Task Four

Instrument for Data Collection (4 Marks)

1. This task requires you to construct your questionnaire. The

questionnaire is the method of research that you will use to
gather information from the sample group in the community
you will be studying. Your sample group is that group of
people in your community who you are going to survey.

0. The questionnaire must have a minimum of 12 - 15

questions.

0.  The first 3 or 4 questions on the questionnaire will be

factual demographic questions which will gather information
on the respondent’s age group, sex, family type, educational
background, number of years in the community, etc.

0. The remaining questions on the questionnaire will be opinion

questions. All your research questions are opinion questions
and they MUST be in your questionnaire with
answers/responses.

0. It is very important that you read and research

information on your topic as this researched information
is needed to help you find appropriate answers for your
questions.
0. See below information on the guidelines for writing your
questions.

a) Type of Questions
Use both closed and open ended questions. You should have
only two or three open-ended questions. 

Closed-ended questions are multiple choice questions or questions

which carry answers. Respondents are restricted to choose from a
given set of responses. This type of question is easier to analyze.

All your research questions MUST be closed- ended questions.

Example of Closed-ended question: 

What do you think is the main social cause for alcohol abuse
among students at this school? 
Peer pressure [  ]
Influence by the community [  ]
Influence by parents [  ]
Stress relief [  ] 

Open-ended questions are those questions without answers. They

allow respondents to give their opinions. These provide insightful
and sometimes unexpected answers. However, they are more
difficult to analyze. 

Example of Open-ended question 

What do you think is the main alcoholic beverage abuse by
students at this school? __________________________

b) Wording of Questions
 1. Questionnaires should not include irrelevant questions. All
questions must be clear, unambiguous. Use words that your
respondents will understand. Avoid words that are too strong
or ones that might influence the respondents to provide
biased answers.
2. Avoid using the word ‘not’ in your questions if you’re having
respondents answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a question. The use of ‘not’
in the question can lead to double negatives and cause
confusion.
3. All closed-ended questions must have a minimum of four (4)
answers. Ensure that the answers are clear and your
instructions allow your respondents to choose one answer for
each of the questions.

Order of Questions
1) Your questionnaire must have the following order:
a) It’s heading, for example, “Questionnaire for 
         Respondents”.

b) The instruction on how to complete the questionnaire.

Sample instruction:
Instructions for completing the questionnaire. For example,
“Please a tick in the box to indicate your responses for the
multiple choice questions. Only one answer is required for each of
the questions. You will also write your responses on the line spaces
for the questions without answers.

c) Your last question for the respondents to answer must

be the one that ask for strategies/recommendations to 
       reduce the problem/issues you are studying.

e) Remember to number all questions.

 
f) Always try to encourage and motivate your respondents 
        to answer all the questions truthfully.