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Understanding Questionnaires: Types & Benefits

A questionnaire is a research tool consisting of a set of questions designed to gather information from respondents, often combining close-ended and open-ended questions. Developed by the Statistical Society of London in 1838, questionnaires can be administered in person or independently, such as through postal or electronic means. While they offer advantages like ease of quantification and anonymity, they also have limitations including low response rates and potential biases in responses.

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6 views8 pages

Understanding Questionnaires: Types & Benefits

A questionnaire is a research tool consisting of a set of questions designed to gather information from respondents, often combining close-ended and open-ended questions. Developed by the Statistical Society of London in 1838, questionnaires can be administered in person or independently, such as through postal or electronic means. While they offer advantages like ease of quantification and anonymity, they also have limitations including low response rates and potential biases in responses.

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dc2402002
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Qustionnaires

What is a questionnaire?
.
 A questionnaire is a research instrument that consists of a set of questions (or other types of
prompts) for the purpose of gathering information from respondents through a survey or
statistical study.
 A research questionnaire is typically a mix of close-ended questions and open-ended questions.
Open-ended, long-term questions offer the respondent the ability to elaborate on their thoughts.
The Research questionnaire was developed by the Statistical Society of London in 1838.
 If administered directly by the researcher to the subject in person then this is the same as
a structured interview; however, questionnaires can also be completed independently (self-
completion questionnaires) and therefore administered in bulk, through the post or electronically
for example. The method can use closed or open questions or indeed a mixture of the two,
depending on what sort of data is desired and how the researcher intends to analyse it.
An Example of a Questionnaire
Postal Questionnaires
 Postal questionnaires are normally completed in the absence of the researcher
meaning that they can be emailed or they can be web-based questionnaires.
 Close-ended or pre-coded questions involve the researcher providing a set of
answer from which the respondent can choose from but limiting the responses
Strengths
Easily quantified as usually close-ended, objective as gives 1 opinion on something from 1
person.

relatable as set questions that can be given out to lots of different people

No interviewer bias as researcher is detached from the interviewee, quick to administer


and relatively cheap as no employees to pay and train, large quantities of data can be
collected, large geographical area covered

Usually anonymous so confidential


 Not qualitative so doesn't give a true insight into
an individual's beliefs, not subjective so no feelings
and beliefs, not very representative as those who
reply may not be typical of the target population.
 Very low response rate so can't be generalised

LIMITATIONS easily, may lie so social desirability is at play, can't


operationalise a term to the person answering the
questionnaire so they may just guess, incentives
for them to return it are hidden costs, must be brief
so what you can ask is limited.
 The researcher has no way of knowing whether the
respondent has understood the question properly.
Thank
you!!

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