Questionnaires Flashcards
what are the strength of questionnaires?
- quick, cheap and easy way to gather large amounts of quantitative data
- data easy to quantify if pre-coded since they can be computer processed
- few ethical problems, respondents aren’t obliged to respond
- confidentiality straightforward as usually anonymous
what are the limitations of questionnaires?
- data is often limited since they need to be brief so that people are willing to complete them
- may be necessary to offer incentives to persuade responses which adds to cost
- postal questionnaires mean the researcher can’t be sure if it was completed for who it was meant for
- low response rate
- inflexible
- drawn up in advance so researcher must have some knowledge of the subject so not suitable for studying unfamiliar topics
- only snapshots of reality at one moment in time
what do positivists think about questionnaires?
- good because they produce quantitative data and an develop casual laws of social behaviour enabling hypothisis testing
- reliable since each one is identical so becomes a standardised measuring instrument so if there are differences in results we can assume there are real differences between respondents, this allows comparisons between cultures and at different times
- representative and generalisable - large scale
how can the representativeness of questionnaires be undermined?
low response rates so may not be representative of research population if those who don’t respond are different in some way
what is a standardised measuring instrument?
a fixed yard stick that can be used by any researcher
what do interpretivists think about questionnaires?
- detachment and objectivity fail to produce a valid picture of actors meanings
- lack of contacts mean it is impossible to clarify questions and answers
- impose researchers framework of ideas on respondents since the researcher has already decided what is important
give an example of a respondent misunderstanding a question which can lead to lack of validity
in Schofield’s questionnaires about sexual behaviour when asked ‘are you a virgin?’ a girl answered ‘no,not yet.’
why do interpretivists argue both open and closed ended questions lack validity?
- closed ended questions mean respondents have to fit their answers into answers on offer which can’t express if they feel another answer is important
- open ended questions mean they can say the answers they wish to but researcher codes them into quantitative data so non-identical answers get lumped together
who argues that when the researchers categories aren’t the same as the respondents ‘pruning and bending’ data is inevitable
Shipman
what did Walklate and her colleagues find was good about questionnaires instead of interviews?
they spent 6 months carrying out nearly 600 interviews about victimisation yet in just a few weeks were able to send and receive back questionnaires from over 300 community groups and businesses
why does the cooperation of different groups in questionnaires vary to do with crime?
potential victims may be keen to get crime reduced while criminals are unlikely to volunteer their identity or location to researchers
give an example of how question order can affect responses
questions about police effectiveness at the start of the questionnaire is more likely to be positive than at the end after answering lots of crime questions
some groups involved in crime have low literacy levels so what should the researcher do?
avoid complex language and limit the number of questions or interview instead
close knit groups in crime or criminal justice system may complete questionnaires in groups so….
responses may reflect group values rather than individual views
in investigating anti-authority groups, questionnaires can be identified with authority give an example
Vankatesh turned up with with a questionnaire in a Chicago estate and was held at gun point by the local gang and only survived as he convinced them he had no association with the police
