Designing and Using Questionnaires common ways to get information literature searchestalking with peoplefocus groupspersonal interviewstelephone surveysand mail surveys. Advantages of Written Questionnaires Questionnaires are very cost effective Questionnaires are easy to analyze Questionnaires are familiar to most people Questionnaires reduce bias Questionnaires are less intrusive than telephone or face-to-face surveys Disadvantages Of Written Questionnaires the possibility of low response rates the inability to probe responses By allowing frequent space for comments, the researcher can partially overcome this disadvantage Gestures and other visual cues are not available with written questionnaires the respondent may not be who you think it is questionnaires are simply not suited for some people Selecting Your Sample decide what kind of people to interview. Avoid a Biased Sample (English & non-English majors)decide how many people you need to interview Quotas A Quota is a sample size for a sub-group. For example, men and women have somewhat different opinions in many areas. Questionnaire Design - General Considerations Well-defined goals are the best way to assure a good questionnaire design Formulate a plan for doing the statistical analysis during the design stage of the projectInclude other experts and relevant decision-makers in the questionnaire design process Use professional production methods for the questionnaire-either desktop publishing or typesetting and keylining Questionnaire Design - General ConsiderationsMake the envelope unique Provide a well-written cover letter Provide incentives as a motivation for a properly completed questionnaire. Give your questionnaire a title that is short and meaningful to the respondent Keep your questionnaire shortInclude clear and concise instructions on how to complete the questionnaire If a questionnaire is more than a few pages and is held together by a staple, include some identifying data on each page Questionnaire Design - General ConsiderationsUse simple and direct languageMake it convenient. Always consider the layout of your questionnaire. Leave adequate space for respondents to make comments. Leave a space at the end of a questionnaire entitled Other Comments. Try to keep your answer spaces in a straight line, either horizontally or vertically. . Questionnaire Design - General ConsiderationsBegin with a few non-threatening and interesting items Place the most important items in the first half of the questionnaireIf you have used a particular scale before and need to compare results, use the same scale. Always present agree-disagree choices in that order. Positive to negative and excellent to poor scales should be presented in those orders. When using numeric rating scales higher numbers should mean a more positive or more agreeing answer. The final test of a questionnaire is to try it on representatives of the target audience. Question Types Qualities of a Good Question 1. Evokes the truth. Questions must be non-threatening. 2. Asks for an answer on only one dimension. Were you satisfied with the quality of our food and service? 3. Can accommodate all possible answers. What brand of computer do you own? _ A. IBM PC B. Apple 3. There are two ways to correct this kind of problem.The first way is to make each response a separate dichotomous item on the questionnaire. For example: Do you own an IBM PC? (circle: Yes or No) Do you own an Apple computer? (circle: Yes or No)Another way to correct the problem is to add the necessary response categories and allow multiple responses. This is the preferable method because it provides more information than the previous method. What brand of computer do you own? (Check all that apply) _ Do not own a computer _ IBM PC _ Apple _ OtherQualities of a Good Question4. Has mutually exclusive options. Where did you grow up? _ A. country B. farm C. city5. Produces variability of responses. What do you think about this report? A. Its the worst report Ive read B. Its somewhere between the worst and best C. Its the best report Ive readAre you against campus love? (circle: Yes or No) Qualities of a Good Question6. Follows comfortably from the previous question. Grouping questions that are similar will make the questionnaire easier to complete, and the respondent will feel more comfortable. 7. Does not presuppose a certain state of affairs. Are you satisfied with your current auto insurance? (Yes or No) One of the most common mistaken assumptions is that the respondent knows the correct answer to the question. What percent of your budget do you spend on direct mail advertising ? _ Qualities of a Good Question8. Does not imply a desired answer. Wouldnt you like to receive our free brochure?Dont you think the Congress is spending too much money? 9. Does not use emotionally loaded or vaguely defined words. Quantifying adjectives (e.g., many) 10. Does not use unfamiliar words or abbreviations. What was your AGI last year? _Qualities of a Good Question11. Is not dependent on responses to previous questions. An example of branching is:1. Do you currently have a life insurance policy ? (Yes or No) If no, go to question 32. How much is your annual life insurance premium ? _These questions could easily be rewritten as one question that applies to everyone:1. How much did you spend last year for life insurance ? _ 12. Does not ask the respondent to order or rank a series of more than five items. Pre-notification Letters1. Briefly describe why the study is being done and identify the sponsors. 2. Explain why the person receiving the pre-letter was chosen to receive the questionnaire.3. Justify why the respondent should complete the questionnaire. 4. Explain how the results will be used.Cover Letters1. Describe why the study is being done (briefly) and identify the sponsors.2. Mention the incentive. (A good incentive is a copy of the results).3. Mention inclusion of a stamped, self-addressed return envelope.4. Encourage prompt response without using deadlines.5. Describe your confidentiality/anonymity policy.6. Give the name and phone number of someone they can call with questions.Thanks for Your Attention