5.1 Questionnaires

Question 1

Define Questionnaires

Answer 1

Gain a large amount of general information

Question 2

When can questionnaires help?

Answer 2

Only need generalised information
Large numbers of people involved
People you need to question are widely scattered or far away (especially for electronic questionnaires)
Requirement for overall opinion & size/scope of problems before giving project specific direction

Question 3

Describe the ideal design for a questionnaire

Answer 3

Simple, unambiguous, unbiased
Structured, tidy layout
White space
Ask respondents to circle answers
Format compatible with objectives
Consistent style
Sequence to questions/topics
Questions are clear & easy to understand

Question 4

Describe the ideal structure for a questionnaire

Answer 4

1. Introduce yourself
2. Ensure the respondent is aware of ethical implications
3. State aims & purpose of questionnaire
4. Include what happens next & who to contact for more information
5. Give instructions on how to answer questionnaire & how to send it back (if not electronic)
6. Only include participants contact details if you need them & explain why (GDPR)

Question 5

What is the purpose of running a pilot?

Answer 5

To test the technical aspects of the questionnaires:
Correct answer options given
Anything has been left out

Question 6

Who could you ask to test the pilots?

Answer 6

Colleagues
Fellow students
Family members

Question 7

In what ways can questionnaires be distributed?

Answer 7

Gather all respondents at one time & personally hand out forms & collect completed ones
Hand out/post allow respondents to complete in own work time & return
Get someone else to distribute, supply instructions, deadline & return postage
Online

Question 8

Requirements when writing questions for a questionnaire?

Answer 8

Clear
Sensible flow
Problems anticipated
Administration planned in advance
Devise questions to help answer research question

Question 9

Question types

Answer 9

Closed
Open
Probing (dig deeper)
Leading (can influence a response (bias?))
Reflective (paraphrasing)
Multiple (asking several questions)
Combinations (different types of questions for deeper understanding)