Key Terms

Question 1

Questionnaire

Answer 1

A written method of gaining data. It may be completed by the participant or the researcher (who records the answers given). It does not necessarily require the presence of the researcher.

Question 2

Unstructured Interview

Answer 2

A type of interview that may contain a topic area for discussion but no fixed questions or ways of answering.

Question 3

Open Question

Answer 3

A participant is given a set question to respond to, but there is a blank left underneath the question so participants can answer how they want.

Question 4

Forced Choice

Answer 4

When a respondent has to choose one item from the limited range available. This is often seen as criticism, implying a lack of validity.

Question 5

Respondent

Answer 5

Someone who answers the questionnaire.

Question 6

Structured Interview

Answer 6

A type of interview that contains fixed predetermined questions.

Question 7

Likely Scale

Answer 7

Comprises a number of statements and participant selects how far they agree with the statement.

Question 8

Standard Response Set

Answer 8

Tendency to give the same answer for every statement.

Question 9

Socially Desirable

Answer 9

Giving an answer that a participant thinks will present them in a good light.

Question 10

Interviewee

Answer 10

The person being interviewed.

Question 11

Response Rate

Answer 11

The number of people who respond to a questionnaire.

Question 12

Semi-structured Interview

Answer 12

A type of interview where there is a set of predetermined questions but the answers will be developed in response to add of questions.

Question 13

Closed Question

Answer 13

A question with limited answers where the participant chooses what is most appropriate to them.

Question 14

Interview

Answer 14

Direct verbal questioning of a participant.

Question 15

Semantic Differentials

Answer 15

An attitude object is given (e.g Christmas shopping) and a series of paired words (e.g Expensive/Inexpensive) and there are spaces between the words where participants choose towards which word the feel about the attitude object.

Question 16

Leading Question

Answer 16

A type of question that may cause the participant to give a certain type of answer.

Question 17

Smokescreen Question

Answer 17

A question to try and hide the aim of a questionnaire.

Question 18

Critical question

Answer 18

The question researchers are interested in.

Question 19

Nominal Data

Answer 19

A headcount of the number of partings do one thing as opposed to another.

Question 20

Ordinal Data

Answer 20

Relates to the rank order in which data can be placed but doesn’t take into account how much one rank is compared to another.

Question 21

Interval or Ratio Data

Answer 21

Doesn’t just take into account rank order but the difference between two ranks.