Hw.1

Questionnaire Design

The term questionnaire is often confused with the survey, but they are actually quite different.

While a survey is a research method involving communication with respondents, a questionnaire

is a measuring instrument used in conjunction with the survey. Basically, it consists of a list of

questions used to gather information from respondents. While we are all familiar with

questionnaires, their design is much more complex than one would think. Many researchers

believe the design of one is more art than science. Despite this, researchers have provided

guidelines to follow when designing the instrument based on research on the design of these.

This often takes the form of what to avoid such as leading or double-barreled questions.

Regardless of the method of administration of a survey, a questionnaire is a standardized

measuring instrument that is used. Even if the respondent is not completing the questionnaire as

in the case of a telephone interview, the interviewer is using a questionnaire. This assures that all

respondents are given the same questions in the same order.

While designing a questionnaire may appear to be simple, it is actually quite complex. It is

critical to remember that the quality and accuracy of the data is dependent on the questions

asked. Once your data is collected, it is too late to make any changes, so it is critical that you

spend the time and effort in the development. This involves careful articulation of conceptual

and operational definitions, the measurement scales used in consideration of the intended

analysis and follow decades of research as to what constitutes good questionnaire design. In

fact, you should have a plan of analysis before any data is collected.

Questionnaires that are designed to be used as part of an interview look a bit different than those

that are self-administered (completed by the respondent) since they will also contain instructions

for the interviewer. There may be other differences as well. For instance, an interviewer may ask

a question that appears to be open-ended such as “what is your favorite breakfast food?” and

advised to let the respondent answer in their own words. Instead of requiring the interviewer to

write down every response, he/she may have a list that can be checked such as cereal, oatmeal,

eggs etc. An “other” would be included for those responses that do not fall into one of the pre-

determined categories.

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