Self reporting techniques

Question 1

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 1

Assess thoughts and feelings through pre-determined set of questions

Question 2

What is an open question?

Answer 2

Questions in which participants are free to answer however they like

Question 3

Strengths of an open question?

Answer 3

• More detail
• Useful for sensitive topics as can elaborate

Question 4

Weaknesses of an open question?

Answer 4

• Difficult to convert into statistical data

Question 5

What is a closed question?

Answer 5

Questions that have a predetermined range of answers

Question 6

Strengths of closed questions

Answer 6

• Easier to analyse due to a limited range of answers

Question 7

Weaknesses of a closed question

Answer 7

• May be forced to chose options that don’t represent their views
• May select ‘don’t know’ making data not informative

Question 8

Strengths of Questionnaires

Answer 8

• Can be easily distributed to large amounts of people
• Respondents may feel more willing to reveal personal details

Question 9

Limitations of questionnaires

Answer 9

• Only filled by people who can read and write and those willing to spend time so may be bias

Question 10

What are the 3 guiding principles when designing a questionnaire?

Answer 10

• Clarity to not have double barrelled questions
• Bias with no leading questions
• Analysis so open and closed questions

Question 11

What is a structured interview?

Answer 11

Pre determined questions

Question 12

What is an unstructured interview?

Answer 12

Less structure and questions can be developed during

Question 13

Strengths of a structured interview

Answer 13

• Can be easily repeated as standardised questions
• Answers can more easily be compared

Question 14

Strengths of an unstructured interview?

Answer 14

• More detailed information can be given
• Tailors questions to specific responses to gain deeper understanding

Question 15

Limitations of a structured interview?

Answer 15

• Comparability can be a problem if the interviews act different or behave in a certain way

Question 16

Limitations of a structured interview?

Answer 16

• Requires interviewers with more skill to develop new questions
• More expensive as they need specialist interviewers

Question 17

4 ways to write a good questionnaire

Answer 17

1. Filler questions
   - Irrelevant questions to reduce demand characteristics
2. Sequences for questions
   - Start with easy questions to ease participant into it
3. Sampling techniques
   - How to select the participants
4. Pilot study
   - Questionnaires can be tested on a small group of people so can be refined