Toolkt 3 Questionnaires Flashcards
Is your strategy….
Practical, achievable, measurable, have I got all the resources that I need
When are structured questionnaires used?
Many research projects use them in quantitative settings
When are semi structured and unstructured interviews used?
Often used in qualitative designs
What are the aims of a good questionnaire?
Valid
Unbiased - accurate hitting the target, representative
Reliable- precise, not variable, and repeatability
Allows control for confounding / intervening variables
What are the 5 different strategies for asking questionnaires?
Face to face interviews Street surveys Telephone surveys Postal survey Depth or semi- structured interview survey
Face to face interview
Direct encounter
Interviewer asks questions from a schedule
Interviewer records responses
Takes place in respondents home or work place
Street survey
Face to face
Brief encounter
Interviewer asks questions and records responses
Telephone interview
Contacts respondents by phone
Questions from a pre determined schedule
Typically few questions and simple questions
Postal survey
Does not involve interviewers
Respondents sent questionnaires by post
Covering letter explains completion and return details
Benefits of postal survey
Enables large or specific gripping to be targeted from statistic base
2) represent the cheaper method of data gathering as only postage is used
3) respondents feel less pressurised and lessens occurrence of an artificial situation
4) Emilinates interviewer bias
4) removal of the immediacy of an interview enables supporting documentary evidence to be consulted
Limitations of postal survey
Slow response times
Can be ambiguous
Poor response rates
Email survey
Same as postal survey
Care required in selecting target group
Response rates can be poor
Suits multi national survey
ChAracteristics of a good questionnaire
Must be understood by respondents
Provide clear instructions for use / response
Show consideration for the respondent
Provides the desired data that can be effectively and quickly analysed
Closed questions
Limited to a simple unambiguous response eg age or a tick a box
Select only one or several
Provide a long list of answers and make sure categories are mutually exclusive
Open questions
Much more freedom to express his or her thoughts
Not influenced by any pre conceived ideas
Much more difficult to code and analyse
If too many then will influence response rate
Better to keep to a minimum and place near the end of schedule
Designing questionnaires dos and donuts
Explain purposes to all participants
Keep questions simple and to the point
Do not use jargon, slang or abbreviations
Avoid vague, descriptive words
Avoid negative questions
Only ask one question at a time
Relevant questions only
Avoid questions that require partisans to perform calculations
Avoid questions that are nothing more than a memory test
Keep to interview schedule
Make sure you include all you need
What to do if you include sensitive questions?
Place towards the end of your survey
Provide tick box categories and bands
Ensure anonymity and confidentially by clearly stating verbally and in written form
If you include questions beyond respondents capabilities what can this do?
Can threaten reliability and response rates
Avoid asking them to recall past details or specific factual details
What are the steps to draft a questionnaire
Code responses for analysis Check against intended research definition Pilot and revise Final edit Only get one chance so make it right
How do you improve response rates?
Sponsorship- university and company Format and appearance - layout, images, colour of paper ect Pre notification - a war, survey Postage- you pay for return Advertising- local papers ect Incentives - copy of results/ monetary
What are the factors of a covering letter?
Should be designed to maximise the response rates
Should not be patronising
Include a brief explanation of the research without suggesting hypothesis
Emphasise the value of their input, apologise for burden on their time
Emphasise confidentiality / anonymity
Provide point of contact
When are where results are available
Make reference to relevant ethics committee if research is of a sensitive nature
What do you do first?
Work out your strategy, how you intend to do it, is this the most effective means of obtaining data
