Chapter 8 Designing the Survey Questionnaire Copyright © 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill/Irwin

8-2 Questionnaires in Marketing Research Questionnaire: A formal, structured response framework consisting of a set of questions and scales designed to generate primary data. Can be administered orally or textually (i.e. “written”)

8-3 Questionnaires in Marketing Research – Two Main Kinds Descriptive survey questionnaires collect data that can be turned into knowledge about consumers, companies, markets, etc. Predictive survey questionnaires predict changes in attitudes and behaviors and are used to test research hypotheses.

8-4 Steps in Questionnaire Design

8-5 Step 1: Confirm Research Objectives Example of Research Objectives: – To collect data on selected customer demographic characteristics and lifestyle dimensions of our different market segments – To identify preferred banking services, as well as attitudes and feelings toward those services

8-6 Step 2: Select Appropriate Data Collection Method We will develop and administer an internet survey with the following sections: – Section I: Banking services – Section II: Lifestyle dimensions – Section III: Banking relationships – Section IV: Demographic characteristics

8-7 Step 3: Develop Questions and Scaling Question formats – Unstructured questions: Open-ended questions allow respondents to reply in their own words – no pre-determined choices imposed by the researcher (like an essay test!) – Structured questions: Closed-ended questions that require the respondent to choose from a pre- determined set of responses or scale points (pretty much any scale we have looked at so far)

8-8 Step 3: Develop Questions and Scaling Bad questions: Any questions that prevent or distort the fundamental communication between researchers and respondents A question is bad when it is: – Unanswerable – Leading (loaded) – Double-barreled

8-9 Step 3: Develop Questions and Scaling Other considerations: – Use simple words; avoid technical words or jargon – Make questions as concise as possible – Avoid using qualifying phrases (always, sometimes, never, etc.) in question stems, but they’re generally ok in response scales – Ensure response categories are mutually exclusive – Ensure question and corresponding scale descriptors are meaningful to respondents and “jive” with each other. – Grammar, diction and spelling must be flawless!!!

8-10 Step 3: Develop Questions and Scaling Sensitive questions: Questions about income, sexual beliefs or behaviors, medical conditions, financial difficulties, drug/alcohol consumption, or other questions that respondents might skip, answer falsely or otherwise take offense to should appear near the end of the survey.

8-11 Step 3: Develop Questions and Scaling Skip questions: Used if the next question (or set of questions) should be responded to only by respondents who meet a previous condition Much easier to implement in web/digital surveys

8-12 Step 4: Determine Layout and Evaluate Questionnaire Introductory section: Gives the respondent an overview of the research Re-mention the purpose of the research (if indicated) Set any necessary ground rules Provide general instructions Screening questions: Used to disqualify inappropriate respondents This should usually/mostly be done before the formal survey is administered Research questions section: Focuses on the main research questions of interest

8-13 Step 4: Determine Layout and Evaluate Questionnaire Ensure instructions are clear for each section Arrange questions in a logical order. – Keep questions using the same response formats in close proximity if possible. – Start with easy questions and ask the more difficult questions later in the survey. Be mindful of coding needs when choosing response formats, especially if manual entry of data will occur. The entire survey should be as short as possible without sacrificing the integrity and amount of data collected – it’s ultimately a judgment call! End with a thank-you statement.

8-14 Step 4: Determine Layout and Evaluate Questionnaire Response order bias: Occurs when the order of the questions, or of the closed-end responses to a particular question, influences the answer given Common methods variance (CMV): Falsely correlated answers due to a subject’s need to appear consistent across a series of related questions.

8-15 Step 5: Obtain Initial Client Approval Provide copies of the questionnaire to all parties involved in the project Client may identify any overlooked items or other problematic aspects of the survey (i.e. inaccurate representations, offensive questions, etc.) What if client makes a stupid suggestion!?

8-16 Step 6: Pretest, Revise, and Finalize the Questionnaire Final evaluation of the questionnaire is obtained from a pretest – Helps the researcher determine: How much time respondents will need to complete the survey (Is survey too long?!) Whether to add, delete or revise instructions, questions and scales that are biased or poorly written. Where did subjects get confused or misled? Helps with how to frame aspects of the cover letter (see subsequent slides)

8-17 Step 7: Implement the Survey Administer the survey to the “real” (i.e. non- pretest) sample. Keep correcting any survey shortcomings / errors that are revealed during implementation without changing the fundamental nature of the survey so that results remain comparable across the changes. Good + Bad Data is usually better than All Bad Data

8-18 The Cover Letter / Invitation to Participate Cover letter / Invitation: Designed to enhance respondent willingness to accurately and faithfully complete and/or return the survey in a timely manner

8-19 Guidelines for Developing Effective Cover Letters

8-20 Collecting Data Interviewer instructions: Used to train interviewers how to: – Select prospective respondents – Screen them for eligibility – Conduct the actual interview Screening questions Quotas: A tracking system that collects data from respondents and helps ensure that subgroups are represented in the sample as specified

8-21 Collecting Data: Interviewer Instructions Used to train interviewers how to: – Select prospective respondents – Screen them for eligibility – Conduct the actual interview

8-22 Collecting Data: Contact Records Contact Record: Gathers basic summary information about an interviewer’s performance efficiency