Questionnaires Flashcards
What are Questionnaires
What is a questionnaire?
A set of written, pre-set questions used to collect quantitative and/or qualitative data from respondents.
What are Questionnaires
What are the two main types of questionnaires?
- Closed (structured) questionnaires – Fixed-answer questions, producing quantitative data.
- Open (unstructured) questionnaires – Allow respondents to answer freely, producing qualitative data.
Types of Questionnaires
Self-Completion Questionnaires
What is a self-completion questionnaire?
A questionnaire that respondents complete on their own (e.g., online surveys, postal questionnaires).
Types of Questionnaires
Self-Completion Questionnaires
What are the strengths of self-completion questionnaires?
• Cheap and quick to distribute to large samples.
• No interviewer bias – respondents answer privately.
• Anonymity may encourage honest responses.
Types of Questionnaires
Self-Completion Questionnaires
What are the weaknesses of self-completion questionnaires?
• Cheap and quick to distribute to large samples.
• No interviewer bias – respondents answer privately.
• Anonymity may encourage honest responses.
Types of Questionnaires
Structured (Formal) Interviews
Q: What is a structured interview?
A: A questionnaire that is read out and recorded by an interviewer.
Types of Questionnaires
Structured (Formal) Interviews
What are the strengths of structured interviews?
• Higher response rates than self-completion questionnaires.
• Clarification possible – Interviewer can explain questions.
• Standardized questions make results easier to compare.
Types of Questionnaires
Structured (Formal) Interviews
What are the weaknesses of structured interviews?
• More expensive and time-consuming.
• Interviewer bias – Tone or wording may influence answers.
• Less anonymity – Respondents may not be honest.
Types of Questions in Questionnaires
What are closed questions?
Questions with fixed answers (e.g., Yes/No, multiple choice).
Types of Questions in Questionnaires
What are the strengths of closed questions?
• Easy to analyze (quantitative data).
• Quick to complete.
• Comparable responses.
Types of Questions in Questionnaires
What are the weaknesses of closed questions?
• Limited depth – No opportunity to explain answers.
• Forces respondents into fixed categories.
Types of Questions in Questionnaires
Q: What are open questions?
A: Questions that allow respondents to answer in their own words.
Types of Questions in Questionnaires
What are the strengths of open questions?
• Richer, more detailed responses.
• Allows for unexpected insights.
Types of Questions in Questionnaires
What are the weaknesses of open questions?
• Richer, more detailed responses.
• Allows for unexpected insights.
Practical, Ethical, and Theoretical (P.E.T) Issues
Practical Issues
Q: What are the practical strengths of questionnaires?
• Cheap and quick to distribute.
• Can reach large, geographically spread samples.
• Easy to repeat (reliability).
Practical, Ethical, and Theoretical (P.E.T) Issues
Practical Issues
What are the practical weaknesses of questionnaires?
• Cheap and quick to distribute.
• Can reach large, geographically spread samples.
• Easy to repeat (reliability).
Practical, Ethical, and Theoretical (P.E.T) Issues
Ethical Issues
What are the ethical strengths of questionnaires?
• Informed consent – People choose to participate.
• Anonymity can encourage honest responses.
Practical, Ethical, and Theoretical (P.E.T) Issues
Ethical Issues
What are the ethical weaknesses of questionnaires?
• Sensitive topics may cause distress.
• Lack of rapport may lead to dishonest answers.
Practical, Ethical, and Theoretical (P.E.T) Issues
Theoretical Issues
Why do positivists prefer questionnaires?
• Quantitative data allows for patterns and correlations.
• Standardized questions make it reliable.
• Large samples make findings generalizable.
Practical, Ethical, and Theoretical (P.E.T) Issues
Theoretical Issues
Why do interpretivists criticize questionnaires?
• Lack of verstehen – No insight into meanings.
• Fixed questions limit depth of responses.
Strengths & Weaknesses of Questionnaires
Strengths of Questionnaires
What are the overall strengths of questionnaires?
• Quick and cost-effective – Can be distributed widely.
• Reliability – Standardized questions mean they can be repeated.
• Anonymity – Encourages honesty on sensitive topics.
Strengths & Weaknesses of Questionnaires
Weaknesses of Questionnaires
What are the overall weaknesses of questionnaires?
• Low response rates – People may not complete them.
• Lack of flexibility – Cannot probe deeper.
• Social desirability bias – People may give false answers.
