QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN: AN INTRODUCTION by Dr. Zulu Davy Wadula-unza

QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN: AN INTRODUCTION Dr. Zulu Davy Wadula Learning Objectives To understand a questionnaire’s cultural, psychological, economic, and political context Learn how to ask valid questions and how to ask them correctly What Is A Questionnaire? A tool for collecting information to describe, compare, or explain an event or situation, as well as, knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and/or sociodemographic characteristics on a particular target group. Questionnaire General Format Self-administered (by mail or personal contact) In person (face-to-face) Telephone interviews The Questions or Items Are the focus on any survey or questionnaire It is crucial to know how to ask the questions in written and spoken form The way you ask the questions determines the answers Questions Context Identify the questionnaire’s specific purpose(s) Clarify the terms used to state the questionnaire’s purpose(s) Be sure to have the specific objectives of the questionnaire Know the respondents Questions Context Standardize the interviewer Standardize the response format Ask questions in a social, cultural, and economic context Keep confidentiality and voluntary participation Include a letter of introduction or presentation Questions Format Open questions - more information but difficult to codify, enter, and analyze Closed questions - less information but easy to codify, enter, and analyze Choices And Measurement Of Responses Nominal or categorical choices Ordinal Numerical How To ObtainValid Information Ask purposeful questions Ask concrete questions Use time periods based on importance of the questions Use conventional language How To ObtainValid Information Use complete sentences Avoid abbreviations Review questions with experts and potential respondents Use shorter questions How To ObtainValid Information Avoid two-edged questions Avoid negative questions Adopt/adapt questions used successfully in other questionnaires Types of Quantitative Research Questions Dichotomous Questions Dichotomous questions are those with a margin for only two possible answers. They are usually used when the answers are “Yes/No” or “True/False.” These questions significantly simplify the research process and help collect simple responses. Example: Have you ever visited Istanbul? Multiple Choice Questions Multiple-choice questions have a list of possible answers for the participants to choose from. They help assess people’s general knowledge, and the data gathered by multiple-choice questions can be easily analysed. Example: Which of the following is the capital of France? Multiple Answer Questions Multiple-answer questions are similar to multiple-choice questions. However, there are multiple answers for participants to choose from. They are used when the questions can’t have a single, specific answer. Example: Which of the following movie genres are your favourite? Likert Scale Questions Likert scale questions are used when the preferences and emotions of the participants are measured from one extreme to another. The scales are usually applied to measure likelihood, frequency, satisfaction, and agreement. The Likert scale has only five options to choose from. Example: How satisfied are you with your job? Semantic Differential Questions Similar to Likert scales, semantic differential questions are also used to measure the emotions and attitudes of participants. The only difference is that instead of using extreme options such as strongly agree and strongly disagree, opposites of a particular choice are given to reduce bias. Example: Please rate the services of our company. Rank Order Questions Rank-order questions are usually used to measure the preferences and choices of the participants efficiently. In this, multiple choices are given, and participants are asked to rank them according to their perspective. This helps to create a good participant profile. Example: Rank the given books according to your interest. Matrix Questions Matrix questions are similar to Likert scales. In Likert scales, participants’ responses are measured through separate questions, while in matrix questions, multiple questions are compiled in a single row to simplify the data collection method efficiently. Example: Rate the following activities that you do in daily life. How To Write Quantitative Research Questions? Step 1: Determine the Research Goals The first step in writing quantitative research questions is to determine your research goals. Determining and confirming your research goals significantly helps you understand what kind of questions you need to create and for what grade. Efficiently determining the research goals also reduces the need for further modifications in the questionnaire. Step 2: Be Mindful About the Variables There are two variables in the questions: independent and dependent. It is essential to decide what would be …