QUESTIONNAIRE
Definition: A Questionnaire is a structured form, either written or printed, consists of a
formalized set of questions designed to collect information on some subject ...
1. Write a study protocol
This involves getting acquainted with the subject, making a literature review, decide on objectives, formulate a
hypothesis, and define the main information needed to test the hypothesis.
2. Draw a plan of analysis
This steps determines how the information defined in step 1 should be analysed. The plan of analysis should contain
the measures of association and the statistical tests that you intend to use. In addition, you should draw dummy
tables with the information of interest. The plan of analysis will help you to determine which type of results you want
to obtain. An example of a dummy table is shown below.
Exposure nr Cases (%) Total Attack Rate RR (CI95%)
Tomato salad
Chicken breast
3. Draw a list of the information needed
From the plan of analysis you can draw a list of the information you need to collect from participants. In this step you
should determine the type and format of variables needed.
4. Design different parts of the questionnaire
You can start now designing different parts of the questionnaire using this list of needed information.
5. Write the questions
Knowing the education and occupation level of the study population, ethnic or migration background, language
knowledge and special sensitivities at this step is crucial at this stage. Please keep in mind that the questionnaire
needs to be adapted to your study population. Please see "Format of Questions" section for more details.
6. Decide on the order of the questions asked
You should start from easy, general and factual to difficult, particular or abstract questions. Please consider carefully
where to place the most sensitive questions. They should be rather placed in the middle or towards the end of the
questionnaire. Make sure, however, not to put the most important item last, since some people might not complete
the interview.
7. Complete the questionnaire
Add instructions for the interviewers and definitions of key words for participants. Insure a smooth flow from one topic
to the next one (ex. "and now I will ask you some questions about your own health..."). Inse
Tips for a Better Questionnaire
Provide instructions. Tell your respondents how the
questionnaire should be answered. Allow them to contact you for
any concerns or clarifications.
Use simple language. Respondents may come from
different backgrounds, it’s important to keep your questions as
relatable as possible.
Limit the possible choices. For questions where answers
are readily provided, avoid making a long list. Respondents may
find it difficult to evaluate each.
Arrange it in a logical order. Start your questionnaire
with general questions before asking specific ones.
Keep it short. Lengthy questionnaires can be too
intimidating to answer. Respondents will feel like they’re
answering an exam rather than a survey questionnaire .
Do a trial run. Allow a few people to answer your
questionnaire and ask them for feedback. This will help you point
out mistakes and inappropriate questions that need to be edited.
BASIS FOR
QUESTIONNAIRE SCHEDULE
COMPARISON
Meaning Questionnaire refers to a Schedule is a formalized set
technique of data collection of questions, statements
which consist of a series of and spaces for answers,
written questions along with provided to the
alternative answers. enumerators who ask
BASIS FOR
QUESTIONNAIRE SCHEDULE
COMPARISON
questions to the
respondents and note down
the answers.
Filled by Respondents Enumerators
Response Rate Low High
Coverage Large Comparatively small
Cost Economical Expensive
Respondent's Not known Known
identity
Success relies on Quality of the questionnaire Honesty and competence of
the enumerator.
Usage Only when the people are Used on both literate and
literate and cooperative. illiterate people.
Characteristics of a Questionnaire
The questionnaire design depends on the type of information that is required
to be collected. Qualitative questionnaires are used when there is a need to
collect exploratory information or proving or disproving a hypothesis.
Quantitative questionnaires are used when to validate or test any previously
generated hypothesis. Some basic characteristics of a questionnaire are:
Uniformity: Questionnaires are very useful to collect demographic
information, personal opinions, facts or attitudes from respondents. One of
the biggest characteristic of questionnaires is that it is standardized and
uniform. Every respondent see’s the same questions. This helps in data
collection and statistical analysis of this data. For example, a retail store
evaluation questionnaire template contains questions for evaluating retail
store purchase value, range of options for product selections, quality of
merchandise and more. These questions are uniform for all customers.
Exploratory: To collect qualitative data, the questionnaire could be
exploratory in nature. There is no restriction of the questions that can be in
this questionnaire or the specific objective that this collected. For example, if
a questionnaire is administered to the female of the household to
understand the spend towards household incomes, a very structured
question list could limit the data collection.
Question Sequence: The questionnaire typically follows a structured
flow of questions to increase the number of responses. This sequence of
questions are screening questions, warm-up questions, transition questions,
skip questions, difficult questions and classification questions. For example,
a motivation and buying experience questionnaire template covers initial
demographic questions all the way through to time taken in a section and
rationale behind purchase decisions etc.
Types of Questionnaires
As learnt above, questionnaires can be either structured or free-flow. To
explain this a little better:
Structured Questionnaires: Structured questionnaires
collect quantitative data. The questionnaire is planned and designed to
collect very specific information. It also initiates a formal enquiry,
supplements data and checks previously accumulated data and helps
validate any prior hypothesis.
Unstructured Questionnaires: Unstructured questionnaires
collect qualitative data. The questionnaire in this case has a basic structure
and some branching questions but nothing that limits the responses of a
respondent. The questions are more open-ended.
Types of Questions in a Questionnaire
There could be multiple question types in a questionnaire. Some of the widely
used types of questions are:
Open-Ended Questions: Open-ended questions help collect qualitative
data in a questionnaire where the respondent can answer in a free form with
little to no restrictions.
Dichotomous Questions: The dichotomous question is generally a
“yes/no” close-ended question. This question is generally used in case of
the need of basic validation. It is the easiest form of a questionnaire.
Multiple-Choice Questions: Multiple-choice questions are a close-
ended question type in which a respondent has to select one (single select
multiple choice question) or many (multiselect multiple choice question)
responses from a given list of options. The multiple choice question is
consisted of an incomplete stem (question), right answer or answers,
incorrect answers, close alternatives and distractors. Not all questions
would have all of the above and these guidelines can be used as deemed fit
or that best matches the expected outcome of the question.
Scaling Questions: Another question type that is widely used in a
questionnaire are scaling questions. These questions are based on the
principles of the 4 measurement scales – nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio.
Some question types that utilize the fundamental properties of these scales
are rank order questions, Likert scale questions, semantic differential scale
questions and stapel scale questions.
Pictorial Questions: This question type is the 2nd easiest type of a
questionnaire question. Respondents are given the option from certain
images limiting their response to the options in the question but increasing
the number OF RESPONSES
Question Sequence
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One of the many ways to avoid survey bias is to use the ‘Question Sequence’ feature in
your survey.
This feature allows you to decide how questions will be displayed to participants each
time the survey is accessed. Questions can be displayed as entered, rotated, or
randomized.
1. Create a survey or edit an existing survey.
2. From the Design menu bar, click on Question Sequence.
3. Select your preferred Question Sequence option from the choices provided.
As Entered – Default, displays questions in the sequence entered
Rotate – Rotates questions by one position each time the survey is
accessed
Randomize – Displays questions in a random order each time survey is
accessed
4. You can set Question Sequence options on all or individual pages of the survey.
5. Preview the survey (before and after applying Question Sequence). Depending
on the Question Sequence option chosen, you may refresh the page to view the
order of questions change.