Social Research Methods Alan Bryman Social Research Methods Chapter 10: Self-completion questionnaires Slides authored by Tom Owens

What is a self-completion questionnaire? Also called a self-administered questionnaire No interviewer present Respondent writes answers on form Returned to researcher or deposited for collection Usually postal questionnaires Can be distributed in person or by email Page 232 2

Comparing self-completion questionnaires and structured interviews Self-completion questionnaires tend to: have fewer open questions have easier to follow designs be shorter, to reduce ‘respondent fatigue’ Page 233 3

Self-completion questionnaires have advantages….. Cheaper and quicker to administer (to widely dispersed populations) No interviewer variability Convenience for respondents Page 233, 234

….but many disadvantages Cannot probe or prompt Can only ask salient questions Few open-ended or complex questions Respondent can see the whole questionnaire before answering (question order effects) Cannot ensure that the ‘right’ person answers Cannot collect additional data Respondent fatigue if too many questions Excludes people with limited literacy skills Greater risk of missing data Lower response rates Pages 234, 235 5

Tips to improve response rates to postal questionnaires: Since response rates are relatively low there is a risk of sample bias; a rate of 60%+ is needed to be acceptable (Mangione,1995). Response rates can be improved by: Writing a good covering letter Including a stamped addressed envelope Issuing reminders Using shorter questionnaires Give clear instructions Using a layout attractive to the respondent Providing monetary incentives Page 236 6

Tips on designing a self-completion questionnaire: Use an uncluttered layout neither too short and cramped nor too long and bulky Aim for clear presentation variety of font sizes, bold print, italics, and CAPITAL letters can be used but be consistent! Page 237 7

Arrange fixed answers vertically Because this makes the questionnaire less confusing to read Because questions can be distinguished from answers Because the respondent is less likely to make a mistake Because the questionnaire is easier to pre-code Page 237 8

Give clear instructions about how to respond how to indicate choice of answer: a tick, a circle, an underline…..? if more than one answer can be given: sometimes you might want the respondent to select a number of possibilities from a list. Page 239 9

Keep questions and answers together Never spread a question over two pages Locate the answers alongside each corresponding question, particularly for questions involving Likert scales Page 239

Formatting a Likert scale In the next set of questions, you are presented with a statement. You are being asked to indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each statement by indicating whether you: Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), are Undecided (U), Disagree (D), or Strongly Disagree (SD). Please indicate your level of agreement by circling the appropriate response. 23. My job is like a hobby to me. SA A U D SD 24. My job is usually interesting enough to keep me from getting bored. SA A U D SD 25. It seems that my friends are more interested in their jobs. 26. I enjoy my work more than my leisure time. Tips and skills Page 238

Using diaries as a form of self-completion questionnaire As an alternative to structured observation in quantitative research In a structured form: with closed entries, like a questionnaire recording time-use (amount of time spent on different activities) Can reduce error due to memory problems But can be more intrusive than a questionnaire Page 240 12

A diary study to examine gender and time use Sullivan’s (1997) studied the ways in which the experience of domestic time is gendered: • the diaries recorded the amount of time spent by household members on particular activities in a one-week period • these activities were rank-ordered into seven categories ranging from cooking to domestic travel The diary method enabled Sullivan to show the differences between men and women regarding the performance of certain tasks and the proportion of their time spent on doing tasks together. Research in focus 10.1 Page 241 13

Guidelines for preparing a diary for quantitative research Corti (1993) provide clear instructions for respondents about how to complete diary and how often include model of a completed diary entry provide checklist of items, events or behaviours to include in each entry show blocks of time in columns Page 241 14

Evaluating diaries as a form of self-completion questionnaire Advantages precise estimates of time spent on activities (valid, reliable data) shows chronological order of events useful for personal or sensitive issues Disadvantages cost of producing diaries and monitoring completion boredom, fatigue and attrition failure to record details selective inclusion of events Page 243 15