tests for survey methods

1. One of these sentences is not correct. Please find it. 

To build a good questionnaire it’s necessary :

a) To do a pre-test 

b) to ask the date of birth of respondent 

c) to ask for the consent of the privacy 

d) Adapt the wording of the questionnaire to the type of data collection (by face to face , by telephone, etc.)

Please explain your answer: 

While asking for the date of birth can be useful in some cases, it is not necessary to build a good questionnaire. The main focus of a well-designed questionnaire is to collect relevant information that helps answer the research question. Asking for personal details like the date of birth can be intrusive and may not always be relevant unless it directly influences the data you’re collecting (e.g., age-related studies)

The other options (a, c, and d) are standard practices for creating a good questionnaire, as they ensure the survey is tested for accuracy (a), protects privacy (c), and is adapted to the method of data collection (d).

2. During the preliminary stages of questionnaire construction, it is extremely useful for members of the research project team to test the questionnaire:

a) by administering it among themselves 

b) by administering it to a selected sample

 c) since the questionnaire is ready, it is not necessary to administering 

d) none of these answers is correct

Please explain your answer: 

During the preliminary stages of questionnaire reconstruction, it is important to test the questionnaire with a sample that closely resembles the target population. This helps identify any unclear or confusing questions, issues with question flow, and ensures that the data collected will be reliable. Administering it among the research team (A) might not reveal these issues, as they may already understand the survey’s intent. Option C is incorrect because testing the questionnaire is essential even when it’s nearly ready, as issues might still arise that were not initially obvious.

3. On the surveys on sensitive subjects (sexuality, violence, drug use) the best collect mode is:

a) an in-depth interview

b) a face to face interview by questionnaire

c) a phone interview by questionnaire 

d) an online interview by questionnaire

Please explain your answer: Anonymity -> more honest responses  

For sensitive subjects like sexuality, violence, and drug use, anonymity is crucial to ensure honest responses. An online interview allows respondents to answer questions in a private setting, without the pressure of being face-to-face with an interviewer. This anonymity makes it more likely that respondents will feel comfortable providing truthful answers.

4. One of these sentences is not correct. Please find it.

 A questionnaire requires:

a) a section on the individual characteristics of the interviewed 

b) several sections 

c) the name and surname of the interviewed 

d) the consent of the privacy

Please explain your answer: 

A questionnaire does not necessarily require asking for the respondent’s name and surname, especially when anonymity or confidentiality is important. In many cases, particularly with sensitive topics, respondents are more likely to provide honest answers if they do not have to disclose personal identifying information.

The other options (a, b, and d) are valid:

a: A questionnaire often includes a section on individual characteristics (like age, gender, or education level) to better understand the sample.

b: A questionnaire is usually organized into several sections for clarity and flow.

d: Including a privacy section is essential to inform respondents about how their data will be handled, ensuring transparency and building trust.

5. In which part of the questionnaire should the respondent write his/her name and surname?

a) at the beginning of the demographic data section 

b) nowhere

c) at the end of the demographic data section

d) at the end of the questionnaire

Please explain your answer

Typically, respondents should not be asked to provide their name in a questionnaire, especially if the survey is anonymous or focuses on sensitive topics. Asking for names can discourage participation or lead to biased responses. If the survey does require identifying information (e.g., for follow-up purposes), this should be done in a way that ensures confidentiality, and ideally, it should be optional.

The other options (A, B, and C) all suggest placing the name request within the questionnaire, which could compromise privacy and discourage honest responses.

6.  A survey is conducted on 100 individuals, 3 of them do not answer the questionnaire at all. The Excel matrix which collects their answers consists of:

a) 97 rows b) 100 columns c) 100 rows d) 97 columns

Please explain your answer:

In an Excel matrix used for collecting survey responses, each row represents one respondent, and each column represents a different question or variable. Since 100 individuals were surveyed, but 3 did not answer the questionnaire at all, there would only be 97 rows (for the 97 respondents who completed the survey). The number of columns would correspond to the number of questions or variables, which would remain unchanged at 100 columns (if there were 100 questions).

7. The “other” mode fits into the questionnaire: 

a)at the end of a series of closed modes

b) at the beginning of series of closed modes 

c) only with reference to the an open question

d) there is no provision for inserting this mode

8. Leading question: example 

• questions that may encourage respondents to choose a particular response or to answer in a particular way 

“Don’t you think that the university should provide more online courses to make learning more accessible?” 

Yes, definitely

Yes, to some extent

No, I don’t think so

I don’t know 

9. One of the sentences is not correct, please find it. 

Before designing a questionnaire, it requires:

A. detailed knowledge of the survey topic,

B. detailed knowledge of the target population, 

C. knowledge of the chosen data collection method, 

D. the consent of the privacy

Explanation: While obtaining consent regarding privacy is important, it is not something that is specifically required before designing a questionnaire. The privacy consent typically comes into play when collecting responses, ensuring that respondents’ data is handled confidentially and with their consent. The other options, however, are necessary before starting the design of a questionnaire:

• A. Detailed knowledge of the survey topic: This is essential because understanding the subject helps to create relevant and focused questions.

• B. Detailed knowledge of the target population: Knowing your target population ensures that the questions are appropriate and can be understood by the respondents.

• C. Knowledge of the chosen data collection method: It’s important to know how you plan to collect the data (e.g., online, face-to-face) because the design of the questionnaire may vary depending on the method

In short, D refers to privacy considerations during the data collection phase, not during the questionnaire design phase.

10. In a good questionnaire, it is necessary to have many open-ended questions. Do you agree or disagree with that and explain the reason for your answer?

I would disagree with the statement that a good questionnaire necessarily requires many open-ended questions.

Explanation: While open-ended questions can provide valuable insights and allow respondents to express themselves freely, having too many can lead to a few issues:

1. Time-consuming for respondents: Open-ended questions require more effort to answer, which may lead to incomplete or rushed responses, especially in long questionnaires

2. Difficult to analyze: Open-ended responses are harder to analyze and categorize compared to closed-ended ones. They often require manual coding or more advanced qualitative analysis, which can be time-consuming

3. Lack of consistency: Unlike closed questions, where respondents choose from predefined options, open-ended questions can lead to a wide variety of responses, making it harder to ensure consistency in data analysis

In general, it’s better to have a balance between open-ended and closed-ended questions. Closed-ended questions are useful for quantitative analysis and ensure more consistent responses, while a few well-placed open-ended questions can capture more detailed or nuanced insights

Therefore, a good questionnaire should have some open-ended questions where necessary, but not too many, as it can affect the overall quality and manageability of the survey.

3. The aim of the pilot survey is

A. to test in the questionnaire

B. to finalize the protocol and resolve any remaining problems

C. to know how many interviewed gave consent to the survey

D. to know the cost of the survey.

Explanation:

A pilot survey is a small-scale preliminary study conducted before the main survey. The primary aim is to test the questionnaire or survey protocol to identify any issues or problems in its design and implementation. The pilot helps ensure that the questions are clear, the data collection process works smoothly, and the overall approach is feasible. Based on the results of the pilot survey, adjustments and improvements can be made to the questionnaire or procedure before the full survey is launched

• A. To test in the questionnaire: While testing the questionnaire is part of the pilot survey, this answer is not complete. The goal is not just to test the questionnaire but to finalize the entire survey process

• C. To know how many interviewed gave consent to the survey: Consent is important, but the aim of the pilot is not to focus only on consent rates. It’s more about improving the questionnaire and testing logistics

• D. To know the cost of the survey: While a pilot may help estimate costs, this is not its primary aim. The focus is on testing the questionnaire, protocol, and resolving any remaining issues

So, the pilot survey is mainly about fine-tuning the survey process, which makes B the correct answer.

4. indicate a point of weakness and a point of strength of the model of Google Form used to collect the data from interviews. Only one point.

Point of Strength:

• Ease of Use: Google Forms is user-friendly, allowing both survey creators and respondents to quickly set up and complete surveys without needing technical expertise. It also allows easy customization of questions (e.g., multiple choice, short answer) and easy data collection.

Point of Weakness:

•Limited Customization and Analysis Features: Google Forms offers basic survey design and data collection, but it lacks more advanced features for customizing surveys (e.g., advanced skip logic) or in-depth data analysis, which can limit its use for more complex research needs.

Define a pivot table: a table of values which are aggregations of groups of individual values of a more extensive table (such as from a database, within one or more discrete categories)

• A pivot table usually consists of row, column and data fields