Designing the Questionnaire 8 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2010 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pretest Pop Quiz 1. Have you stopped cheating on marketing exams? A) Yes B) No 2. The last person I bought something from was perfectly honest: A) Yes B) No 3. Do you like orange juice? A) Yes B) No 4. Do you watch TV regularly? A) Yes B) No 5. You wouldn't want to go to Burger King for the class party would you?  A) Yes B) No

Learning Objectives Describe the steps in questionnaire design Discuss the questionnaire development process Summarize the characteristics of good questionnaires Understand the role of cover letters Explain the importance of other documents used with questionnaires

Value of Questionnaires in Marketing Research A questionnaire is a formal framework consisting of a set of questions/scales designed to generate primary data Questionnaire construction involves using a process that takes established sets of question/scale measurements and formats them into a complete instrument

Steps in Questionnaire Design 1: Confirm research objectives 2: Select appropriate data collection method 3: Develop questions and scaling 4: Determine layout and evaluate questionnaire 5: Obtain initial client approval 6: Pretest, revise, and finalize questionnaire 7: Implement survey

Questions and Scaling Type of Question Format Quality of Question Unstructured Questions Open-ended format where respondent replies in their own words. Structured Questions Closed-ended format where respondent responds from a set of possible responses. Quality of Question Bad Questions Unanswerable. Leading or loaded. Double-barreled questions.

Guidelines for Evaluating the Adequacy of Questions Use simple words, avoiding technical words Avoid qualifying phrases Ensure response categories are mutually exclusive Ensure question and scale statements are meaningful to the respondents Avoid arranging response categories in a manner that may bias responses Do not double-barrel questions or response items

Considerations in Questionnaire Design_1 Confirm the research objectives before designing the questionnaire Determine data requirements to complete each research objective Include a general description of the study in the introduction section Ensure instructions are clear Arrange questions in a logical order

Considerations in Questionnaire Design_2 Begin with simple questions and then progress to more difficult ones Ask person questions at the end Place sensitive questions towards the end Avoid asking questions using a different measurement format in the same section of the questionnaire End with a thank-you statement

Individual Question Content Double Barreled or Dichotomous Questions

Individual Question Content Double Barreled or Dichotomous Questions Should President Obama continue to advance the proposed health care and energy reforms? A) Yes B) No Do you think of professional football players as being independent agents or as employees of their team? A) Yes B) No

Overcoming Unwillingness To Answer Increasing the Willingness of Respondents Place sensitive topics at the middle (not the end) of the questionnaire. Preface the question with a statement that the behavior of interest is common. Ask the question using the third-person technique: phrase the question as if it referred to other people. Hide the question in a group of other questions which respondents are willing to answer. Provide response categories rather than asking for specific figures. Use randomized techniques.

Proper Question Order Funnel Approach 1. General 2. Sensitive © 2005 J.M.H.

Inability & Unwillingness Deceptive Feedback New Car Customer Satisfaction Survey Full Tank of Gas vs. Honest Response to Corp. Lunch kits Honest Response vs. Inventory Control Product Satisfaction or Improvements “Have your cake and eat it too” – listing everything as the most important.

Incentives Doesn’t have to be money

Incentives Inducement Should President George W. Bush raise your taxes to fund future Social Security? o No o Yes o Not Sure At the end of the questionnaire, there will be an additional question regarding how much you feel your taxes should be raised or lowered?

Example of Inducement Effects

Question Structure Unstructured Free response Structured Dichotomous Multiple Choice (choose all that apply) Likert Questions Batteries Paired Comparisons Ranking Constant Sum or Anchored Sum

5) Question Structure Unstructured Free response Which credit card do you use the most?

5) Question Structure Structured Dichotomous Which credit card do you use the most? o Visa o Mastercard

5) Question Structure Structured Multiple Choice (choose all that apply) Likert Questions Which credit card do you use the most? o Visa o Mastercard

5) Question Structure Structured Multiple Choice (choose all that apply) Batteries On a 1-5 scale (where 1= youthful and 5 = old), please indicate your first impression when you think each of the following sodas: 1 2 3 4 5 Pepsi o o o o o Coke o o o o o Dr. Pepper o o o o o

5) Question Structure Structured Multiple Choice (choose all that apply) Semantic Differentials Evaluate Brand X on the following characteristics: Attractive Unattractive o o o o o Simple Complicated

5) Question Structure Structured Multiple Choice (choose all that apply) Paired Comparisons Which brand of soda do you enjoy the most? o Pepsi o Coca-Cola

5) Question Structure Ranking Please rank your preference (1-5) for each of the following breakfast cereals: __ Lucky Charms __ Fruit Loops __ Frosted Mini Wheats __ Corn Pops __ Waffle Crisp

5) Question Structure Constant Sum or Anchored Sum Please allocate 100 points among the following traits to indicate how important they are to you when selecting a cold cereal to buy at a grocery store: __ Price __ Brand Name __ Nutrition __ Free Offers (ex: toys, shirts, etc.) __ Current Coupons __ Size of Box __ Sweetness __ Resealable Bag

Question Wording Absolutes Nonspecific Questions Applicability (1) Have you stopped cheating yet on exams ? A) Yes B) No Absolutes (2) The last person I bought something from was perfectly honest: A) Yes B) No Nonspecific Questions (3) Do you like orange juice? A) Yes B) No (4) Do you watch TV regularly? A) Yes B) No

Role of a Cover Letter Initial Contacting Device Encourage Participation Provide Study Information Communicate Study’s Legitimacy Improve Response Rates

Guidelines for Developing Cover Letters_1 Personalize letter Identify sponsoring organization State purpose and importance clearly Promise anonymity or confidentiality Clarify the general time frame of doing study

Guidelines for Developing Cover Letters_2 Reinforce importance of participation Acknowledge reasons for nonparticipation Provide time requirements and any compensation Explain completion date and where and how to return survey Offer advance thank you statement

Other Documents Used in Collecting Data Supervisor instructions Interviewer instructions Screening forms Quota sheets Call record sheets

Sample Screening-Quota Sheet

Sample Rating Card

Call Record Sheet Sample

More Examples