questionnaire design
Procedure for Developing a Questionnaire
Step-by-Step Process:
Specify what information is needed.
Determine the method of administration.
Determine the content of individual questions.
Content of Individual Questions
Guidelines for Individual Questions:
Minimize the number of questions while capturing essential data.
Gather a single piece of information per question
Key evaluations for each question include:
Necessity of the question.
Clarity for the respondent.
Capability of the respondent to answer.
Willingness of the respondent to engage with the question.
Inability to Answer Questions
Considerations:
Respondents may lack knowledge about specific topics (e.g., monthly grocery expenses).
Use filter questions to ensure respondents meet sample requirements.
Memory constraints: Questions should pertain to easily recalled events.
Unwillingness to Answer Questions
Sensitive Questions:
Should be placed at the end of the questionnaire after rapport is established.
Utilize response categories rather than asking for specific figures to mitigate discomfort.
Determine the response format for each question.
Form of Response - Open-Ended Questions
Versatile
Types of Open-Ended Questions:
Two categories:
Factual (Objective)
Exploratory (Subjective)
Difficult to code, analyze, & interpret answers
Form of Response - Closed-Ended Questions
Characteristics of Closed-Ended Questions:
Easy to answer and code.
Response categories must be:
Mutually exclusive
the acceptance of one alternative automatically excludes the other alternatives
Collectively exhaustive
A set of choice alternatives cover all possible outcomes
Open vs. Closed Questions
Choosing Question Types:
Open-ended questions— for exploratory needs.
Closed-ended question— when replies are well-known, limited in number, and clear-cut
Typically used for descriptive studies
Determine the wording of each question.
Use simple, conversational language avoiding jargon.
Avoid Ambiguity:
Steer clear of vague terms.
“occasionally”, “often”, “rarely”, “sometimes”, “usually” can be imprecise/ambiguous
Avoid Leading Questions:
Avoid “telling” respondents how to answer
Generalizations and Estimates
Encourage recent and clear recall rather than general estimates.
Don’t have respondents’ answers based over long period of time
How many times did you get coffee in the past year vs. the past two weeks?
Double-Barreled Questions
Avoid questions that call for two responses and create confusion for respondents
Keep Questions Focused:
Split complex questions into distinct items for clarity.
Determine the question sequence.
Setup Initial Questions:
Use engaging and easy questions at the start to build comfort.
Employ funnel approach from broad to specific inquiries.
Start broad and progressively narrow down the scope
Minimizes “Question Order Bias”
Tendency of earlier questions to influence answers to later questions
Designing Branching Questions:
Ensure clarity in progression from general questions to more detailed follow-up questions.
Structure Information Collection:
Basic info first
Attitudes, intentions, perceptions
Classification info last
Demographics
Place sensitive questions towards the end after establishing a rapport.
Determine the physical characteristics of the questionnaire.
Carefully constructed, professional questionnaires have a positive influence on respondents’ cooperation
Develop a recruiting message or script.
Explain who you are, your purpose, potential incentives, time requirements, and provide assurance of confidentiality while inviting participation.
Reexamine all previous steps and revise as necessary.
Pretest the questionnaire and revise if necessary.
Most inexpensive insurance to ensure sucess fo questionnaire
Two Pretests are recommended
Face-to-Face (or personal interview) pretest)
Actual pretest using chosen method of administration