MODULE 9: VARIOUS QUESTIONNAIRES
RELIABLE repeatedly in a short period of time, a reliable
QUESTIONNAIRE
 Questionnaire forms the backbone of any survey and the success
lies in the design of a questionnaire. It is a valuable method of
collecting a wide range of information from respondents.
 Questionnaire was invented by Sir Francis Galton, a British
anthropologist, explorer, and statistician in late 1800.
 A questionnaire is a research tool that consists of a series of
questions meant to gather information from respondents.
Questionnaires can be viewed as a type of written interview. They
can be carried out in person, over the phone, on a computer, or by
mail.
 Questionnaires can be an efficient way of evaluating the behavior,
attitudes, preferences, views, and intentions of a reasonably
large number of individuals more cheaply and rapidly than other
approaches.
 A questionnaire frequently employs both open and closed questions
to obtain data. This is advantageous since both quantitative and
qualitative data may be acquired.
IDEAL COMPONENTS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Be composed of a simple and specific language
2. Demand one answer on one dimension
3. Yield a truthful and accurate answer
4. Accommodate all possible contingencies of a response
5. Have mutually exclusive response options
6. Produce variability in response
7. Minimize social desirability
A GOOD QUESTIONNAIRE SHOULD BE
A valid questionnaire should ask what it aims to ask. The
VALID questions should be framed in such a manner that the
responder understands the question's goal. To do this,
the "content expert" should examine the questionnaire
during the pilot test (e.g. if the target respondent is a
diabetic patient, then a diabetic patient should comment
whether he understands the questionnaire). Any concerns
or questions should be addressed until the question is fully
understood.
If the same question is presented to the respondents
questionnaire should provide the same answer. This
can be accomplished by administering the identical
questionnaire to the respondent a second time and
checking for consistency of answer. Any discrepancy in
replies may be due to a lack of clarity in the questions,
which should be evaluated and rewritten.
The questionnaire presented for evaluation is essential to
CLEAR get a quality answer that addresses exactly what you
want. Unclear and unspecific questions can be understood
in a variety of ways. The more specific and clear the
question, the more precise the response.
A more interesting questionnaire is more likely to be
INTERESTING completed by the respondent, resulting in a higher
response rate. This implies some consideration on the part
of the researcher in terms of asking questions that are
relevant to the respondent and in a cohesive manner.
A brief questionnaire asks questions that focus
SUCCINCT primarily on the study goals. Any queries that go outside
the focus of the study should be avoided. Researchers
frequently "cast a broader net" to capture more data,
regardless of whether this data is useful or not. This
frequently occurs when the researcher has not thoroughly
considered the
study objectives. It has the risk of asking too many
questions, and the questionnaire is lengthy.
MAIN ASPECTS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE
STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRES
GENERAL FORM •Questions are definite and predetermined questions
•Questions are presented with exactly the same
wordings and in the same order to all respondents.
• A highly structured questionnaire is one in which all
questions and answers are specified and comments in
respondents’ own words are minimized.
• Collect Quantitative data
•The questionnaire is planned and designed to gather
precise information. It also initiates a formal inquiry,
supplements data, checks previously accumulated
data, and helps validate any prior hypothesis.
UNSTRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRES
• Also known as the non-structured questionnaire, is
the opposite of a structured questionnaire.
 • Interviewer is provided with a general guide on the
type of information to be obtained, but the exact
question formulation is largely his own responsibility
and replies are to be taken down in the respondent’s
own words.
• Collect Qualitative data
• They use a basic structure and some branching
questions but nothing that limits the responses of a
respondent. The questions are more open-ended to
collect specific data from participants.
• Question sequence also known as ranking or
QUESTION ordering questions is used to make the questionnaire
SEQUENCE more effective and to ensure quickly that the replies
are received.
• A proper sequence of questions reduces considerably
the chances of individual questions being understood.
• The question sequence must be clearly and smoothly
moving, meaning thereby that the relation of one
question to another should be readily apparent to the
respondents, with questions that are easiest to answer
put in the beginning.
• A proper sequence of questions reduces considerably
the chances of individual questions being
misunderstood. The first few questions are particularly
important because they are likely to influence the
attitude of respondents in seeking his/her desired
cooperation.
The following questions should be avoided as
opening questions:
1. Questions that put great strain on memory
2. Questions of a personal character
3. Questions related to personal wealth. Relatively
difficult, personal, and intimate questions should be
kept toward the end. Thus, the question sequence
should usually go from general to more specific
questions.
1. Adapt a general organizational pattern that
ORDERING complements a survey’s research objectives.
QUESTIONS Two general patterns:
• Funnel pattern – begins with broad questions
followed by progressively narrower or more specific
ones
• Inverted pattern – narrowly focused questions are
followed by more general ones
2. Topically related questions should be grouped
together. A researcher should group together questions
pertinent to a single topic then move to another topic. It
is easier for the answer questions this way.
3. Easy-to-answer questions should be placed first.
Easy questions serve as motivation.
4. Questions should be ordered to avoid establishing a
response bias.
• Response Bias – a tendency of a respondent to
answer all closed questions the same way regardless of
content.
Example: A respondent check “Somewhat agree” to all
criteria.
Question should be very clear and impartial to avoid a
QUESTION biased picture of the true state of affairs. In general, the
FORMULATING questions should meet the following standards.
AND
WORDING 1. It is easily understood.
2. It avoids unnecessary and vague words.
3. It conveys only one thought at a time.
4. It is concrete and conforms to the respondent's
way of thinking.
5. It avoids words with ambiguous meanings.
6. It avoids dangerous words, catchwords, and
words with emotional connotations.
DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
 Types of Survey Questions
1. CONTINGENCY QUESTIONS/CASCADE FORMAT
A question that is answered only if the respondent gives a particular
response to a previous question. This avoids asking questions to people
that do not apply to them.
Example: A follow-up question is provided after a respondent agrees to a
certain item.
2. MATRIX QUESTIONS
Identical response categories are assigned to multiple questions. The
questions are placed one under the other, forming a matrix with response
categories along the top and a list of questions down the side. In short, there
is a number of questions intended to be asked to have the same set of
possible answers forming a matrix. This is an efficient use of page space and
respondents' time.
How to Use Matrix Questions
A Matrix question is a group of multiple-choice questions displayed in a
grid of rows and columns. The rows present the questions to the
respondents, and the columns offer a set of predefined answer choices that
apply to each question in the row. Very often the answer choices are on a
scale.
When to use Matrix Questions
It is best to use Matrix questions when asking several questions in a
scaled format about a similar idea. They can be applied either as a mini-
survey on their own or as a single-question type within a larger
questionnaire. The closed-ended, predefined answers that apply to a series
of questions make Matrix questions great for:
• Customer experience/satisfaction surveys.
• Questions about a subtopic in a larger questionnaire.
• Combining many rating-scale questions in a more digestible format.
Advantages:
• Its format and structure come with benefits since it's a series of questions
presented as a single table, which saves space and reduces drop-offs. The
grid is easy and intuitive for respondents to follow with closed-ended,
predefined answer sets. This means quick responses and a clear, easy-to-
analyze dataset as the outcome.
Disadvantages:
• The table format can also result in activities such as "straight-lining" or other
pattern-making within the table.
• Another issue can be the addition of too many rows or columns, which may
negatively affect the data quality. If there are too many choices, respondents
might lose interest. If the question is not designed for an optimal mobile user
experience, it can be confusing or frustrating for respondents.
3. CLOSE-ENDED QUESTIONS
• Respondents are limited to a fixed set of responses. Most scales are
close-ended.
Best Used for:
• Collecting rank-ordered data
• When all response choices are known
• When quantitative statistical tool results are desired
Examples of Close-ended Questions:
a. Yes/No questions
- The respondent answers the questions with a 'yes' or a ‘no'
Example: Have you ever visited a dentist?
b. Multiple choice
- The respondent has several options from which to choose.
Example: How would you rate this product
(i) Excellent (ii) Good (iii) Fair (iv) Poor
c. Scaled questions - Responses are graded on a continuum
Example: Rate the appearance of the product on a scale from 1 to 10, with
10 being the most preferred appearance.
Types of Scaled Questions:
1. Likert scale is a psychometric scale commonly involved in
research that employs questionnaires to measure social attitudes
Example: Are you happy with your child's academic performance?
(1) Strongly disagree (2) Disagree (3) Don't know
(4) Agree (5) Strongly agree
2. Semantic differential scale is a list of opposite adjectives to
measure the psychological meaning of an object to an individual.
Example: Rate the park on the following dimensions
Safe ___
Dangerous Dirty ___
Clean Quiet ___
Noisy ___
Advantages: time-efficient; responses are easy to code and interpret;
ideal for quantitative type of research
Disadvantages: respondents are required to choose a response that
does not exactly reflect their answer; the researcher cannot further
explore the meaning of the responses Disadvantages: time-consuming; responses are difficult to code and
4. OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS interpret
•Open-ended questions are questions that cannot be answered with a
simple 'yes' or 'no', and instead require the respondent to elaborate on
their points.
•Open-ended questions are phrased as a statement that requires a longer
response.
•The options or predefined categories are not suggested. The respondents
reply in their own words without being constrained by a fixed set of possible
responses.

Best Used for:

• Breaking the ice in an interview
• When respondent’s own words are important
• When the researcher does not know all the possible answers

Examples of Open-ended Questions:

a. Completely Unstructured
- These Questionnaires are usually formulated around open questions. Open
questions may give more valid data, as respondents can say what is
important to them and express it in their own words.
For example, 'What is your opinion on questionnaires?

b. Word association
- Words are presented and the respondent mentions the first
word that comes to mind
Example: If the interviewer says cold, the respondent may say hot as its
opposite or ice which is cold when touched

c. Sentence completion
– Respondents complete an incomplete sentence.
Example: The most important consideration in my decision to buy a new
house is

d. Story completion - Respondents complete an incomplete story.

e. Picture completion
- Respondents fill in an empty conversation balloon

f. Thematic apperception test

- Respondents explain a picture or make up a story about what they think is
happening in the picture

Advantages: participants can respond to the questions exactly as how they

would like to answer them; the researcher can investigate the meaning of the
responses; ideal for qualitative type of research
 SUMMARIZES FINDINGS AND EXECUTES THE REPORT THROUGH 3. Tally Marks
NARRATIVE AND VISUAL/GRAPHIC FORMS GRAPHICS  Tally Marks are used to keep a track of numbers in the quickest
possible way.
Data collection is a worthwhile experience as it teaches students to manage  The symbol ‘|’ is used to denote the value one.
information (Valdez, 2016). It is useful when you are conducting research. It  The general way of writing tally marks is as a group or set of five
is the means of having your questions answered, getting solutions to lines.
4. Bar Graphs
problems, or even producing something worthwhile for the people.
 Are used to compare two or more values with certain variables.
 A bar graph is a graphical representation of information. It uses
When all the needed data has been gathered, they are summarized to get bars that extend to different heights to depict value. A bar graph
the most essential ideas. Then, results and discussions are presented. They may run horizontally or vertically. The important thing to know is
may come in texts, graphics, visuals, and even the combination of such. that the longer the bar, the greater its value.
5. Line Graphs
Non-prose text  Are used to present trends over time.
 Non-prose materials summarize or supplement what have been  They are similar to bar graphs but has lines instead of bars to
connect the points on the graphs.
presented in written text.  They have two axes, the vertical and the horizontal.
 Non-prose reading consists of disconnected words and numbers
instead of the sentences and paragraphs.
 Each time you need information from a train schedule, a graph, a
menu, an ad, or the like, then, you are reading non-prose materials.
 Reading Non-Prose Text Non-prose materials are also referred to as
GRAPHIC Aids or VISUALS. They contain valuable information
which, when written in sentences or paragraphs may be difficult to
understand.
 Non-prose texts give supporting details for your text and need
to be explained or interpreted.

1. PIE CHARTS
 Pie charts can be used to show percentages of a whole, and
represents percentages at a set point in time.
 The circle's circumference represent 100%, or the total numerical
value of the data.
 This type of chart is a circle divided into a series of segments. Each
segment represents a particular category.
2. STATISTICAL TABLES
 A way of presenting statistical data through a systematic
arrangement of the numbers describing some mass
phenomenon or process.
 A statistical table may be regarded as representing a subject and
predicate. The subject is the phenomenon or group of phenomena
treated in the table. The predicate consists of the characteristics
describing the subject.
 Title is also important since it points out important information.