Guidelines for

Constructing a
Questionnaire
 What is a Questionnaire?

• A questionnaire consists of formalized and pre-specified set

of questions designed to obtain responses from potential
respondents.
• Questions in the questionnaire reflect the research objective
under investigation.
• Questionnaires are generally situation and culture specific.
• Questionnaire design process requires a careful attention to
each step as the questionnaire or research instrument
should be adapted to the specific cultural environment and
should not be biased in terms of any one culture
Steps in questionnaire design process
 Questionnaire Design Process

• Designing of the questionnaire is a systematic process. This section

explores the systematic process of questionnaire design in three
phases:
- pre-construction phase
- construction phase
- post-construction phase
 Phase I

• Phase I is the pre-construction phase of the questionnaire design

process.
• It consists of three steps:
1. Specific required information in the light of research objective
2. An overview of respondent’s characteristics
3. Decision regarding selecting an appropriate survey technique.
 Step 1: Specific Required Information
in the Light of Research Objective
 The first and the foremost important decision relates to
finding the required information through a questionnaire.

 To generate specific information, the researcher should

clearly define the objective and the other research
components such as theoretical model, research questions,
and hypotheses.

 Clarity in all these components is very important as these

only will provide the base of specific information to be
collected through survey.
 Step 2: An Overview of
Respondent’s Characteristics
 While collecting the information, an overview of the respondent’s
characteristics is a vital consideration.

 A researcher must construct the questionnaire in the light of the

respondent’s profile.

 Even while constructing a questionnaire, a researcher has to keep the

profile of a probable respondent in mind.

 Various factors such as the respondent’s qualification, age,

experience, income, marital status, occupation, and so on have a
decisive and impactful role in conducting a research.
 Step 3: Decision Regarding Selecting an
Appropriate Survey Technique

 While constructing a questionnaire, a deep thinking process is

required to select an appropriate survey technique.

 The questions in the questionnaire must be constructed,

sequenced, and placed according to the mode of the survey.
 Phase II : Construction Phase
• Phase II is the real construction phase of the questionnaire design process.

• It consists of six steps:

1. Decision regarding question format :structured questions versus
unstructured questions
2. Decision regarding question relevance and wording
3. Decision regarding question sequencing
4. Decision regarding question response choice
5. Decision regarding the questionnaire layout
6. Producing first draft of the questionnaire.
 STEP - 1
Decision Regarding Question Format: Structured Questions Versus
Unstructured Questions
• Questionnaires use two types of question formats. These are open-
ended questions and closed-ended questions.

Open-ended Questions

One of the major limitations is to handle the interviewer and the

interpretation bias.
 Closed-ended Questions
 Closed-ended questions are structured questions.
 The closed-ended questions provide response alternative to the
respondents instead of giving them a free-to-express response
option.
 The choice offered to the respondents can be either in the form of a
rating system or a set of response alternatives.
 These response alternatives are presented to the respondents and
they select the most appropriate one.
 The closed-ended questionnaires are generally cheaper, more
reliable and faster to code and analyze the collected data
 The closed-ended question format can be further divided into
dichotomous, multiple-choice questions, and scales.
 Step 2: Decision Regarding Question Wording
 The negative wordings impact the process of interpreting the
questions, leading at least some respondents to misinterpret how
to respond and, thus, reducing or destroying the usefulness of the
questions or the series of questions

 In some cases of conducting personal interviews, the researchers

feel that they will be able to overcome the wrong wording during
the discussion, but they suggest a different understanding.

 The effects of question wording on response accuracy did not

seem to be moderated by the respondent’s knowledge gained via
discussion
Step 2: Decision Regarding Question Wording
Question Wordings Must Be Simple and
Easy to Understand
Vague or Ambiguous Words Must Be Avoided

Some words such as “often,” “occasionally” and “usually,” “how

long,” “how much,” and “reasonably well” may be confusing for
a respondent because these words specify a specific time frame.
 Double-Barreled Questions Must Be Avoided
Double-barreled questions are those with wordings such as “and” or
“or.” In a double-barreled question, a respondent may agree to one
part of the question but not to the other part.

√
 Avoid Leading and Loaded Questions
A leading question is the one which clearly reveals the
researcher’s opinion about the answer to the question.

Identifying the loaded question bias in a question requires more

judgment because the wording elements in a loaded question
allude to the universal belief or rules of behaviour
 Split-Ballot Technique
 A leading question generally emphasizes either the positive or
negative aspect of the question.

 Sometimes, it becomes necessary to ask a question with either the

positive or negative aspect.

 In this situation, a split-ballot technique is used to avoid bias due to

positive or negative aspect of the question.

 This technique involves the construction of a single question in two

alternative phrases, and the question based on one phrase is
administered to half of the respondents and the question based on
the other phrase is administered to the other half of the
respondents.
Split-ballot technique
 Avoid Using Overstated Words

The answer will always be overblown due to the first part of the
question, which generates a worry in the mind of the respondent
and results in a positive answer, which is not possible otherwise. A
more poised way of asking the same question is shown below.

√
 Implied Assumptions Must Be Avoided

Above question has an implicit assumption that the discount policy on

bulk purchase offered by Company “A” is working excellent and by
answering “yes,” the company will continue its policy.

√
 Respondent’s Memory Should Not Be Overtaxed

√
 Generalization and Estimation Must Be Avoided

Generalization means respondent’s belief, “what must happen”

or “what should happen.”

√
Respondent’s Ability to Answer Must Be considered

A question targeted to officers older than 55 years to assess the

importance of Internet banking is as follows:

×
Targeting following question to young respondents may not be an
appropriate choice.

×
 Step 3:Decision Regarding Question Sequencing
• Questions should have a logical sequencing in the questionnaire and
should not be placed abruptly.
• To facilitate the responses, a researcher has to follow some logical
steps in sequencing the questions in the questionnaire.
 Screening Questions

 Researchers generally begin with some screening

questions to make sure that the target respondent is
qualified for the interview.

 In some cases, when the researcher is very sure about the

qualification status of the respondent, he or she does not
incorporate the screening question and starts from some
“opening questions.”
 Opening Questions
 The opening questions should be simple, encouraging, and trust
building. From the research objective point of view, these
questions may sometimes be little irrelevant but should be good
initiators.
 These questions should not seek in-depth information and
should be as general as possible.
 For example, a microwave company, trying to assess “shift in
consumer attitude” from traditional way of cooking, should ask a
first opening question as follows:
 Transition Statements
 The movement from one set of questions to another set
requires transition statements.
 For example, a mineral water bottle manufacturing company
is encouraged with the expanding market.
 The company wants to assess the potential future market and
hence conducted a survey on non-users.
 Its researchers have identified various variables to get the
potential use, of which “awareness” and “taste” are
important.
 It has prepared the first 11 questions with the first 5
questions based on the “awareness” and the next 6
questions on “taste.”
 After asking the first set of 5 questions, a researcher moves to
the second set of 6 questions to get the potential consumer
feeling for mineral water taste.
 Thus, before asking the next set of 6 questions, a transition
statement is required to make the respondent familiar with the
coming questions.
 Hence, a transition statement “Now, I would like to understand
your opinion about the mineral water taste” will develop
respondent’s connectivity for the next set of 6 questions related
to “taste,” and he or she will be in a comfortable state of mind to
answer these questions.
 Difficult to Answer Questions
 Difficult to answer, sensitive, or complicated questions should be
placed later in the questionnaire.

 Placing it first will confuse the respondent and he or she will tend
to terminate the interview process.

 Asking difficult questions first in a telephone interview reduces a

respondent’s interest in the interview process and he or she tends
to terminate the interview. Under telephone interview conditions,
substantively related questions affect the responses to the target
question only when asked first.
 Identification and Categorization Questions
 Identification questions are used to generate some basic
identification information such as name, mailing address, office
phone number, personal phone number, or cell phone number.

 Categorization questions are mainly used to generate

demographic information.

 For example, researchers generally want to generate the

information related to age, experience, gender, and occupation of
the respondents.
 Logical Order of Questioning
 In a questionnaire, the questions must flow in a logical sequence.
There are at least three approaches to suggest the roadmap to place
the questions in a logical sequence; they are funnel technique,
work technique, and sections technique.

 Funnel technique suggests asking general questions first and then

the specific questions.

 Work technique suggests that difficult-to-answer, sensitive, or

complicated questions should be placed later in the questionnaire.

 The third technique is the section technique in which questions are

placed in different sections with respect to some common base.
 Step 4: Decision Regarding Question Response Choice

• It is important to understand that too many response choices will

burden the respondent and he or she will be perplexed while
answering.

• Few response choices will not be able to cover all ranges of possible
alternatives.

• As a general rule, the researchers present a question with five to

seven response alternatives.
 Step 5: Decision Regarding Questionnaire Layout
 Questionnaire layout is important to enhance the response rate. A
recent study revealed that a user-friendly format, and to some
extent color, is valuable to increase mail survey response rate.

 The appearance of a questionnaire is particularly important in mail

surveys because the instrument, along with the preliminary letter
and/ or cover letter, must sell itself and convince the recipient to
complete and return it

 It has been observed that the respondent emphasizes the questions

that are placed at the top of the questionnaire compared with that
at the bottom.
 Step 6: Producing First Draft of the Questionnaire
• Printing on a poor, quality paper or an unprofessional look of the
questionnaire may generate a non-serious feeling among the
respondents.

• So, the questionnaire may be printed on a good, quality paper and

must have a professional look.

• The appearance of the front cover on a mail questionnaire and the

nature of first questions have been purported to have an important
influence on the respondent’s decision to complete the questionnaire
 Phase III: Post-Construction Phase

 Phase III is the post-construction phase of the

questionnaire design process. It consists of four steps:
 Pre-testing of the questionnaire
 Revisiting the questionnaire based on the inputs
obtained from the pre-testing
 Revising final draft of the questionnaire
 Administering the questionnaire and obtaining
responses.
 Step 1: Pre-Testing of the Questionnaire

 Pre-testing of the questionnaire involves administering the

questionnaire to a small sample of the population to identify and
eliminate the potential problems of the questionnaire, if any.

 Testing a questionnaire can be a time-consuming process, and this

stage of questionnaire has often been overlooked in the past in
researcher’s eagerness to start collecting data

 Researchers generally use two common procedures to pre-test:

protocol analysis and debriefing.
 Using protocol analysis, a researcher asks the respondent to “think
aloud” while answering the question.
 Debriefing is an interview conducted when a respondent has filled the
questionnaire.
 After completing, the respondents are informed that the questionnaire
they have just filled was a pre-test questionnaire and are requested to
share their views about various dimensions of the questionnaire.
 They are also requested to find out the problems with the
questionnaire, which they realized while filling it.
 While taking a decision about the sample size for pre-testing, as a
thumb rule, a researcher should keep the nature of population diverse
in mind.
 More heterogeneity in population requires relatively large size of the
sample compared with the situation when population is relatively
homogeneous.
Step 2: Revisiting the Questionnaire Based on the
Inputs Obtained from Pre-Testing

 To enhance the accuracy, after incorporating suggestions from the

pre-testing, a researcher can go for second pre-testing.
 It is always possible that the second pre-testing may also reveal
some of the problems of the questionnaire.
 Pre-testing of the questionnaire might have provided many inputs in
a subjective manner.
 At this stage, the researcher must objectively incorporate all the
inputs obtained from the pre-testing exercise.
 All the parameters related to the question wording (as discussed in
the previous sections) must be carefully considered.
 Step 3: Revised Final Draft of the Questionnaire
 At this stage, the researcher once again carefully examines the
questionnaire.

 Insertions and deletions of the previous stage must be re-checked to

provide the desired accuracy.

 The researcher makes the questionnaire “ready to administer” by

eliminating all the minute mistakes and tries to make it error free.

 After careful examination of all the incorporations obtained from pre-

testing, the researcher is now ready to have the final draft of the
questionnaire and administers to the sample taken from a target
population.
 Step 4: Administration of the Questionnaire and
Obtaining Responses

 At this stage, the researchers administer the questionnaire to the

respondents and obtain the responses.

 These responses are coded, data are tabulated, and appropriate

statistical techniques are applied to analyse the data.
Group
1 Stress management among Management students
2 Consumers perception towards Fast food v/s Healthy Food
To study the priorities considered by students of VJIM while buying mobile
3 phone
4 Reasons for attrition in IT Sector
5 Brand Visibilty and Customer Engagement - Amazon and FlipKart
6 Impact of Demonetization on Kirana stores
7 Consumer Perception towards packaging in the food industry
8 Brand loyalty and Consumer perception towards Titan
9 Customer Perception towards Apple/Samsung mobiles
10 Monthly spending pattern of households
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