Research Methodology and Information - while designing a Questionnaire some pertinent aspects require clear thinking and appropriate decision making.

1. Questionnaire
Design

2. Importance of Questionnaires
Questionnaires & interviews are most
popularly used in research.
Whether the results of the research are valid
depends on the quality of these instruments.
•Good questionnaires are difficult to ____
•Bad questionnaires are difficult to _____
construct analyze
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3. Quality aims in Survey Research
The goal is to collect information that is:
Valid: measures the concept that is being
surveyed.
Reliable: measures the concept in a
consistent or reproducible manner
Unbiased: measures the concept in a way
that does not systematically underestimate or
overestimate the true value
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4. Principles for Composing a Draft
Questionnaire
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5. Principle: Ask for an answer in
only one dimension at a time
Question: How many cups of coffee or tea
do you drink in a day?
Solution: Avoid confusion or ambiguity by
separating the question into two –
(1) How many cups of coffee do you drink
during a typical day?
(2) How many cups of tea do you drink
during a typical day?firdaus@icbm.ac.in

6. Write questions that will produce
variable responses.
Question: Are you against drug abuse?
( ) Yes ( ) No
Question: Are you corrupt?
( ) Yes ( ) No
Solution: Eliminate the question.
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

7. Principle: Avoid jargons, slangs &
abbreviations
Do you face cognitive dissonance?
What is your funda in sports?
Sometimes I doubt my recent purchase when I
get new information about other brands:
Agree/Disagree.
What are your fundamental beliefs about
sports? firdaus@icbm.ac.in

8. Avoid questions having non-
mutually exclusive answers
Question: What is your qualification?
 BA/BCOM/BSC/BBA/BTECH
 MA/MCOM/MSC/MBA/MTECH/CA/CS/ICWA
 PhD/MBBS
Solution: There should be no overlap in response
categories. Categories should be exhaustive & balanced
What is your highest qualification?
o Bachelor’s degree (BA/BCOM/BSC/BBA/BTECH)
o Master’s degree (MA/MCOM/MSC/MBA/MTECH)
o Professional diploma (ICWA/CA/CS)
o Doctorate/Post doctorate (PhD, MBBS)
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

9. Avoid overlap, create mutually
exclusive categories.
• Less than Rs.1 lakh
• Rs.1 lakhs to less than Rs. 3 lakhs
• Rs. 3 lakhs to less than 5 lakhs
• More than Rs. 5 lakhs
Solution: Create class intervals. Follow one pattern,
don’t confuse the respondent.
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

10. Avoid hidden assumptions or
false premises.
Question: What brand of laptop do you own?
(A) IBM (B) Apple
Solution: Insert all possible answers. Add necessary
response categories and allow for multiple responses.
What brand of laptop do you own? (Tick all
that apply)
• Do not own laptop
• IBM
• Apple
• Other (Name the brand) _______
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

11. Make sure question and answer
options match
Question: Have you had pain in the last
week?
[ ]Never [ ]Sometimes [ ]Often [ ]Very often
Solution: Reword either question or answer to
match.
How often did you have pain in the last
week?
[ ]Never [ ]Sometimes [ ]Often [ ]Very Often
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

12. Be clear in your questions. Double
check the meaning of words used
Question: Where are you from?
Rural
Urban
Solution: Rephrase using the right word
Where do you live? or
Where were you born? or
Where did you live in your childhood?
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

13. For awareness question,
encourage reflection
Question: Which one of the following
increases the chance of having a heart
attack? (Check one.)
[ ]Smoking [ ]Being overweight [ ]Stress
Solution: Make the respondent engage with the qt.
Which of the following increases the chance
of having a heart attack?
1.Smoking: [ ]Yes [ ]No [ ]Don’t know
2.Being overweight: [ ]Yes [ ]No [ ]Don’t know
3.Stress: [ ]Yes [ ]No [ ]Don’t know
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

14. Avoid branching, avoid confusion
(1) Do you currently have a life insurance policy?
(Circle: Yes or No)
If no, go to qt. 3, if yes go to qt. 2
(2) How much is your annual life insurance
premium?
(3) Why do you not have life insurance policy?
Solution: Avoid linking qts. if possible and write as one
question. Avoid testing respondent’s memory.
How much did you spend last year for life
insurance? (Write 0 if none).firdaus@icbm.ac.in

15. Phrase questions in the terms in
which respondents think
How many litres of petrol did you buy last
year for your car?
How many movies do you see in a year?
Solution: Break into weekly or monthly numbers &
calculate yearly number for your report.
How many litres of petrol do you buy in a
typical week for your car?
How many movies do you usually see in a
month?
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

16. Avoid leading / loaded qts.
Did you do your patriotic duty and vote
in the last assembly election? Yes/No
You do not really want SC/ST to take
over the education system, do you?
Yes/No
According to experts, noodles with
monosodiumglutamate are bad for
health. Do you agree? Yes/No
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

17. Avoid double negation
Students should not be allowed to disagree
with administrative staff decisions:
Agree/Disagree
Solution: keep the sentence simple.
Student’s feedback regarding
administrative staff decisions should be
allowed: Agree/Disagree
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

18. Avoid issues beyond respondent’s
recall.
Avoid intentions in the distant future
Two years ago, how many hours of TV did
you watch per month?
After your PG studies, when you get a job
and are married, will you invest a lot of money
in the stock market?
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

19. firdaus@icbm.ac.in
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE

20. KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
- facts
- quasi-facts
- awareness/penetration of info
- opinions
- attitude
- future action plan
- reasons for behaviour
firdaus@icbm.ac.in
1. TYPE OF INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED:

21. 2. TYPES OF QUESTIONS
A.INDIRECT QUESTIONS
B.DIRECT QUESTIONS
a) Open-ended qts.
b) Close-ended qts.
Dichotomous qts.
Multiple Choice qts
Ranking qts
Rating qts.
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

22. 3. PHRASING OF QUESTIONS
 Avoid technical terms (unless necessary) & jargons
 Avoid slangs, ambiguous and vague words
 Do not combine 2 or more issues in one question
 Avoid branching of questions
 Match qt. and answer responses
 Do not manipulate using loaded or leading qts.
 Avoid confusing, overlapping response options
 Do not ask about distant past or vague future.
 Avoid lengthy qts.
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

23. 4. ORDER OF QUESTIONS
General rapport building questions
to
Specific questions relating to research objectives
Easier questions in the beginning
to
Difficult/ sensitive questions in the end
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

24. 5. NO. OF QUESTIONS
Quality of qts. is more important than quantity
Ideally, not more than 20-25 questions
6. LAYOUT OF QUESTIONNAIRE
Title should be clear, may use logo, pictures if needed
 Be mindful of paper quality/app screen, border, bullets,
font type & size, spacing. Use bold print where required
 Beginning sentence seeking willingness, assuring there
will be no misuse
 Thanking sentence
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

25. 7. PRE-TEST/PILOT TEST DRAFT QUESTIONNAIRE
- Give draft to friends, colleagues, strangers to fill
- Take feedback after completion
- Make changes where required
8. RELEASE THE FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE TO SAMPLE
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

26. Steps in Survey method using
Questionnaire
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27. Using Questionnaire for Survey:
1. Write out the research problem & objectives of your
study.
2. Write out concepts/information to be collected that
relates to these objectives.
3. Review the current literature to identify already
validated questionnaires that measure your specific
area of interest.
4. Compose a draft of your questionnaire.
5. Pilot test & revise the draft.
6. Release final questionnaire to the sample/population.
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

28. Reflect….
Why is Questionnaire not a passive method?
Is Questionnaire under personal means or non-personal
means? Why?
Should we expect any differences in response based on
whether the Qnre is:
- Hardcopy or softcopy?
- Online – offline?
- Mobile compatible or not?
o Can you have a Qnre with only open-ended questions?
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

29. THANK YOU!
firdaus@icbm.ac.in