Chapter 7: Questionnaire Design Flashcards
Questionnaire
A set of questions designed to generate the data necessary to accomplish the objectives of the research project; also called an interview schedule or survey instrument
Criteria for a good questionnaire
- Does it provide the necessary decision-making information?
- Does it consider the respondent?
- Does it meet editing and coding requirements?
Editing
Going through each questionnaire to ensure that skip patterns were followed and the required questions filled out
Coding
The process of grouping and assigning numeric codes to the various responses to a question
Questionnaire design process
- Determine survey objectives, resources, and constraints
- Determine the data-collection method
- Determine the question response format
- Decide on the question wording
- Establish questionnaire flow and layout
- Evaluate the questionnaire
- Obtain approval from all relevant parties
- Pretest and revise
- Prepare final questionnaire copy
- Implement the survey
Survey objectives
Outline of the decision-making information sought through the questionnaire
Step 2: Determine the data-collection method
- Self-administered questionnaire
- Telephone interview
- Online questionnaire
Step 3: Determine the question response format
- Open-ended
- Closed-ended
- Scaled-response questions
Laddering
Used to provide an in-depth understanding of how consumers relate to a brand by delving into hidden, preconscious factors that influence purchase
Open-ended questions
Questions to which the respondent replies in their own words
Probing
Encouraging the respondent to elaborate or clarify an incomplete response. Can be proactive (planned ahead) or reactive (on the spot)
Close-ended questions
Questions that require the respondent to choose from a list of answers
Types of close-ended questions
- Dichotomous questions
2. Multiple-choice questions
Dichotomous questions
Two response categories that are sometimes implicit
Multiple-choice questions
Replies do not have to be coded as they do with open-ended questions, but the amount of information provided is more limited
Scaled-response questions
Close-ended questions in which the response choice are designed to capture the intensity of the respondent’s feelings
Step 4: Decide on the question wording
- Make sure the wording is clear
- Avoid biasing the respondent
- Consider respondent’s ability to answer the questions
- Consider respondent’s willingness to answer the questions
Step 5: Establish questionnaire flow & layout
- Use screening questions to identify qualified respondents
- Begin with a question that gets respondent’s interest
- Ask general questions first
- Ask questions that require “work” in the middle
- Insert prompters at strategic points (“A couple minutes to go!”) to encourage respondent
- Position sensitive, threatening, and demographic questions at the end
- Allow plenty of space for open-ended questions
- Put instructions in capital letters
- Use a model opening/closing
Step 6: Evaluate the questionnaire
- Is the question necessary?
- Is the questionnaire too long?
- Will the questions provide information needed to accomplish research objectives?
Step 7: Obtain approval from all relevant parties
After first draft is completed, copies should be distributed to all parties who have direct authority over the project
Step 8: Pretest and revise
When final managerial approval has been obtained, the questionnaire must be prestested: A trial run of a questionnaire
Step 9: Prepare the final questionnaire copy
Precise instructions for skip patterns, numbering, and pre-coding must be set up, and the results proofread
Step 10: Implement the survey
Field services are the in-person interviewers for most mall and telephone research interviewing
Supervisor’s instructions
Written directions to the field service firm on how to conduct the survey
