Market and Social Research Part 7
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Transcript of Market and Social Research Part 7
Questionnaire designLearning outcomes:• To understand the process of creating a
questionnaire• To understand some of the problems in
devising a questionnaire• To appreciate some of the different
question formats that can be used
in a questionnaire
Oh no! Not another questionnaire to fill in!
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
A questionnaire is a tool for gathering information and recording responses from informants in the light of the survey objectives.
It is generally much misused in research and industry and a researcher should not underestimate the time or care required to prepare one.
Questionnaires don’t take hours to produce – they take days or longer!
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
The role of the questionnaire is to ensure that all parties involved in the research process obtain what they need/want. Parties involved in the questionnaire can include the client, the researcher, the interviewer, the respondent and the data processor. For a satisfactory research programme there must be clear communication between all these parties.
Client
Researcher
Interviewer and respondent
Data processor Questionnaire Study Skills and Learning
Resources - http://www.griot.org
Questionnaires may be used in person, on the phone or as self-completion so this choice changes the design and appearance.
Each word must be written (and delivered) extremely carefully, scales may be used.
The questionnaire should be piloted.
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Factors that affect respondent answers include:
Retroactive inhibition, Proactive inhibition Emotional factorsRepressionTelescoping
These, and other aspects, have implications -so carefully developed materials are important
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Retroactive inhibition - new information inhibits recall of previously memorised information
Proactive inhibition - previously memorised information inhibits the memorisation of new things
Emotional Factors - positive emotion can help, negative emotion can inhibit
Repression - respondents avoid the recall of information with unpleasant associations
Telescoping effect - remembering an event as occurring in the less distant past than it actually did
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
It is critical to be clear about exactly what information is to be sought: the researcher should always be asking, ‘How will this information be used? How will it contribute towards meeting the terms of reference?’ How are you going to measure or rank the information?
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
The initial considerations should focus on:• the research objectives• what information is needed• what to measure and type of response format required• issues to be included, and question content• Wording of the questions• Question sequence and question layout• Pretesting (piloting) and correction of problems• the profile and number of the informants• distribution and administration• the method of editing, coding and analysis to
be used: how, precisely, will you analyse your data?• the respondent's ability/willingness to access
factual information• reminder/monitoring/follow up procedure to be adopted
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Before asking the questions:
• provide information; tell your respondent who you are, why the questionnaire is being distributed and what you intend to achieve
• stress the confidentiality of all views received• outline what if anything is in it for the respondent• consider the format of the questions, and the instructions you
provide. Instructions should be clear and concise, separated from the questions, and with a clear difference of text style
• consider what people know: you can only ask people what they know, not what they think other people know• consider what terms/vocabulary your informants are familiar with: what is everyday language to you may not be to them
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Question content:
• Is each question relevant?
• Is each question generating information, not data?
• Will the informant understand the question?
• Is the question really asking what you think it is asking: one question, no ambiguity?
• Can the respondent answer the question? Do they have access to appropriate factual information?
• Will the respondent answer the question?
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Question phrasing:
• use the simplest form possible• categories should be comprehensive and make
sense: they should be mutually exclusive• instructions should be clear and concise, separated
from the questions and with a clear difference of text style
• only ask people what they know, not what they think other people know
• keep instructions simple and consistent• group questions in appropriate ways
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Question phrasing (contd.):
• pitch the questions appropriately for your informants• make sure there is no ambiguity• ensure there is no bias, or leading questions• make sure that the question asks for the types of
responses which are being sought• never assume the informant will understand jargon
or technical language• do not ask redundant questions• be careful of such words as often, regularly,
frequently, etc• be aware of the fact that the above points will apply to covering letters as well as questionnaires
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Layout:
•questionnaires should be attractive to look at, brief (or at least: no longer than is necessary), easy to understand and reasonably quick to complete, with instructions clearly provided• filter questions should be provided: signposting and directing should be easy to understand and follow•group questions in sensible ways and in clear sections, which should be clearly differentiated from each other.
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Layout (contd):
•sufficient space should be provide for informants to indicate responses or to write answers•a consistent style should be followed throughout the questionnaire• it is usual to have response boxes on the right, not the left, of the page
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Popular styles of response format:
• open
• dichotomous (two options only)
• multiple-choice single response
• multiple choice multiple response
• scaled
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Open ended questions
Answer is recorded in the respondent’s own words but coding is slow andMisinterpretation is possible
Three key open-ended questions which are useful:
1.What is good? 2.What is bad? 3.What
improvements could be made
Open ended questions (whilst still needing piloting) are quicker to construct that closed questions BUT REQUIRE CONSIDERABLE TIME AND ABILITY TO ANALYSE
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Dichotomous questions - e.g:
What gender are you?
Male � Female �or
Are you a full time student at the
Uni. Of Herts?
Yes � No �
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Multiple choice - single response:
What is your favourite colour (tick one box only):
White � Blue �Blue � Green �Red � Purple �Brown � Grey �Yellow � Other �
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Multiple choice - multiple response:
Which of the following factors affected your choice to become a student at the University of Hertfordshire? Tick as many as apply:
Need for increased qualification �Desire for letters after name �No other option �Required by employer �Seen as stepping stone to promotion �Girlfriend/ boyfriend said it was a good
thing to do �Other �
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Scaled - e.g. Consider the following statements and then, for each statement, circle the number which corresponds most closely with your own views, where:
1 = strongly agree
2 = agree
3 = neither agree nor disagree
4 = disagree
5 = strongly agree
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Caroline is great 1 2 3 4 5
Ruth is dreadful 1 2 3 4 5
The University is good 1 2 3 4 5
Canteen food is rubbish 1 2 3 4 5
Students work hard 1 2 3 4 5
Lecturers are lazy 1 2 3 4 5
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Question sequence - what factors should we consider?
• Filtering questions at the beginning if appropriate
• easy, non-threatening questions at the beginning
• questions of interest to informants early on
• a logical order should be followed, so that informants can see where the questionnaire is leading
• linking sections between different parts of the questionnaire: headings to indicate focus to informants
• personal, difficult, or demanding questions should be left until the end
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Question layout - questionnaires should:
• be easy to read
• be aesthetically pleasing
• allow for easy recording of responses
• allow for clear instructions, to both informants and researchers
• be easy to follow
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Pilot, revision…..pilot, revision…..pilot, revision….. Etc etc etc
• How often should you pilot? Until the questionnaire works.
• Who should you pilot it on? Informants of a similar type to the final informants
• What else do you pilot? Any covering letters, enclosures, or instructions the informants will receive
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
A good questionnaire is one which has exactly the right number of
questions, in the right form and at the right level, to generate the
required information - not data - to meet the terms of
reference/objectives of the research project.
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org
Key elements of the questionnaire include:
• planning what to measure
• question content - issues to be included
• wording of the questions
• types of response format
• question sequence
• question layout
• identification of survey objectives
• pretesting (piloting) and correcting problems
Study Skills and Learning Resources - http://www.griot.org