Designing the Questionnaire

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Designing the Questionnaire
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What is a Questionnaire?

• A questionnaire is the vehicle used to pose the
  questions that the researcher wants respondents
  to answer.

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Questionnaire Design

• Questionnaire design is a systematic process in
  which the researcher contemplates various
  question formats, considers a number of factors
  characterizing the survey at hand, ultimately
  words the various questions very carefully, and
  organizes the questionnaires layout.

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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

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The Functions of a Questionnaire

• Can speed up the process of data analysis
• Can serve as the basis for reliability and
  validity measures

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Steps in the Questionnaire Development Process
(Figure 11.1)
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Developing Questions

• Question development is the practice of selecting
  appropriate response formats and wording
  questions so that they are understandable,
  unambiguous, and unbiased.

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Developing Questions

• Marketing research questions measure
• Attitudes
• Beliefs
• Behaviors
• Demographics

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How wording affects answers
Which generates more agreement?
Did you see
A broken headlight?
The broken headlight?
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Words to Avoid in Questionnaire Development

• All
• Always
• Any
• Anybody
• Ever
• Every
• Never

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Why Avoid These Words?

• These words all, any, anybody, best, ever,
  every, never, etc. are all EXTREME ABSOLUTES
• They place respondents in a situation where they
  must either fully agree or they must completely
  disagree with the extreme position in the
  question.
• Do you always observe traffic signs?
• Would you say all cats have four legs?

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Four Dos of Questionnaire Wording

• Question evaluation refers to scrutinizing the
  wording of a question to ensure the question is
  not biased and is worded such that respondents
  understand it and can respond to it with relative
  ease.

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Four Dos of Questionnaire Wording

• The question should be focused on a single issue
  or topic. What type of hotel do you stay in on a
  trip? Pleasure or business trip? En route or
  final destination?
• The question should be brief.
• The question should be grammatically simple, if
  possible.
• The question should be crystal clear.

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Four Do Nots of Questionnaire Wording

• The question should not lead the respondent to
  a particular answer. Dont you see any problem
  with using credit cards for online purchases?
• The question should not have loaded wording or
  phrasing. Use universal beliefsSince our
  Founding Fathers gave us the right to bear arms

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Four Do Nots of Questionnaire Wording

• The question should not be double-barreled.
• The question should not use words that overstate
  the conditiondo not use dramatics. Would you
  buy sunglasses that protect your eyes from
  harmful ultraviolent rays that cause blindness?

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What is wrong with each question?
How do you feel about Sears?
When some gasoline or electric-powered product in
your house breaks, do you call the Sears repair
service?
If the Sears repair service schedule was not
convenient for you, would you consider or not
consider calling a competing repair organization
to fix the problem you have?
How much do you think you would have to pay to
have Sears fix something that needs to be
repaired?
Shouldnt concerned parents use car seats? Should
car seats be used for our loved ones? Do good
parents and responsible citizens use car
seats? Do you believe infant car seats can
protect riders from being maimed?
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Individual Question Wording

• Dos for all questions
• Keep it focused on a single topic
• Keep it brief
• Keep it grammatically simple
• Keep it crystal clear

How do you feel about Sears?
Please rate each aspect of Sears
When some gasoline or electric-powered product in
your house breaks, do you call the Sears repair
service?
If you did not use Sears repair service, would
you use another repair service?
If the Sears repair service schedule was not
convenient for you, would you consider of not
consider calling a competing repair organization
to fix the problem you have?
When you need it, do you call Sears repair
service?
How much do you think you would have to pay to
have Sears fix something that needs to be
repaired?
How much do you think Sears charges for a repair
service call?
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Individual Question Wording

• Do nots for all questions
• Dont ask leading questions
• Dont ask loaded questions
• Dont ask double-barreled questions
• Dont use overstated questions

Shouldnt concerned parents use car seats?
Do you think infant car seats are useful?
Should car seats be used for our loved ones?
Do you think car seats are useful for family
members?
Do good parents and responsible citizens use car
seats?
Do you think parents who use car seats are
responsible?
Do you believe infant car sears can protect
riders from being maimed?
Do you think childrens car seats are useful?
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Questionnaire Organization

• Questionnaire organization is the sequence of
  statements and questions that make up the
  questionnaire.
• It is important because the questionnaire
  appearance and ease of flow affect the quality of
  the information gathered.

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Questionnaire Organization

• The introduction is called a cover letter if
  the introduction is written to accompany a mail
  survey or online survey.

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Questionnaire Organization

• Five functions
• Identifies the surveyor/sponsor
• Indicates the purpose of the survey
• Explains how the respondent was selected
• Requests for/provides incentive for participation
• Determines if respondent is suitable

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Questionnaire Organization
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Incentives

• Incentives are offers to do something for the
  respondent to increase the probability that the
  respondent will participate in the survey.

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Incentives

• Incentives may be monetary or non-monetary.
• Anonymity respondent assured name not identified
• Confidentiality respondents name is known by
  the researcher but not divulged to a third party
• Both are used as non-monetary incentives to
  increase participation

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Screening Questions

• Screening questions are used to ferret out
  respondents who do not meet research study
  qualifications.
• Research objectives should specify who should and
  should not be included in the research study.

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Screening Questions

• Example If you were conducting research on
  factors consumers use in selecting a new car,
  wouldnt you only want to talk to persons who
  have recently selected a new car?
• If you were doing a study to determine the
  potential for an e-zine targeting college
  students, wouldnt you only want to talk to
  college students?
• Screening or qualifying questions are asked to
  ensure you are talking to your target population.

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Question Flow

• Question flow pertains to the sequencing of
  questions or blocks of questions.
• Warm-up questions
• Transitions
• Skip questions
• Classification and demographic questions

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Question Flow in a Questionnaire

• First Questions Screens/Qualifiers
• Have you shopped at Winn-Dixie in the last month?
• Immediately following screens - Warm-ups
• How many major grocery shopping trips do you do
  in a month?

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Question Flow in a Questionnaire

• Prior to major sections - Transitions
• Did you purchase any cereal on your last trip?
• Do you use coupons for groceries?
• Middle of questionnaire - Complicated
  Difficult-to-Answer
• Rate each of the following aspects of Winn-Dixie
  on how satisfactory it is for you.

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Question Flow in a Questionnaire

• Last Section - Classification
• What is the highest level of education you have
  earned?

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Computer-Assisted Questionnaire Design

• Computer-assisted questionnaire design software
  programs allow users to use computer technology
  to develop and disseminate questionnaires
• Advantages
• Easier
• Faster
• Friendlier
• More flexibility

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Coding the Questionnaire

• Coding use of numbers associated with question
  responses
• Numbers are preferred for two reasons
• Numbers are easier and faster to keystroke into a
  computer file.
• Computer tabulation programs are more efficient
  when they process numbers.

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Performing the Pretest of the Questionnaire

• A pretest involves conducting a dry run of the
  survey on a small, representative set of
  respondents in order to reveal questionnaire
  errors before the survey is launched.
• It is important to pretest on respondents that
  are representative of the target population to be
  studied.