Essentials of
Marketing Research
Questionnaire
Designing
Basit Afzal
The Functions of a Questionnaire
Translates the research objectives into specific
questions
Standardizes those questions and the response
categories
Fosters cooperation and motivation
Serves as permanent records of the research
Can speed up the process of data analysis
Can serve as the basis for reliability and
validity measures
Questionnaire
Questionnaire: a set of questions designed to
generate the data necessary for achieving the
research objective
Every form of survey research relies on the use of
a questionnaire.
Provides standardization and uniformity in data
gathering
Allows a valid basis for comparing respondents'
answers
Steps in the Questionnaire
Development Process
Classifying Surveys
by Degree of Structure and Degree of Disguise
Avoid Complexity: use simple, conversational
language
Avoid leading and loaded questions
Structured
Unstructured
Avoid ambiguity: be as specific as possible
Example:
Example:
Undisguised
Typical descriptive survey
With straight-forward,
structured questions
Survey with open-ended
questions to discover
new answers or focus
group interview
Avoid double-barreled items
Avoid making assumptions
Avoid burdensome questions
Example:
Disguised
Example:
Survey interview to measure
brand As image versus
competitive brands images or
brand recall (unaided recall)
Projection techniques
used mostly for
exploratory research
1. Do you believe that private citizens have the right to
own firearms to defend themselves, their families, and
property from violent criminal attack?
Yes
No
Undecided
Dear Passenger:
American Airlines is pleased to have you on board today.
2. Do you believe that a ban on the private ownership
of firearms would be significantly reduce the number of
murders and robberies in your community?
Yes
No
Undecided
To help us provide the best service possible, we need to know
more about you and your opinions of our service. If you are
over 11 years old, we would appreciate it if you would complete
this questionnaire.
Your flight attendant will pick up your completed questionnaire
shortly.
Thank you.
Questionnaire Design
4. Please rate each of the following with regard to this flight, if applicable.
Excellent Good
Courtesy and Treatment from the:
Skycap at airport . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Airport Ticket Counter Agent . . . . .
Boarding Point (Gate) Agent . . . . .
Flight Attendants . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your Meal or Snack. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Beverage Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat Comfort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Carry-On Stowage Space. . . . . . . .
Cabin Cleanliness . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Video/Stereo Entertainment . . . . . .
On-Time Departure . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fair
Poor
Criteria For a Good Questionnaire
Accommodate all of the research
objectives
Be able to generate necessary
decision-making information
Good design for each individual
question
Be convenient for the respondent
Be easy to conduct for the
interviewer
Be easy and fast to edit and code
Facilitate data entry
Question sequence
Order bias
Funnel technique
Filter bias
Question layout
The Key Tradeoff
The managerial aspect (information goal)
should always be the priority
The administrative aspect is usually more
emphasized than the scientific aspect
If there is a conflict, the accuracy of
information is usually sacrificed for the
willingness of cooperation
Checklist On Question Wording
How to Ask Good Questions
Question content/wording
Ask right question
Ask understandable question
Respondents must know the
answer
Respondents must be willing to
respond
Question format
open-ended/close-ended
questions
categories of choices
Is the vocabulary simple, direct, and
familiar to all respondents?
Do any words have vague or
ambiguous meanings?
Are any
barreled?
Are there any leading or loaded
questions?
Are the instructions potentially
confusing?
Is the question applicable to all
respondents?
Are the questions of appropriate
length?
questions
"double-
Loaded Questions
A question that is
designed to suggest a
socially
desirable
answer. Usually it is
emotionally charged.
Double barrelled Questions
Causes:
Choice of words; e.g. using emotionally-charged
words, such as in: In your opinion is it fair that the
Security Dept should be harassing students with
parking tickets?
Leading question: a question that suggests or
implies a certain answer.
Personal Questions
Causes:
The bandwagon effect e.g. Most Pakistanis have stopped eating junk
food. Do you eat junk food?
Partially mentioning some alternatives e.g. which fast food restaurant
do you prefer, Hardees or others?
Questions with the phrase: Dont you think that ..
General
Questionnaire
Sequence
Handling Sensitive Questions
Put sensitive/objectionable questions at the end
overall topics
demographics
AFTER YOU HAVE:
- created an investment by the respondent
- built up your credibility
Hide in a group of more innocuous questions
State that the behavior or attitude is not unusual
Phrase in terms of others and how they might
feel or react
State the response in terms of number of
categories that the respondent may simply
check
Determine Question Response
Format
Open-Ended Questions:
More variety in responses
Difficult to edit and code
Do not work well in mail survey with no
interviewer to probe the answers
(e.g. Q: Why did you purchase brand X? A: I
just liked it )
Close-Ended Questions:
Easier for both respondent and researcher
List of potential answers may cause distortion
Ordering Effect: An Example
Q5: Are there more programs that include too
much violence and brutality
Branching/Skip Pattern
Q6: Should big advertisers demand higher
standards of program quality
Q7: Should federal funding for public TV be
increased, cut, or kept at current level?
Do not use branching unless it is absolutely
necessary
Interviewers should have sufficient practice
before going to field with branching questions
Used less often in mail survey than in other
types of surveys
Computerized survey makes it easy to
implement branching. However, still do not
overuse it
Evaluate and Pretest
Questionnaire
Evaluate the questionnaire with clients
Evaluate/Pretest the questionnaire with
researcher (analyze dummy answers)
Pretest the questionnaire with respondents
Pretest the questionnaire with interviewers
Assess the time and cost
Typical Features of Unprofessional
Designed Questionnaire
Use too many open-ended questions
Give too much burden to respondents
(e.g. check your top 10 reasons for)
Forget introduction and final thank you
Lack of logic in arranging the sequence of
questions
You should never start data collection
without pretesting!
Framework for Constructing a
Questionnaire
Identify
Correct
Respondent
Question Wording
PRETEST
and
Revise
Questionnaire
Considering your children, which of the following values do you feel are most
important for your children to possess as adults? (select only 3)
Three Most Important Values
Specify What
Information
Will be Sought
Question Structure
EXAMPLE OF STRUCTURED QUESTION Vs. OPEN END
Question Sequencing
1. Manners
2. Success
3. Honesty
4. Cleanliness
5. Good Judgment
6. Control
7. Spirtulaity
8. Amicable
9. Obedience
10. Responsible
11. Considerate
12. Confidence
13. Studious
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Question Sequence
and Order Effects
General Questionnaire Sequence
Start with simple more general questions
Once Committed
Hard to be
Unfair
nonthreatening
interesting
general respondent capability
37%
Difference !
General Questionnaire Sequence
Funnel respondent from general to specific
questions
throughout the questionnaire
What types of beverages do you drink on a weekly basis
Product Category
Which of the following beverages is your favorite
How many times per week do you drink this beverage
Which brands of soft drinks can you list below
Rate the following four brands along the
set of attributes
Brand Specific
Respondents will be looking for an Excuse
to Terminate or Stop Interview