Lecture 6: Questionnaire Design & Data Analysis

Question 1

What is the questionnaire design process?

Answer 1

1. Research Problem & Question
2. Topics Questions & Response Forma
3. Question Wording
4. Launch
5. Pilot Test
6. Layout & Appearance
7. Question sequence

Question 2

What are some of the types of questions

Answer 2

Open Ended
Closed Questions (single answer)
Closed Questions (multiple choice)
Ranking/ Scaling questions

Question 3

Benefits and challenges of Open Ended
Questions?

Answer 3

Benefits
* Allow the really engaged participants to provide insights you did not think about.
* Help to clarify / probe into answers

Challenges
* Often left empty
* Harder to quantify and meaningfully analyse

Question 4

Benefits and challenges of Closed (single answer) Questions?

Answer 4

Benefits
* Conformity in the responses. All participants reply exactly the same way
* Very appropriate for quantitative analysis

Challenges
* Responses may reflect an approximation of the participant’s true mind.
* Bias from common methods variance and/or social desirability.

Question 5

Benefits and challenges of Closed (multiple choice)
Questions?

Answer 5

Benefits
* Conformity in the responses. All participants reply exactly the same way

Challenges
* Responses may reflect an approximation of the participant’s true mind.
* Bias from common methods variance and/or social desirability.
* Less appropriate for quantitative analysis; such questions capture only nominal variables.

Question 6

Benefits and challenges of Ranking/ Scaling questions?

Answer 6

Benefits
* Conformity in the responses. All participants reply exactly the same way
* Can be very appropriate for quantitative analysis (can capture ratio variable)

Challenges
* Can be complicated & “difficult” if poorly designed (e.g. too many options to rank)
* Can be less appropriate for quantitative analysis (when capturing ordinal variables)

Question 7

Fundamental principles of Question Wording?

Answer 7

• (Ensure) Clarity
• Avoid fancy words
• Ensure your subjects fully understand what you are asking them
• (Avoid) Bias
• (Avoid) “Fusion”
• Decide if you are going to use direct or indirect questioning
• Usually sensitive matters require indirect questioning