QUESTIONNAIRRE DESIGNING

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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The questionnaire method

This is the simplest and most often used method of
primary data collection

There is a pre-determined set of questions in a

sequential format

Is designed to suit the respondent’s understanding

and language command

Can be conducted to collect useful data from a large

population in a short duration of time

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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Criteria for questionnaire design

The spelt out research objectives need to be
converted into specific questions

It must be designed to engage the respondent

and encourage meaningful response

The questions should be designed in simple

language and be self-explanatory

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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Types of questionnaire
Formalized Non Formalized

Unconcealed Most research studies use The response categories have

Standardized Questionnaires like more flexibility
these.

Concealed Used for assessing psychographic and Questionnaires using

subjective constructs projective techniques or
sociometric analysis

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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Types of questionnaire
Formalized & unconcealed questionnaire: self-explanatory with most
response categories predefined

Out of the following options, where do you invest

(tick all that apply)
Precious metals----------------, real estate------------, stocks---------,
Government instruments---------, mutual funds------any other-------

Who carries out your investments?

Myself-----------, agent---------, relative-----------, friend------------, any
other----------

What is your source of information for these decisions?

Newspaper------------, investment magazines-----------, company
records etc.----------, Trading portals------------, agent------------

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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Types of questionnaire
Formalized & concealed questionnaire: most response
categories are predefined, but latent cause of behaviour
are derived from indirect questions

Please indicate level of your agreement for the following statements.

SA - Strongly Agree; A-Agree; N-Neutral; SD- Strongly Disagree; D-Disagree
SA A N D SD

1 The individual of the present era is better informed about

everything than the individual before.
2 I believe that one must live for the day and worry about
tomorrow later.
3 An individual must at all times keep abreast of what is
happening in the world around him/her.
4 Books are best friends anyone can have.

5 I generally read and then decide what to buy.

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-6

Types of questionnaire
Non-formalized & concealed questionnaire: undisguised and most
response categories are not predefined

Why do you think Maggi noodles are liked by young children?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
How do you generally decide on where you are going to invest
your money?-------------------------------------------------------------
 
Give three reasons why you believe that the 2010 Commonwealth Games in
India are going to help the country?
------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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Types of questionnaire
Non-formalized & concealed questionnaire: disguised
and most response categories are not predefined,e.g.
Given below are two grocery lists –personify the user

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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Types of questionnaire
method of administration
Self-administered questionnaire: respondents fills in
the questionnaire him/her self

Schedule: the investigator/researcher reads out the

questions and records the respondents’ answers.

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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Criteria for questionnaire selection

Population characteristics

Population spread

Study area

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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The questionnaire design process

Convert the Research Objectives into the Information Needed

Method of Administering the Questionnaire

Content of the Questions

Motivating the Respondent to Answer

Determining Type of Questions

Question Design Criteria

Determine the Questionnaire Structure

Physical presentation of the Questionnaire

Pilot Testing the Questionnaire

Administering the Questionnaire

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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Converting the research objectives into information areas

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

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Administration and design implications

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-13

Mode of administration: Schedule

Now I am going to give you a set of cards. Each card will have the name of one television serial (Hand
over the cards to the respondent in a random order). I want you to examine them carefully (give her
some time to read all the names). I would request you to hand over the card which has the name of the
serial you like to watch the most. (Record the serial and keep this card with you). Now of the remaining
nine serials name your most favorite serial (continue the same process till the person is left with the last
card)

T.V. SERIAL RANK ORDER

1. 1 ___________________
2. 2 ___________________
3. 3 ___________________
4. 4 ___________________
5. 5 ___________________
6. 6 ___________________
7. 7 ___________________
8. 8 ___________________
9. 9 ___________________
10. 10 ___________________

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-14

Mode of administration: telephone

Please listen very carefully; I am going to slowly read the name of ten popular T.V. serials. I want to know
how much you prefer watching them. You need to use a 1 to 10 scale, where 1 means I do not like watching
it and 10 means I really like watching it. For those in between you may choose any number between 1 and
10. However, please remember that the higher the number the more you like watching it. Now, I am going to
name the serials one by one. In case the name is not clear I will repeat the list again. So, the serial’s name
is-------------------. Please use a number between 1 and 10 as I had told you. O.k. thank you, the next name
is---------------------. And so on till all the 10 names have been read out and evaluated.

SERIAL
1. Balika Badhu 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2. Sathiya 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3. Sasural Genda Phool 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4. Bidai 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5. Pathshala 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6. Bandini 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
7. Laptaganj 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8. Sajan Ghar jaaana Hai 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9. Tere liye 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
10. Uttaran 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-15

Mode of administration: mail

In the next question you will find the names of ten popular Hindi serials that are being aired on television
these days. You are requested to rank them in order of your preference to watch these programmes. Start
by identifying the serial which is your most favorite, to this you may give a rank of 1. Then from the rest of
the nine, pick the second most preferred serials and give it a rank number of 2.Please carry out this process
till you have ranked all 10. The one you prefer the least should have a score of 10. You are also requested
not to give two serials the same rank. The basis on which you decide to rank the serials is entirely
dependent upon you. Once again you are asked to rank all the 10 serials.

SERIAL RANK ORDER

1. Balika Badhu ___________________
2. Sathiya ___________________
3. Sasural Genda Phool ___________________
4. Bidai ___________________
5. Pathshala ___________________
6. Bandini ___________________
7. Laptaganj ___________________
8. Sajan Ghar Jaaana Hai ___________________
9. Tere Liye ___________________
10. Uttaran ___________________

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-16

Content of the questionnaire

Essential to ask the question

To gauge consumer’s shopping behaviour

Please indicate the level of your agreement for the following statements.

SA - Strongly Agree; A-Agree; N-Neutral; SD- Strongly Disagree; D-Disagree

SA A N D SD
Compared to the past (5-10 years)
1 The individual customer today shops more
2 The consumer is well informed about market offerings
3 The consumer knows what he/she wants to buy before he enters the
store
4 The consumer today has more money to spend
5 There are more shopping options available to the consumer today

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-17

Content of the questionnaire

Several questions or single question

“Why do you like the serial--------------(the one you
ranked/prefer watching most)?” (Incorrect)

"What do you like about-------------?"

“Who all in your household watches the serial?
and
"How did you first happen to hear about the serial?"
(Correct)
 

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-18

Motivating the respondent to answer

Assisting the respondent to provide the answer

Does he have the answer?

1. How do you evaluate the negotiation skills module with the Communication and
presentation skill module? (Incorrect)

 1. Have you been through the following training modules?

Negotiation skills module Yes/no
Communication & presentation skills Yes/no
In case the answer to both is yes, please answer the following question else
move to the next question.
How do you evaluate the negotiation skills module with the Communication and
presentation skill module? (Correct)

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-19

Motivating the respondent to answer

Assisting the respondent to provide the answer

Does he remember?
How much did you spend on eating out last month? (Incorrect)

1. When you go out to eat, on an average your bill amount is:

________ Less than Rs100

________ Rs 101-250
________ Rs 251-500
________ more than Rs 500
 
2. How often do you eat out in a week?
________ 1-2 times.
________ 3-4 times
________ 5-6 times
________ every day (correct)

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-20

Motivating the respondent to answer

Assisting the respondent to provide the answer

Can he articulate?
Describe the river rafting experience.……... (incorrect)

Describe the river rafting experience (Correct)

1 Unexciting        exciting

2 Bad        good

3 Boring        interesting

4 Cheap        expensive

5 Safe        dangerous

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-21

Motivating the respondent to answer

Assisting the respondent to answer

The perspective is not clear

“How many credit cards do you own?” or

“When did you last go on a holiday?” or
“How many movies do you watch in a fortnight?” (incorrect)

A spillover of a healthy quality of working life is also

reflected in a person’s way of living. Thus, we would like
to know how you live. (correct)

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-22

Motivating the respondent to answer

Assisting the respondent to answer

Sensitive information/topic
Have you ever used fake receipts to claim your medical allowance?
(Incorrect)
Have you ever spit tobacco on the road (to tobacco consumers)?
(Incorrect)

Do you associate with people who use fake receipts to claim their
medical allowance? (Correct)
Do you think tobacco consumers spit tobacco on the road?
(Correct)

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-23

Type of questions

Question Content

Open – ended Closed - ended

Dichotomous Multiple Scales

Responses

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-24

Type of questions

Open ended questions:

 What is your age?

 How would you evaluate the work done by the present government?

 How much orange juice does this bottle contain?

 What is your reaction to this new custard powder?

 Why do you smoke Gold Flake cigarettes?

 Which is your favorite TV serial?

 What training programme have you last attended?

 With whom in your work group do you interact with after office hours?

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-25

Type of questions

Closed ended questions

1. Dichotomous questions

 Are you diabetic? Yes / No

 Have you read the new book by Dan Brown? Yes/no

 What kind of petrol do you use in your car? Normal/Premium

 What kind of cola do you drink? Normal/diet

 Your working hours in the organization are fixed/ flexible

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-26

Type of questions

Closed ended questions

2. Multiple choice questions

 How much do you spend on grocery products (average in one month)?
- Less than Rs. 2500/-
- Between Rs 2500-5000/-
- More than Rs 5000/-
 You do not currently sell organic food products because (Could be  1)
 
- You do not know about organic food products.
- You are not interested.
- You are interested but you do not know how to procure it.
- It is not profitable.
-The customer demand is too low
- any other--------------------

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-27

Questionnaire designing criteria

Clearly specify the issue

Use simple terminology

Avoid ambiguity in questioning

Avoid leading questions

Avoid loaded questions

Avoid implicit choices and assumptions

Avoid double-barrelled questions

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-28

Questionnaire structure

Instructions

Opening questions

Study questions

Classification information

Acknowledgement

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-29

Illustration: screening Questions

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-30

Sequential order: branching questions

Have you used any travel site for

your travel? No Tabulate and Terminate

Yes

You have used it for

a. search Me-both
b. booking
c. both
What site? Make my
brand? trip(MMT) Evaluate on the
attributes /features
Not MMT
under study
Me- search only
ANY OTHER MMT
brand?

Prompt- MMT

Evaluate on the
Yes attributes /features
under study
Why have you not used it for booking,
listed below are a set of reasons. Please
tick the one(s) that are true
LIST OF REASONS

Any other
In case these problems are taken care of recommendation
Yes
will you use it? you have for MMT

5+5 questions related to attitude related

to travelling and internet security in
transactions

No

Classification questions on gender; age;

education; profession; income; travel behavior

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-31

The questionnaire administration

Physical characteristics of the questionnaire

Pilot testing the questionnaire

Preparing the final draft of the questionnaire

 Administering the questionnaire

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND

 SLIDE 8-32

The questionnaire method

Advantages Disadvantages

Adaptability Limited applicability

Assurance of anonymity Skewed sample

Cost- & time-effective Return ratio

Scope of coverage Clarification

Spontaneity of response

RESEARCH CONCEPTS AND