7: Designing the Questionnaire ESSENTIALS OF MARKETING RESEARCH Hair/Wolfinbarger/Ortinau/Bush

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: Pretest, revise, and finalize questionnaire 6: 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

Four Basic Scale Levels Nominal Scales Four Basic Scale Levels Ordinal Scales Interval Scales Ratio Scales

Nominal Scales Nominal scales focus on only requiring a respondent to provide some type of descriptor as the raw response Example. Please indicate your current martial status. __Married __ Single __ Single, never married __ Widowed

Ordinal Scales Ordinal scales allow the respondent to express “relative magnitude” between the raw responses to a question Example. Which one statement best describes your opinion of an Intel PC processor? __ Higher than AMD’s PC processor __ About the same as AMD’s PC processor __ Lower than AMD’s PC processor

Interval Scales Interval scales demonstrate the absolute differences between each scale point Example. How likely are you to recommend the Santa Fe Grill to a friend? Definitely will not Definitely will 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Ratio Scales Ratio scales allow for the identification of absolute differences between each scale point, and absolute comparisons between raw responses Example 1. Please circle the number of children under 18 years of age currently living in your household. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (if more than 7, please specify ___.)

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 Rating cards Call record sheets

Sample Rating Card