& Academic Research Writing: The L Bical Sea Tere Designing tools for data collection, especially the aWestionnaie g challenging task. However, in designing a questionnaire the fallon be questions must be answered: Ying 3 © Whatare the questions to be asked? @ What are the question types for each question and what are wordings? the © Whatis the sequence and layout of questions to be asked? QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED Aserious yet common omission is failure to fit the questionnaire along with the objectives of the study. It is therefore important to start your survey by setting down clear aims. Data collection instruments should be designed to collect data which irrigates the individual objectives of the study. This is the only way that the data collected can help the researcher answer the research questions which enables the main research objective to bz achieved which | means that the research will have accomplished its min goal. If aims are not clearly spelt out, then there is the danger of drifting off the main issues the research needs to focus on and asking many aud irrelevant questions. This is a major contributory factor to low respons rate that is often witnessed, As indicated, key link needs to be established between the research objectives and the individual questions asked. Individual questo appearing in the questionnaire can be designed through a both reviews literature and thinking creatively, QUESTION TYPES AND WORDINGS ss Different types of questions can be used which may include ope? a ended questions, single and multiple Tesponse questions ae Tesponses may be ranked or rated. whos, 1 Data Collection ssid nse J “ wit a yersus Closed Questions 108 many researchers have biases for either closed or open ended pois MY ge worthwhile mentioning chat the choice of the type oe should be solely reliant on the nature of response sought or ind the tools the researcher has to analyze the responses to that this sense, both open and closed ended questions can be useful jon. In es ofan open ended question could be: ofa satin the eson ha fic courtier aging hin economical Thisquestion can generate a whole range of responses of varying lengths and depths. Ifthe researcher seeks responses which are irregular in nature, such cuestions are much more desirable as they free the respondents to express themselves much more than if the question asked was a closed ended one. This does not however mean that open ended questions are absolutely pen, The limitation on the amount of space offered to respondents to fill could guide the respondent to the amount of response to give against a patticular question. a ce that the responses obtained from the open ended question aa be either too wide or irregular, a researcher could choose to ‘down to only three indicators of underdevelopment This should be ea enough not to leave out an important indicator. Neither should ge tion include indicators without specific value. This is a basic step dbo, at closed ended question whereas the open ended question tured into the following closed ended question: — 17 think African countries are lagging behind because of™~ Academic Research Writing The Logic 7 For whichever approach thatis selected, itis importantto, Consider that the choices given are as exhaustive as Possible. In Teality ttm "hg closed-ended questions need more care in designing them lest, we into a major drawback in the research process, In Case a researcs, ey tum sure about the choices to offer in a closed-ended Question, it jg bets leave a question open. However, there is one Way to include a under the category of “others” that is also called a “catch-all” ¢ to DYthing else ategory 2) Single versus Multiple Response When designing questions it is vital to make sure that one h considered whether you want the Tespondent to choose a Tesponses. For example, if you asked the question: as careful single or multipl How do you get money for your upkeep? [1 Donations 7 Parents 1 Friends Some respondents could assume that they are allowed to only tick sing box while some Tesponi dents could choose to tick more than one box they present the most applicable responses, The words “tick all applcabk Tesponses” could be used to clearly give liberty to the respondent while : Words “tick only one” could be used to limit the respondent if requires x “Particular question where the Tesponses should be mutually exclusi** Hay ii nloserament 0" Data Collection ef ed Responses .s where it is useful to the researcher that certain variables ar sare are case: bya respondent in order according to a certain criteria spelt out in peqpestion ) there tion: for making friends in the order of importance inorder, where 1 is the most important) Forexample, ina ques! Place the following reasons (iedicate by numbering from 1-3 |Advice Financial Support Oo Companionship LiSocial acceptance erate a large amount of data due to the fact f the variables will most likely differ from permutation (41-4x3x2x1), which It is important therefore, to limit gin such a question. This kind of a question could ge that one respondent's ranking 0} another's giving 24 possible ranking as 4 islikely to elicit a large set of responses the number of possible variables for rankin}‘Academic Research Writing: The Lo, BAS, | 4) Rated ResponseS i Apopular appro: the social sciences 1s the use of Likert scales such has the exam] (Circle the mu Vi-Very important vu-Very Unimportant). Indicate your view on the SEQUENCE AN It is worthwhile having a gets to the respon of the include researcher's return informati introduction, it is attractively and in an organized manner. The following are important points questionnaire. Financial Supp‘ ach in ple below: miber under the inicials that applies. [-Important, Ne-Neutral; U-Unimportant, reason for making friends snshipss ID LAYOUT OF QUESTIONS brief introduction just in case the questionnaire e introduction letter oT in the absence y also be necessary Besides the choices 8** dent without th researcher or data collection assistant. It ma) ‘on in the questionnaire important to have questions and answer a to consider. wher designis nfidentiality whet In the introduction, promise anonymity and co) appropriate. Avoid overfilling a page ma! Ensure a consistent page layout. es The questionnaire should neither be too Jong nor on man There should be consistent use of italics (¢-8- “tick as king it look dense.i jstrument JOP Pata Collection e thing. ant A void ane questions seeking the sam like chapatti? Such questions ¢-8- why don’t you ly leading and are not appropriate. ke it easier for the re negative are usua answers: they help mal the responses. ambiguous oT unclear questions. ¢ various perspectives of sequent following issucs- that will raise the respondent's hat the researcher knows may dent. A question touching ndent will most likely retions searcher for precise when analyzing ¢ Avoid complex, “although there ar : yu may wish to observe the fou could begin with questions ese include questions ¢ rest of the respo™ he inte! roblem facing the respo cing of questions, x quickly attract t { ving a certain PI dent. questions questions, re usually not eed to get t0 on sol interest such respon’ Fishoosh introductory demographic h questions @) hence there is ™ simpler in nature may need to be si t to it is of basic impo" the point without eg. personal or also importan tance consider that suc! “to the researcher “wasting” much time: @ There is always 4 conflict - asking questions that irrigate to begin with simpler qu weigh the specific situ best or most logical © option chosen, the questions shou! sequence. between the desire C0 get to the point by .s, and the desire re the research objectives: eds to therefore -o the