QUESTIONNAIRES

QUESTIONNAIRES

1. DEFINITION

   • A questionnaire is a research tool that consists of a series of questions and prompts for the purpose of obtaining information from respondents.

2. TYPES

   • Essentially, there are three broad types of questionnaire
     • The mail survey
       • • The mail survey is, by far, the most common questionnaire type. This instrument is addressed to respondents and delivered by mail, and can be an efficient way of collecting large amounts of data.
     • The group-administered questionnaire
       • • The group-administered questionnaire is a useful instrument for collecting data from a sample of respondents who can naturally be brought together for the purpose.
     • The household drop-off survey.
       • • The household drop-off survey is a hybrid of the mail and the groupadministered survey. The researcher delivers the questionnaire by hand to a member of an identified household for collection at some later date.

3. TYPES OF QUESTIONS

   • Closed questions
   • Multiple-choice or ranking questions
   • Open-ended questions

4. DESIGN PROBLEMS

   • An inadequate format can also be a source of errors, as it can lead to skipping questions, confusion about the information requested, etc.
     • To avoid that, the design should be made in a way that facilitates both the reading of the questions and the recording of the answers to the question. In addition, it should look clean, attractive and orderly.

5. DATA ANALYSIS

   • Once the questionnaire has been completed, it is necessary to code the information in an algorithm or software code. This will facilitate the organization of the information and allow easier access to it for later analysis.

6. USES

   • • To collect large amounts of data with a minimum of effort
   • • To identify relationships between data
   • • To solve confidential problems by protecting anonymity
   • • To analyze data quickly

7. LIMITATIONS

   • • Leading questions
   • • Complicated questions
   • • Irritating questions
   • • Ambiguous or unclear questions
   • • Too many open-ended questions

8. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE

   • Wilkinson, D. (2003) “Using research instruments a guide for researchers”. [On line] Available in: https://thenigerianprofessionalaccountant.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/using-research-instruments-a-toolkit-for-researchers.pdf Retrieved from November 05, 2022.

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