Creating Questionnaires

Learning outcomes Upon completion, students will be able to: Identify the difference between quantitative and qualitative data Recognise the advantages and disadvantages of questionnaires as a form of data collection. Identify common problems in questionnaire creation. Create a successful questionnaire.

When conducting research, you will need to gather data.

Types of data Quantitative Quantitative data can be measured. It is in numerical form and can be put into categories, or in rank order, or measured in units of measurement.

Types of data Qualitative Qualitative data does not simply count things, but is a way of recording people's attitudes, feelings and behaviours – things which cannot be measured as easily.

Depending on the style of question used, questionnaires can gather both types of data – quantitative and qualitative.

Closed questions – questions which give people a limited number of responses to choose from will produce quantitative data, which can be measured. E.g. What is your employment status? Full time Part time Retired Student Unemployed and searching for work Unemployed and not searching for work

Open questions – where a question is asked which allows people to respond any way they like, produces qualitative data. E.g. Which classes would you like your local gym to start running? …………………………………………………… …………………………………………………… …………………………………………………….

Questions which gather quantitative data are much easier to analyse as the respondents have limited choice in the responses they can give. Although it is a good idea to use a mixture of question types, it is recommended that you make up the majority of your questionnaire with closed questions that produce quantitative data.

Advantages of Questionnaires Questionnaires are a good method to use when collecting data for the following reasons: Most people are familiar with questionnaires and what is expected from them You can use them on a large number of respondents They are quick and fairly easy to complete The data which is gathered can be analysed quickly.

Disadvantages of Questionnaires There are some drawbacks to using questionnaires: People may interpret questions differently and you as the creator may not always be there to give the interpretation you intended Respondents may rush through it without giving much thought to the answers Respondents could be driven towards giving a certain opinion which they may not hold due to a lack of available options

A well designed questionnaire should eliminate most of the disadvantages described. Have a look at the following tips for some advice of what you should and should not do when creating a questionnaire.

Top Tip! Know what you want to know! Before you start creating your questionnaire, have a think about what information you want to collect, and make sure your research goal is clear in your mind. Keep referring back to this as you write, and make sure all your questions are going to help you get the data you need.

Top Tip! Keep it relevant… Your respondents will not want to answer questions which are not relevant to the subject of the questionnaire, so think carefully about what you choose to ask, as you don’t want your questionnaire to be too long. 1)How often do you use the library? a)Every day b)Up to 4 times weekly c)Less than weekly d)Never 2) Do you like dogs? a)Yes b)No, they smell. Irrelevant!

Top Tip! Explain yourself… Provide an explanation of what the questionnaire is about and how the data gathered will be used. Explain that responses will be kept anonymous and any information is confidential. Example ‘The purpose of this questionnaire is to gather information about how satisfied students and staff are with the library services at college. The data gathered will be used to help improve the facilities available. All responses will be kept confidential.’

Top Tip! Use appropriate language… Do not assume that your respondents are experts in the subject. Avoid using abbreviations they may not be familiar with. Make sure you do not use ambiguous words like ‘regularly’ and ‘locally’ as people’s perceptions of these words will differ. Be specific and use terms like ‘Once a week’ or ‘Within a mile’.

Top Tip! Ask questions in a logical order… It is a good idea to start with general questions which are easy to answer and move on to those which are more specific, so the respondent is not put off. Try and make the questions lead on from each other in a logical manner.

Top Tip! Avoid leading questions… Don’t lead your respondent into answering in a certain way. Avoid including your own opinion, the opinion of others, or using emotive language. Example 1)Would you use the library if it was open on Saturdays? is better than… 1)Do you agree with the majority of students that the library should be open on Saturdays?

Top Tip! Don’t ask any double questions… Make sure you only ask one question per question. Example 1)Have you completed study skills sessions on Harvard Referencing and Proof Reading? a. Yes b. No How could a student respond if they have completed Harvard Referencing but NOT Proof Reading?

Top Tip! Explain the scales you use… Scales are a good way of gathering the opinion of respondents. Use an odd number of options to allow your respondent the option of giving a ‘middle’ or ‘neutral’ response. Minimise the number of options on your scale to about five and explain how your scale works. If you use scales in more than one question, keep them consistent. Example On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the least and 5 being the most, how helpful do you find the LLC staff? Please circle your response

Top Tip! Use a majority of closed questions… Closed questions are questions which have multiple choice responses for the respondent to choose from. Using these questions makes the analysis of responses a lot easier as you control the options which they can reply with. However, make sure you include all possible options a respondent may want to give. Using the option of ‘Other’ is a good way to ensure everyone can respond truthfully. If you want to include one or two open questions, do it at the end of the questionnaire.

Distributing your Questionnaire Decide who is going to answer your questionnaire. Is it targeted at a particular group of people? Or do you want a broad range of people? Think about who your research is directed at.