Topic 4: Questionnaires

Question 1

Close-ended Questions

Answer 1

Respondents must choose from a limited range of answers researcher pick in advance

Question 2

Open-ended Questions

Answer 2

Respondents free to give whatever answer they wish

Question 3

What are the advantages of questionnaires?

Answer 3

• Practical:
  o quick and cheap
  o no need to recruit and train interviewers
  o easy to quantify information
• No ethical issues
• Theoretical:
  o reliable
  o representative
  o detached and objective (researcher not present to influence answers)

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of questionnaires?

Answer 4

• Practical problems:
  o not certain if received or completed by person addressed to
  o low response rates
  o inflexible (cannot change questions)
• Theoretical problems:
  o lack validity
  o respondents might lie
  o impose researcher opinion e.g Qs in advance, close-ended