Questionnaire Construction

What are open questions?

Questions for which there is no fixed choice of response and respondents can answer any way they wish.

What type of data do open questions tend to produce?

Qualitative.

What is the strength of open qestions?

Data produced is rich in depth and detail.

What is the limitations of open questions?

Data may be difficult to analyse.

What are closed questions?

Questions for which there is a fixed choice of responses determined by the question setter.

What type of data is produced by closed questions?

Quantitative.

What is the strength of closed questions?

Data is usually easy to analyse.

What is the limitation of closed questions?

Data produced may lack the depth and detail associated with open questions.

What are linkert scales?

When respondents indicate their agreement (or otherwise) with a statement using a scale of usually five points. This scale ranges from strongly agree to strongly disagree.

What are rating scales?

Works in a similar way to linkert scales but gets respondents to identify a value that represents their strength of feeling on a particular topic.

What is meant by a fixed choice option?

Where there is a list of options and respondents are required to indicate those that apply to them.

What do most interviews involve?

An interview schedule.

What is an interview schedule?

The list of questions that the interviewer intends to cover.

What must an interview schedule be, and why?

Standardised for each participant to reduce the effect of interview bias

In the case of a one-to-one interview, what kind of room should it be conducted with?

A quiet room.

Why must interviews be conducted in quiet rooms?

This will increase the likelihood that the interviewee will open up.

What type of questions should the interviewer begin the interview with?

Neutral questions.

Why should the interviewer start with neutral questions?

To make the participant feel relaxed and comfortable.

What must interviewers repeatedly remind their interviewees?

That their answers will be treated with the strictest confidence, this is especially important if the interview includes topics that may be persona; of sensitive.

What must be avoided when writing questionnaires and interviews?

Overuse of jargon, emotive language and leading questions, double-barelled questions and double negatives.

What is meant by jargon?

Technical terms that are only familiar to those within a specialised field or area.

Why must jargon be avoided?

Jargon and technical terms can confuse, frustrate, or alienate your respondents, and reduce the quality and reliability of your data.

What is emotive language?

When the author’s attitude towars a particular topic is clear from the way a question is phrased.

What are leading questions?

Questions that guide the respondent towards a certain answer.

What are double-barelled questions?

When a questions contain two questions in one..

What is the problem with double-barelled questions?

Respondents may agree with one half of the question and not the other,

What is the problem with double negatives?

The questions can be difficult for the participants to decipher.