Questionnaires - Advantages And Disadvantages Flashcards
Expand on simplicity
Questionnaires can be used with minimum training. Quantitative data from closed questions is easy to analyse. This makes it easier to compare results with other researchers
What are the three advantages of questionnaires?
Simplicity, speed and cost and less influence of interpersonal variables
Expand on “speed and cost”
Large amounts of information can be gathered quickly. Questionnaires are also cheap. This can all take place in a short period of time
Expand on “less influence of interpersonal variables”
Researchers are not there so there is less opportunity for the researcher to influence the information
What are the three disadvantages of questionnaires?
Problems with question wording, poorly designed questionnaires and response rates
Expand on “problems with question wording”
The wording of the questions is ambiguous. Meaningful analysis is therefor difficult. Leading questions may also influence the results respondents may not provide truthful answers because they want to be seen in the best light
Why is ambiguous wording in a questionnaire a problem?
Because the question may be misunderstood and the respondent may the interpret the question differently and the results might not reflect the experiment
Expand on “poorly designed questionnaires”
They may produce poor quality data. Many people underestimate the amount of effort it takes to make a questionnaire
Expand on “response rates”
This is the proportion of people who are sent the questionnaire who choose to respond. These are often around 30% or fewer. This means the sample is not representative of the population. Therefore results cannot be generalised.
