Chapter 3: Questionnaires

STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRES 

What is the definition of a structured questionnaire?

Pre-set questions and answers, often completed by self via email, post or face to face. 

What is the theory behind a structured questionnaire?

• Favoured by Positivists

• they use methods/approaches that generate data

• findings can be generalised to the wider population (macro)

• findings are also reliable as they argue society should be studied scientifically

• They attempt to establish ‘social facts’.

1) Government Document – Census 

What is the census?

A Government questionnaire which is wide-ranging, compulsory and well-funded

When and why is the census carried out?

It is carried out every ten years and sent to all households in the UK in support of giving a complete picture of the nation.  

By using the same questions in the census, what is achieved?

The same set of questions are used, allowing for the results to be quickly and easily analysed, permitting comparisons about the trends and patterns discovered on a range of issues.

What does the household questionnaire ask about?

• household accommodation

• relationship

• demographic characteristics

• migration

• cultural characteristics

• health and provision of care

• qualifications

• employment

• workplace

• journey to work

What does the information that the census provide, allow the government to do?

• develop policies

• plan and run public services

• and allocate funding both nationally and locally

What was The 2011 Census for England and Wales the first to do?

• The first to post out all household questionnaires based on a specially developed national address register

• Also the first to offer people a choice to either complete online or fill in and post back a paper questionnaire

What was collected by special enumerators?

Completed questionnaires from people living in communal establishments

Who was legally obliged to complete the census questionnaire?

Everyone in the country

What did those who did not complete the Census risk facing?

A fine of up to £1,000

2) Government Document – Crime Survey of England & Wales  

How many households does the CSEW annually invite in the UK to participate?

5000 households

How does the survey measure crime?

By asking members of the public about their experiences of crime over the last 12 months

What types of crimes does the CSEW record?

It records all types of crimes experienced by people, including those crimes that may not have been reported to the police

What does the CSEW allow the government to gain?

It allows the Government to gain a more accurate figure of crime

How is the CSEW sent out to UK households?

Selected by using a Stratified Sampling method

Do those who have been posted the questionnaire, have to participate?

No.

Annually, how many people respond?

Annually, around three quarters respond

What is the meaning of using the same set of questions each year?

It means that results gained can be compared

However what can also be included in the CSEW?

new and emerging crimes can also be included

Give an example of the new and emerging crimes that can also be included

for example recent questionnaires have included questions on the experience of fraud and online crimes

What may the CSEW ask which can be traumatic for some?

CSEW may ask sensitive or troubling questions regarding the participant’s experiences of crime

3) S.Hite Report – Women and Love 

What did Hite aim to explore?

• people’s sexual behaviour and relationships

• focusing on whether individuals were satisfied with their marriage

What type of questionnaire did she chose?

a self-completed questionnaire

How was it sent to her participants?

it was posted to participants

Why was it important that Hite administered her questionnaires by post?  

Because it was a sensitive issue such as sexual behaviour

What else did Hite argue was important?

it was important that the participant details were anonymous as it was extremely important these individuals had the protection of complete anonymity and privacy due to the sensitive nature

Where were the questionnaires mainly sent?

mainly sent to women’s associations

How long was the questionnaire?

the questionnaire itself was very long with 127 questions

What areas did the 127 questions range from?

both personal and at times also vague

How many questionnaires did Hite posted in support of getting a representative sample?

100,000 questionnaires

How was her response rate?

• It was low

• She attained less than a 5% response rate

• meaning only 5,000 were returned

However, what is the 5000 response rate?

still a high number of participants for a piece of research

Why could Hite not ensure that the participants were not harmed?                                        

• As these topic was sensitive

• Hite was not present

• as the questionnaires were self-completed

STRENGTHS  

1) Practical - Quick and Cheap  

What is a relatively quick and cheap way of collecting data?

Structured Questionnaires

What do researchers only need to spend time doing and why?

Researchers only need to spend time devising the questionnaire, as these are often then posted or emailed

What does this mean that no time is spent on?

• training an individual to act as the researcher

What significantly reduces time spent on a piece of research?

asking the researcher to be present whilst an individual completes the questionnaire in a face-to-face manner

Less of what is spent on research?

less money is spent on the research

Is anyone needed to act as a researcher?

no one is needed to act as the researcher

What are the types of questions included in a structured questionnaire?

• pre-set

• closed-ended

How do these types of questions reduce the time of the participant?

• require either very short answers

• or the selection of an answer from a number of options

What does this mean about the responses?

• can be easily

• and quickly analysed

How can the work of Hite be applied to the strength above? 

S.Hite

She wrote one questionnaire and sent it out to 100,000 people.

2) Ethical – Informed Consent  

Are Structured Questionnaires seen as unethical or ethical?

Are seen as more ethical

What do they require from the participants?

They require informed consent from participants

How does having informed consent from participants make it more ethical?

Because they have agreed to participate and are fully aware of the purpose of the research

What happens if the participant does not wish to participate?

they simply refuse to complete and ignore the questionnaire

What nature makes the Structured Questionnaires method more ethical and how?

The confidential nature because their responses remain anonymous

How are their responses anonymous?

No-one knows the respondent’s personal answers; they just make up a statistical profile. 

How can the CSEW be applied to the strength above? 

CSEW	75% of people invited, responded, showing high levels of consent.

3) Theoretical – Gain Large and Representative Sample  

Why are Structured Questionnaires quick and easy to complete?

Because of their pre-set questions and answers.

Therefore, What can be easily produced?

large quantities

What do large quantities allow?

allow a large sample size to be reached

What does this make the sample?

more representative

Why is the sample more representative?

• because they can be completed by many respondents

• because they are less time-consuming

• and possibly more will be completed as they are less intrusive on a persons’ time

• as many can be completed and there is a greater chance that a representative sample is collected 

Who would support the use of this quantitative method?

Positivists would support the use of this quantitative method

Why would Positivists support the use of quantitative methods?

• due to the increase in representation

• arguing findings can be easily generalised to wider society

• as they are more likely to be a cross-section of society

How can the Census be applied to the strength above? 

Census

2021- 97% of all UK households responded. Highly representative which means if can be generalised

 

LIMITATIONS 

1) Practical – Inflexibility

Why are Structured Questionnaires inflexible?

As questions and answers are determined in advance

What has the researcher already decided?

• what is important

• and how they wish to measure the focus of research

How has the researcher not allowed the participants any flexibility?

As the researcher has pre-selected the questions and also the answers to give meaning the participant’s answers may not coincide with the answers given

What will make it impossible to allow interesting leads to emerge?

Establishing questions beforehand and sticking to them rigidly

What does this inflexibility also mean?

That the social reality discovered is narrowed and socially constructed

How can the Census be applied to the limitation above? 

Census

same set of questions with the same set of options. Means there is a limited scope for participants to share their own views and the research will often reflect the interests of the researcher not of the participant

2) Ethical – Sensitivity 

Why may respondents not feel comfortable answering the questions?

• If the topic is of a sensitive nature or includes areas of sensitivity

• as questions can be intruding

What can this lead to in the questionnaire?

• question and answers being left out

• and questionnaires being incomplete

• or answers being selected which are dishonest

What can have an impact on the well-being of the participant?

the sensitive nature of the questions

What can the sensitive nature of the questions lead to?

leading to emotional and psychological harm both during and after the research is complete

As no researcher is present, What cannot be provided during the questionnaire?

support

What is the researcher unaware of?

unaware of any harm caused upon completion

What do both of these issues pose as?

both posing an ethical concern

How can the CSEW be applied to the limitation above? 

CSEW	at home by yourself, filling this form can trigger a lot of things

3) Theoretical – Invalidity 

What do Interpretivists say makes results from a Structured Questionnaire invalid?

the pre-set questions and answers

Why do Interpretivists say this?

because answers given are socially constructed and a narrow reality of the participant’s true opinion, lacking in truth and meaning.  

What do questions and answers do to the responses?

“straight-jacket” the responses

What is the term ‘pigeon-holing”?

where the respondent chooses the answer that bests fits

Consequently, What may people do to the answers?

• people may lie

• exaggerate

• or give a “socially desirable” answer

Why does this make the data invalid?

because the respondents are not being truthful when answering the Questionnaire. 

How can the work of Hite be applied to the limitation above?

S.Hite

How can the work of Hite be applied to the limitation above?

POSTAL QUESTIONNAIRES 

What is the definition of a postal questionnaire?

• Self-completed pre-set questions and answers sent via post

• These are simply an example of a structured questionnaire. 

What is the theory behind a postal questionnaire?

• Favoured by Positivists

• as they use methods/approaches that generate data from which findings can be generalised to the wider population (macro)

• and are reliable as they argue society should be studied scientifically

• They attempt to establish ‘social facts’.