Questionnaires

Questionnaires

1. Types of questionnaire

   • mail survey
     • the most common
     • delivered by mail
     • can be impersonal
     • provides low response rates
   • group-administered questionnaire.
     • useful to get sample from a group
       • examples: students attending a conference, school teacher
     • allows each member of the group to complete their own questionnaire
     • response rates are higher than by mail
   • the household drop-off survey.
     • hybrid of the mail survey and the group administered.
     • the researcher hand-delivers the questionnaire to a member of an identified household for collection at a later date.
     • Due to the delivery method, doubts can be resolved and clarified.

2. Types of question

   • Closed questions
     • These are questions to which all possible answers are provided
       • the most used are dichotomous (yes or no)
   • Multiple-choice questions
     • This allows the researcher to hold some control over the responses given.
       • the answers are preformulated
   • Open-ended questions
     • they do not impose any of the restrictions of closed and multiple choice questions.
       • answers are by no means predetermined

3. Data analysis

   • responses are coded by the interviewer
     • allowing information to be collected quickly
     • it is represented in a more useful way for its later study
     • coding provides a kind of shorthand for questionnaire datal
     • this process becomes faster if computer software is used

4. Limitations

   • Irritating questions
     • certain requested information may be irritating to the respondent
   • Leading questions
     • despite professionalism it can be very difficult to avoid leading questions
     • Leading questions are those which provide for only one right answer to the question posed.
   • Ambiguous or unclear questions
     • Try to be as clear as possible in wording your question
   • Complicated questions
     • complex questions do not always elicit more information

5. Uses

   • collect a lot of information in a survey
   • its administration is economical
   • Their analysis is easy and fast
   • little professional training is needed to develop them

6. Definition

   • economic tool
   • Effective at collecting data
   • systematic and manageable
   • provide information for analysis and interpretation

7. Issues

   • much more data can be collected than necessary
     • this hinders and slows down the encoding process
   • Questionnaires are everywhere
     • vying for respondents' time
   • lack of personal contact can cause response rates to drop
     • as in the email questionnaires