Lesson 09 - questionnaires

define qualitative data

non-numerical; expressed in words

define quantitative data

numerical

evaluate both data types’ validity

quantitative has higher internal validity, qualitative has higher external validity

define questionnaires

pre-set list of questions to record qualitative dat

define open questions

do not include a fixed range of answers

define closed questions

respondents are directed to a fixed set of responses from which they have to choose

role of questionnaires in research

• gather general information

• a way of measuring DV in experiments

types of closed questions

• likert scale (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree)

• rating scale (1-10)

• fixed choice scale (good, bad, neutral)

5 things to avoid in questionnaires

• use of jargon

• emotive language

• leading questions

• double-barrelled questions

• double negatives

positives of questionnaires

• easy to replicate

• an economical way of gathering information from a large number of people

negatives of questionnaires

• researcher may be uncertain how the respondent has understood the question

• could be affected by social desirability bias

• could be bias in terms of who responds