Today we will… Identify different ways of obtaining information when carrying out an investigation. I can explain how to use these methods

Success Criteria I can design and conduct a questionnaire I can list and explain the advantages and disadvantages of using a questionnaire as a method of enquiry.

When researchers wish to gather a wide range of views from people it may be necessary to carry out a questionnaire. Questionnaires are often used by businesses and political scientists to find out what customers think about a new product or how people voted in an election. For example, political scientists might carry out a questionnaire to find out how the electorate voted and what they thought of a party’s policies on an issue. Conducting a questionnaire also allows the researcher to ask specific questions that are relevant to their piece of research which may not be available elsewhere. Questionnaires

Conducting a Questionnaire You may decide that a questionnaire is a perfect method for you and your investigation. While designing a questionnaire is often seen as time consuming it can be as easy or complicated as you wish to make it. However, there are many web based sites such as ‘Survey Monkey’ and ‘Quick Survey’ that make designing a questionnaire much easier. These web based sites allow the researcher to widen their ‘sample base’ (who they ask to complete the questionnaire) as they can be accessed on-line as long as a person has been ‘invited’ to participate.

This means that anyone with access to a computer can complete them in any part of the world. Web based sites also makes constructing a questionnaire easy and relatively cheap. Furthermore, many sites such as ‘Quick Survey’ will help analyse the results and display them in a variety of formats, such as tables and graphs.

Evaluating Questionnaires As we have already found out designing and carry out a questionnaire is a very good method of gathering information. You will now complete a sorting activity with a partner where you will categorise a number of statements under two headings; Advantages of questionnaires and disadvantages of questionnaires. AdvantagesDisadvantages

Relatively cheap method of research, many free web based sites available, e.g. Survey Monkey Some respondents might not answer the questions asked honestly and this may affect the results. Questionnaires can be designed to ask questions you want to answer specifically. Analysing the results produced by a questionnaire can be time consuming. Respondent are less likely to be influenced by a questionnaire, than say the asking a question during an interview. If questions are not carefully worded then they may be open to misinterpretation. Enables you to ask a range of different people, unlike an interview when you may be limited to only one person. Reliability may be affected if your sample size is too small. The results can be easily pulled together using tally marks then, the researcher can decide how they want to display results, e.g. graphs, tables or in written form. If using a web based design package this may put some respondents off taking part, for example, people who are not computer literate or have access to a computer.

Designing a Questionnaire Issues to Consider Keep your questionnaire SHORT: Remember people are more likely to complete a questionnaire if it is SHORT and easily completed, rather than too long, so think carefully about what you want to know. Start with EASY Questions: You don’t want to put people off by asking DIFFICULT questions straight away, so keep any TRICKY questions to the end. Don’t write LEADING Questions: These are questions that put words into a participant’s mouth. For example, asking the question ‘how unhappy were you that President Obama was re-elected in 2012?’ This is a LEADING questions it suggests that everyone was unhappy about this. Use ‘CLOSED’ questions not ‘OPEN’ questions: Participants are more likely to respond to ‘CLOSED’ questions rather than ‘OPEN’ questions that require more thought. CLOSED questions provide options for the respondent to use. INTRODUCE your Questionnaire: In order to encourage people to take part in your questionnaire it may be worthwhile explaining why you are doing it. For example, it is a piece of your course work or that it is to will help you gather information you might otherwise not be able to find easily.

Success Criteria I can design and conduct a questionnaire I can list and explain the advantages and disadvantages of using a questionnaire as a method of enquiry.