Questionnaires Flashcards

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1
Q

Questionnaires are

A

lists of pre-set questions to which respondents are asked to supply answers
cheap, fast and efficient for obtaining large amounts of data
favoured by positivists (easily quantifiable and can be analysed ‘scientifically’)

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2
Q

Principles of questionnaire design

A
  • do a pilot study to identify problems
  • as shot as possible, with clear lay out and instructions (to be as easy as possible for respondents)
  • have a suitable range of answers to allow respondents to express views
  • clear and neutral language
  • only questions which can be answered accurately
  • avoiding leading questions (ones which encourage people to give a particular answer)
  • confidentiality
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3
Q

Types of questionnaire

A
  • pre-coded or closed questionnaires
  • open-ended or open questionnaires
  • postal/mail or online self-completion questionnaires
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4
Q

Pre-coded or closed questionnaires

A
  • high structured
  • individuals are asked a set of closed questions with limited multiple choice answers
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5
Q

Advantages of pre-coded or closed questionnaires

A
  • fairly quick to complete
  • produce standardised data (easy to classify and create quantitative date)
  • reliable
  • allow data to produce new theories or test hypotheses
  • enable comparisons between different groups
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6
Q

Disadvantages of pre-coded or closed questionnaires

A
  • meaning of questions may be unclear to participants
  • extra questions cannot be asked to get respondents to clarify or explain
  • risk of the imposition problem
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7
Q

The imposition problem definition

A

the risk that the researcher, when asking questions, might be imposing their own views or framework on the people being researched, rather than getting at what they really think

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8
Q

Open-ended or open questionnaires

A
  • less structured
  • usually have pre-set questions
  • no pre-set choice of answers
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9
Q

Advantages of open-ended or open questionnaires

A
  • produce more valid data, as respondents use their own words
  • less risk of the imposition problem
  • produce more detail and depth
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10
Q

Disadvantages of open-ended or open questionnaires

A
  • range of possible answers makes it difficult to classify and quantify results
  • meanings of answers may be unclear to the researcher
  • wide variety of answers make it difficult to compare results with other research
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11
Q

Postal/mail or online self-completion questionnaires

A
  • respondent completes questionnaire alone
  • can help getting answers to embarrassing or sensitive topics
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12
Q

Advantages of self-completion questionnaires

A
  • relatively cheap (avoids paying interviewers)
  • collects data from large numbers of people spread over a wide geographical area
  • results are obtained quickly
  • more precise answers can be obtained as participants are able to think longer or consult documents
  • sensitive topics may be more likely to get responses
  • no problem of interviewer bias
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13
Q

Interviewer bias definition

A

the answers given in an interview being distorted or influenced by the presence of behaviour of the interviewer

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14
Q

Disadvantages of self-completion questionnaires

A
  • major problems with low response rate so may be unrepresentative and less valid
  • people may not be truthful due to forgetfulness or dishonesty
  • no interviewer present to prompt replies or explain questions
  • no way of knowing whether the right person completed the questionnaire
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15
Q

Edwards et al (2002) point out that non-response to postal questionnaires reduces the effective sample size and can affect validity.
Found that response rate can be improved by

A
  • a financial incentive
  • a shorter questionnaire
  • personalising questionnaires with accompanying letters
  • using coloured ink
  • first-class or recorded delivery, with stamped return envelopes provided
  • contacting participants before sending questionnaires
  • follow-up contact
  • designing questionnaires to appeal to the interests of participants
  • questionnaires coming from universities rather than other sources
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16
Q

Issues with the validity of questionnaires

A
  • risk of the imposition problem
  • impossible to express subtle shades of opinion in statistical form
  • cannot measure subjective factors
  • no guarantee people will tell the truth - in the 2001 census, 0.8% of the population of England and Wales listed ‘jedi’ (star wars) as their religion, making it the 4th largest religion in the census
17
Q

Example of dishonest answers to questionnaires - TARKI, social research centre in Hungary, 2007

A
  • asked people their opinion on immigrants from the nation of Piresa
  • 68% of respondents said that Piresans should not be let into the country under any circumstances
  • Piresans were described as scroungers, and most people suggested they should be sent back
  • no such country as Piresa
  • made it up to test the tolerance towards immigrants