Questionnaire Design

It is not every question that

deserves an answer.
Publius Syrus
(Roman, 1st century B.C.)
A QUESTIONNAIRE
IS ONLY AS GOOD
AS THE QUESTIONS
IT ASKS
 Major Decisions in Questionnaire
Design
What should be asked?
How should each question be phrased?
In what sequence should the questions be
arranged?
What questionnaire layout will best serve
the research objectives?
How should the questionnaire be pretested?
Does the questionnaire need to be revised?
 Phrasing Questions

Open-ended questions
Fixed-alternative questions
Questionnaire Design Process
Specify the Information Needed

Specify the Type of Interviewing Method

Determine the Content of Individual Questions

Design the Question to Overcome the Respondents

Inability and Unwillingness to Answer

Decide on the Question Structure

Determine the Question Wording

Arrange the Questions in Proper Order

Questionnaire Design Process
(continued)

Identify the Form and Layout

Reproduce the Questionnaire

Eliminate Bugs by Pretesting

 Types of Questions

Questions

Unstructured Structured

Multiple
Dichotomous Scales
Choice
The Funnel Approach to Ordering Questions

Broad or General Questions

Narrow or Specific Questions

 3 Common Question Displays
on a Computer Screen
Radio buttons
Drop-down boxes
Open-ended boxes
 Questionnaire Design Check List
Step 1: Information Needed
Ensure info obtained fully addresses all
components of the problem
Must have clear idea of the target
population
Step 2: Interviewing Method
Ensure that the proper interviewing method
is being used given the study objectives
 Questionnaire Design Check List

Step 3: Individual Questions

Is each question necessary?
Is each question unambiguous?
Are the proper number of questions
needed to measure a particular
construct being asked?
 Questionnaire Design Check List
Step 4: Inability/Unwillingness to
Answer
Is the respondent informed?
Can the respondent remember?
Can the respondent articulate?
Is the information sensitive?
Make the information request legitimate.
Minimize effort required of respondent.
 Questionnaire Design Check List
Step 5: Question Structure
Use structured questions whenever possible.
Response alternatives should include all
possible answers.
Response alternatives should be mutually
exclusive.
If, on a particular question, a large % of
respondents may be expected to be neutral,
include a neutral alternative.
 Questionnaire Design Check List
Step 6: Question Wording
Use ordinary words.
Avoid ambiguous words (usually, probably,
normally, etc.)
Do not use leading questions.
Avoid implicit assumptions.
Use positive and negative statements as much
as possible.
 Questionnaire Design Check List
Step 7: Question Order
Qualifying questions first.
General questions before specific questions.
Use logical order.
Demographics?
Beginning of questionnaire
End of questionnaire
 Questionnaire Design Check List
Step 8: Form & Layout
Divide questionnaire into multiple parts
Number each question?
Precode the questions
Keep scale questions in same general vicinity
Avoid temptation to fill the blank spaces
 Questionnaire Design Check List
Step 9: Questionnaire Reproduction
Professional appearance
Booklet format for long questionnaires
Place directions as close to the questions as
possible
Expect reproduction errors
 Questionnaire Design Check List
Step 10: Pretesting
Always try to pretest first
Test everything
Pretest sample should be extremely similar to
test sample
Pretest using same methodology as the main
test
If make changes to questionnaire, or
methodology, pretest again before main test.