Creating a Questionnaire Part 2

Questionnaire Refinement

Anchors: Are not these folks!

Anchors: Question……… Agree: 1 2 3 4 5 :Disagree Strongly Agree:……………Strongly Disagree

A Staple Scale has only ONE anchor…… Why?

A forced choice questions does not have the possibility Smoking should be banned in cars? Agree: 1 2 3 4 : Disagree A forced choice questions does not have the possibility of a neutral response.

Neutral allowed…. Smoking should be banned in cars? Agree: 1 2 3 4 5 : Disagree But… what does a “3” mean? Neutral No opinion Don’t know!?

Solution: Add a “Don’t know” Or a “No Opinion”

Steps in Creating Questionnaire

Cover Letter Possible Inclusions Make it personal Ask a favor Importance of research and its purpose 4. Importance of respondents 5. Importance of replies Importance of replies even if reader is not qualified to answer 7. How the respondent may benefit 8. Completing the questionnaire will take little time

Cover Letter Possible Inclusions 9. The questionnaire can be answered easily A stamped envelope is enclosed How respondent was selected Answers are anonymous or confidential 13. Offer to send results on results 14. Note of urgency 15. Appreciation Importance of sender (official and response rate) 17. Importance of sender’s organization Description and purpose of incentive

Cover Letter Possible Inclusions 19. Avoid bias Style Format and appearance Brevity

a) Yes, they're battling for our freedom too. Emergency Project to Support Col. North and the President's Freedom Fight in Central America (1980s) Col North complained of Congress' failure to give consistent aid to the anti-communist freedom fighters in Nicaragua. Should Congress continue aid to the Nicaraguan Freedom fighters? a) Yes, they're battling for our freedom too. b) No, abandon Central America to the communists. Naturally this poll included photos of North in his uniform and with his wife Betsy and 'patriotic' excerpts from North's congressional testimony.

November 1992 Holocaust Poll conducted by the Roper Organization for the American Jewish Committee: "Does it seem possible or does it seem impossible to you that the Nazi extermination of the Jews never happened?"

Northwest International Women's Conference DEMOGRAPHICS [ ] African American [ ] Asian American/ Pacific islander [ ] Hispanic/Latina [ ] Native American/Alaskan Native [ ] Transsexual [ ] Transgendered [ ] Lesbian/Gay [ ] Caucasian [ ] Other An application form - there were no instructions on how many choices to check.

DRUG POLICY FOUNDATION Instructions: If you believe the current drug policies have failed and that the Federal government needs to research and explore all solution to this escalating national catastrophe, complete your survey and return it with your generous contribution in the enclosed envelope today.

1995 SURVEY We spend over $20 billion each year on drug law enforcement – over two-thirds of the total drug control budget. Should other methods such as treatment programs and drug education be allocated a higher percentage of that budget? __ Yes. Our tax money would be more effectively spent funding treatment and prevention programs. __ No. We should continue funding punitive measures of drug enforcement and build more jails.

Will you support the Drug Policy Foundation's efforts to mobilize the American people and the Federal government to examine alternative solutions to the drug crisis? __ Yes. Enclosed is my tax deductible contribution of: __$200 __$150 __$100 __$75 __$50 __$35 __$25 __Other (Please make your check payable to: The Drug Policy Foundation.) __ No. I can't give my full support to DPF at this time. However, I am completing my 1995 Drug Policy Survey and have enclosed a gift of $12.50 to help with the processing.

Examples of Bad Questionnaires http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~jpiliavi/357/neuman.pdf http://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentoring/project_ideas/Soc_survey.shtml