1. Developing Questionnaires

2. What is a questionnaire? A group of printed questions that the respondent answers by him/herself A key assumption: the respondent can, wants to, and does give a truthful answer.

3. Parts of a questionnaire A) Title:  Usually in bold and attractive type  Tells the respondent which topic to be discussed  Examples?

4. B) Introduction: ◦ May appear at the top of the first page or as a covering letter ◦ Information to include: ◦Introduction of yourself ◦The purpose of the study ◦Request for co-operation ◦Instructions for returning the form ◦Assurance of confidentiality ◦Deadline for return ◦Contact person and phone number ◦Expression of appreciation for respondent’s co-operation

5. C) Background Information: ◦ Used to describe your sample and to divide it into sub- groups for data analysis ◦ If not related to your research question, DON”T ASK IT ◦ Information asked may include: ◦Male or female- education ◦Age ( use ranges)- marital status ◦Occupation ( categories are best e.g. Management, health care, sales ) ◦Name and other identifying information should not be asked to ensure confidentiality

6. D) Questions: ◦ Work directly from your set of research questions ◦ Ask only if it’s related to your research purpose ◦ Items may be phrased as questions or statements.

7. Some hints for formulating questions: 1) Keep things simple ◦ Avoid complex statements or charts ◦ Avoid fancy words where simple ones will do; use plain language ◦ All instructions should be clear and exact; give examples where needed

8. 2) Avoid Abbreviations:  Your respondents may be completely unfamiliar with your short forms  Examples FACS, CAS,

9. 3) Keep language appropriate to your respondents children cannot be expected to read adult level questions certain occupations have specialized vocabularies.

10. 4) Avoid Bias: Your choice of words may reflect your own bias unless care is taken 5) Avoid hidden assumptions: don’t assume that your respondent has a certain belief or behaviour 6) Be specific about whether you require an opinion or a factual answer 7) Avoid introducing more than one concept per question

11. Responses Include instructions on how to respond Explain the scale ( if appropriate) Responses options should be exhaustive, including all possible choices. Offer option of not responding ( by adding categories such as Don’t know, Undecided, or no opinion) Allow the options of volunteered comments

12. Only one response option should be applicable to a particular respondent F) Conclusion: thank the respondent for cooperating

13. Types of Questions/responses 1) Open-ended  An open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer using the subject's own knowledge and/or feelings. It is the opposite of a closed-ended question, which encourages a short or single-word answer. Open-ended questions also tend to be more objective and less leading than closed-ended questions

14. Tell me about your relationship with your boss. Open ended Do you get along with your boss? Closed Who will you vote for in this election? Closed What do you think about the two candidates in this election? Open

15. hypothetical questions Fill-in-the-blank Rank order Avoid