Types of Questionnaires

Question 1

What is a ‘self-completion’ questionnaire?

Answer 1

Questionnaires that are filled in by respondents without guidance from the researcher.

Question 2

Give 3 strengths of self-completion questionnaires.

Answer 2

1) Fast and relatively cheap
2) No interviewer bias
3) Easier to cover sensitive topics

Question 3

Give 3 weaknesses of self-completion questionnaires.

Answer 3

1) Low response rate
2) Increased possibility of misunderstanding with no interviewer to explain
3) Limits the detailed responses

Question 4

What is a ‘postal’ questionnaire?

Answer 4

Questionnaires that are sent to respondents in the post.

Question 5

Give 3 strengths of postal questionnaires.

Answer 5

1) Geographically dispersed
2) Potentially large, anonymous, sample
3) Large number of potential ppts

Question 6

Give 3 weaknesses of postal questionnaires.

Answer 6

1) Time taken to receive results back is long
2) Uncertainty of the right person filling out the questionnaire
3) Low response rate

Question 7

What is a ‘telephone’ questionnaire?

Answer 7

A questionnaire that involves a researcher phoning respondents and asking the content over the phone.

Question 8

Give 3 strengths of telephonic questionnaires.

Answer 8

1) Ensures all questions are completed
2) Allows for misunderstood questions to be explained
3) Geographically dispersed

Question 9

Give 3 weaknesses of telephonic questionnaires.

Answer 9

1) Could be problems understanding the interviewers accent
2) Hard to deal with multiple choice questions that may include many options
3) Potential distractions for ppts

Question 10

What is an ‘email/internet’ questionnaire?

Answer 10

A questionnaire that respondents fill out online.

Question 11

Give 3 strengths of internet questionnaires.

Answer 11

1) Self-completion allows for more honesty
2) No interviewer bias
3) Standardised questions and answers

Question 12

Give 3 weaknesses of internet questionnaires.

Answer 12

1) Access requires an email address and internet can reduce response rate
2) Lack of interviewer to clarify uncertainty
3) Low response rate

Question 13

What is a ‘structured interview’ questionnaire?

Answer 13

A questionnaire that is completed by the researcher interviewing respondents face-to-face.

Question 14

Give 3 strengths of structured interview questionnaires.

Answer 14

1) Higher response rate
2) Certainty of every question being answered with the correct understanding
3) Respondent doesn’t have to read or write anything

Question 15

Give 3 weaknesses of structure interview questionnaires.

Answer 15

1) More expensive and takes longer which can affect sample size
2) Interviewer bias
3) Type of interviewing doesn’t allow for expansion of answers

Question 16

Give an example of a self-completion questionnaire.

Answer 16

Callender and Jackson (2004) - Fear of Debt and Higher Education

Question 17

What was the topic of investigation of this self-completion questionnaire?

Answer 17

Attitudes of prospective university students towards debt and their decisions about whether to apply to uni.

Question 18

Give an example of a postal questionnaire.

Answer 18

ONS (every decade since 1841) - Census

Question 19

What was the topic of investigation of this postal questionnaire?

Answer 19

Questions on each member of a household and the house itself so that decisions in parliament can be based on these findings.

Question 20

Give an example of a structured interview questionnaire.

Answer 20

ONS (annually since 1981) - British Crime Survey

Question 21

What was the topic of investigation of this structured interview questionnaire?

Answer 21

People’s attitudes and experience of crime.