Krystsina Sharambei
• Questionnaire - is a research instrument consisting of a series
of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering
information from respondents.
• Questionnaire Design - refers to the design (text, order, and
conditions for skipping) of the questions used to obtain the data
needed for the survey.
Words
Questions
Format
Hypotheses
• The most obvious component is words. The researcher must
carefully consider which words to use in creating the questions
and scales for collecting raw data from respondents
• Two important issues relating to question phrasing that have a
direct impact on survey designs are (1) the type of question
format (unstructured or structured) and (2) the quality of the
question (good or bad)
Unstructured questions
Open-ended questions
formatted to allow
respondents to reply in
their own words
Structured questions
Closed-ended questions
that require the respondent to choose
from a predetermined set of
responses or scale
points
Bad questions
Any questions that prevent
or distort the fundamental communication
between the researcher
and the respondents
Good questions
The opposite to bad questions
Incomprehensible to the respondent
because the wording, the concept, or
both can not be understood. An example
would be: “What is your attitude about
the linkage between the 2002 war on the
terrorists of al-Quaida in Afghanistan
and the Democrats
decrying of sexual McCarthyism toward
improving the environment in Arizona?”
Unanswerable
either because the respondent does not
have access to the information
needed or because none of the answer
choices apply to the respondent. An
example
would be: “What was your parents’
exact annual income two years ago?”
Leading in that the respondent is forced or
directed into a response that
she or he would not ordinarily give if all
the facts of the situation were provided.
An example of this would be: “Do you
believe that Democrats who loved William
Jefferson Clinton agreed he did a good
job as president of the United States?”
Double-barreled in that they ask the
respondent to address more than one issue
at a time. An example would be: “To what
extent do you agree or disagree that
Monica Lewinsky and Representative Henry
Hyde, R-Ill., were responsible for the
impeachment vote against President
Clinton?”
• The integrated layout of sets of questions or scale
measurements into a systematic instrument. The questionnaire’s
format should allow for clear communication.
• A formalized statement of a testable relationship between two
or more constructs or variables.
• A descriptive design
allows the researcher to
collect raw data that can
be turned into facts
about a person or
object.
• A predictive
questionnaires force the
researcher to collect a
wider range of state-ofmind and state-ofintention data that can
be used in predicting
changes in attitudes and
behaviors as well as in
testing hypotheses.
• Accuracy refers to the
degree to which the
data provide the
researcher with a
description of the true
state of affairs.
• In contrast, precision in
questionnaire designs
focuses on the
reproducibility of the
results over repeated
usages.
• This scientific approach involves a series of activities that have a
logical, hierarchical order. The flowerpot notion is symbolically
derived from the natural shape associated with a clay pot used
for planting and growing flowers. The shape is wide at the top
and tapered (or narrower) at the bottom—symbolizing a
natural flow of data from general to specific.
• According to the flowerpot concept, in a good questionnaire
design, the data will flow from a general information level,
down to a more specific information level, and end with
identification data. A questionnaire should begin with an
introductory section that gives the respondent a basic idea of
the main topic of the research. This section should also include
general instructions for filling out the survey. The introduction’s
appearance will vary with the desired data collection method.
• Cover letter A separate written communication to a prospective
respondent designed to enhance that person’s willingness to
complete and return the survey in a timely manner.
• The main role of the cover letter should be that of winning over
the respondent’s cooperation and willingness to participate in
the research project. In other words, the cover letter should help
persuade a prospective respondent either to fill out the
questionnaire and return it in a timely fashion or to participate
in the current interview.
• Factor 1. Personalization
The cover letter should be addressed to the particular person who
was randomly selected as a prospective respondent.
• Factor 2. Identification of the Organization Doing the Study
Clear identification of the name of the research firm conducting
the survey or interview; decide on disguised or undisguised
approach of revealing the actual client (or sponsor) of the study
• Factor 3. Clear Statement of the Study’s Purpose and
Importance
Describe the general topic of the research and emphasize its
importance to the prospective purpose and importance
respondent.
• Factor 4. Anonymity and Confidentiality
Give assurances that the prospective respondent’s name will not
be revealed. Explain how the respondent was chosen, and stress
that his or her meaningful input is important to the study’s success.
• Factor 5. Time Frame
Communicate the overall time frame of the survey or interview. It
should state the actual completion time requirements and any
compensation that might be offered.
• Factor 6. Reinforcement of the Importance of the
Respondent’s Participation
Where appropriate, communicate the importance of prospective
respondents’ participation.
• Factor 7. Acknowledgment of Reasons for Not Participating
in the Study
Point out “lack of leisure time,” “surveys classified as junk mail,”
and “forgetting about survey” reasons for not participating, and
defuse them.
• Factor 8. Time Requirements and Compensation
Clearly communicate the approximate time required to complete
the survey; discuss incentive compensations program, if any.
• Factor 9. Completion Date and Where and How to Return the
Survey
Communicate to the prospective respondent all instructions for
returning the completed how to return the survey questionnaire.
• Factor 10. Advance thank-you statement for willingness to
participate
Thank the prospective respondent for his or her cooperation.
• Supervisor Instructions
A form that serves as a blueprint for training people on how to
execute the interviewing process in a standardized fashion; it
outlines the process by which to conduct a study that uses personal
and telephone interviewers
• Interviewer Instructions
The vehicle for training the interviewer on how to select
prospective respondents, screen them for eligibility, and conduct
the actual interview.
• Screening forms
A set of preliminary questions that are used to determine the
eligibility of a prospective respondent for inclusion in the survey.
• Quota Sheets
A simple tracking form that enhances the interviewer’s ability to
collect raw data from the right type of respondents; the form
helps ensure that representation standards are met.
• Rating Cards
Cards used in personal interviews that represent a reproduction
of the set of actual scale points and descriptions used to respond
to a specific question/setup in the survey. These cards serve as a
tool to help the interviewer and respondent speed up the data
collection process.
• Call Record Sheets
A recording document that gathers basic summary information
about an interviewer’s performance efficiency (e.g., number of
attempts, number of completed interviews, length of time of
interview)
Thank you for your attention!!!