Designing Questionnaires

1
Designing Questionnaires
2
Discussion Questions

• What do you think about the questionnaires?
• Would you complete them?
• Do you understand the questions?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of
  the questionnaires?

3

• HAVE A CLEAR PURPOSE!
• MAKE SURE EVERYBODY INVOLVED HAS THE SAME
  UNDERSTANDING OF THE PURPOSE!
• CONSIDER EVERY QUESTION AND THE DATA IT WILL
  GATHER IN LIGHT OF THE PURPOSE!

4
Covering letter

• Personalise if possible
• Explain purpose of questionnaire
• Include named contact
• What will happen to responses
• Confidentiality
• Publication
• Decision making
• What is in it for respondent
• Length

5
Questionnaire

• Clear instructions
• Sensibly ordered
• Large font size
• Well spaced out
• Short length
• Instructions at start
• Same font throughout
• Have consistent write-in boxes / options for
  answers

6
Questions

• Easy to understand
• Are you able to communicate effectively in the
  local language of the Hellenic Republic?
• Can you speak Greek?
• Completely unambiguous
• If there is any chance a question can be
  misinterpreted, then it will be misinterpreted

7
Questions

• Where were you born?
• In Bishop Auckland General Hospital
• In Bishop Auckland
• In County Durham
• In England
• In Great Britain
• In the United Kingdom

8
Harmonised Questions

• Scottish Government working on a set of
  harmonised core questions
• Consultation
• Cognitive testing
• Pilot testing
• Time and financial savings
• Allows comparisons to other surveys
• Minimises risk of offence
• Minimises risk of misunderstanding and poor data
• http//www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About
  /SurveyHarm