Questionnaire construction

They are a valuable method of collecting a wide range of information from a large number of individuals, often referred to as respondents.

Different methods can be useful for checking a questionnaire and making sure it is accurately capturing the intended information.

The research objective(s) and frame-of-reference should be defined beforehand, including the questionnaire's context of time, budget, manpower, intrusion and privacy.

The types of questions (e.g.: closed, multiple-choice, open) should fit the data analysis techniques available and the goals of the survey.

The manner (random or not) and location (sampling frame) for selecting respondents will determine whether the findings will be representative of the larger population.

A common method is to "research backwards" in building a questionnaire by first determining the information sought (i.e., Brand A is more/less preferred by x% of the sample vs.

Ambiguous words, equivocal sentence structures and negatives may cause misunderstanding, possibly invalidating questionnaire results.

The list of prepared responses should be collectively exhaustive; one solution is to use a final write-in category for "other ________".

There are four primary design elements: words (meaning), numbers (sequencing), symbols (e.g. arrow), and graphics (e.g. text boxes).

[1] In translated questionnaires, the design elements also take into account the writing practice (e.g. Spanish words are lengthier and require more space on the page or on the computer screen) and text orientation (e.g. Arabic is read from right to left) to prevent data missingness.

[26] Free-response questions are beneficial because they allow the responder greater flexibility, but they are also very difficult to record and score, requiring extensive coding.

[26] Contrastingly, closed questions can be scored and coded more easily, but they diminish expressivity and spontaneity of the responder.

[26] Some problems with the wording of questions are obvious and may be intentional, particularly in psuedopolls, whose sponsors are seeking specific results.

[26] A respondent's answer to an open-ended question can be coded into a response scale afterwards,[28] or analysed using more qualitative methods.

[30] Questions should flow logically, from the general to the specific, from least to most sensitive, from factual and behavioral matters to attitudes and opinions.