding, file building, data entry, and preliminary
analysis
• Questionnaire pretest: 20-40 questionnaires; “10
percent change pretest rule”
• Changes: add Q’s, delete Q’s, modify Q’s,
change order of Q’s
• Less than 10 percent change no new pretest,
10 percent or more, pretest again
Computer-Assisted Questionnaire Design
• Computer-assisted questionnaire design:
software programs allow users to use computer
technology to develop and disseminate
questionnaires
• Advantages:
• Easier
• Faster
• Friendlier
• More functionality
Computer-Assisted Questionnaire
Design…cont.
• Survey creation feature:
• Question list
• Question libraries
• Details
• Survey appearance
• Preview
• Publish
• Send notification
Computer-Assisted Questionnaire
Design…cont.
• Creation of data files and data collection
• Data analysis and reports
• Performing the pretest of the questionnaire
Designing Observation Forms
• Observation forms: prepared so researchers can
record the behaviors observed in observation
studies
• Structuring observational studies using “buildup” or “break-down” approaches
• Build-up (“unstructured”): perform
observations first, then build categories
• Break-down (“structured”): categories are
created before observation and provided on
observation forms