Applied Research

Methods
Dr. Sahar Awan

SESSION 7: QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN(CHAPTER 15)

Basic Considerations
• What should be asked?
• How should questions be phrased?
• In what sequence should the questions be arranged?
• What questionnaire layout will best serve the research objectives?
• How should the questionnaire be pretested? Does the questionnaire need to be
revised?
Important Considerations

• Questionnaire Relevancy

• Questionnaire Accuracy
- Information is reliable and valid
- Simple, understandable, unbiased, unambiguous, nonirritating words
Wording of Questions
• Open-ended
- Exploratory research
- Guidance for phrasing in future survey
- Considerations: Cost and Errors
• Fixed alternatives
- Less interviewer skill, less response time and easy to answer
- Standardized responses means comparability of answers
- Awareness of potential answers
Fixed alternative questions
Types of fixed alternative questions
• Simple dichotomy question
• Determinant choice question
• Frequency determination question
• Checklist questions

• Response options should be:

• Totally exhaustive
• Mutually exclusive
Means of data collection
• Phrasing and format depends on mode of data collection

- Internet and mail surveys should be less complex

- Easy to understand categories for telephone interview
- Conversational tone for phone and personal interview
Question Phrasing
• Language use (avoid complexity)
- Consider the respondents
• Leading questions
- Implies a certain answer
• Loaded questions
- Suggests a socially desirable answer or is emotionally charged
Question Phrasing (cont.)
Loaded questions (cont.)
• Remember Social Desirability
• Invoking status quo
• Counterbalancing statement
• Split-ballot technique
Question Phrasing (cont.)
• Avoid ambiguity
- Be as specific as possible

• Avoid double barreled question

• Avoid making assumptions
• Avoid burdensome questions
- Unaided recall vs. aided recall
- Telescoping vs. squishing
•Generate variance in responses