1. Introduction to Marketing Research
CHAPTER 11: QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
Idil Yaveroglu Lecture Notes

2. Questionnaire design A questionnaire…
is a formalized set of questions for obtaining information from respondents.
translates information needed into set of specific questions that respondents can and will answer.
must motivate respondent to be involved in, cooperate, and complete the interview.
should minimize response error.

3. Pretesting a Questionnaire
Focus on content, wording, order, layout, difficulty, but also respondent’s reactions to the survey (via personal interviews).
Important: take respondents from same population as the final survey for pretesting the survey instrument.

4. The Funnel Approach to Ordering Questions
Broad or General Questions
Narrow or Specific Questions

5. Use ordinary words Q: What’s wrong?
“Do you think the distribution of soft drinks is adequate?”
A: Simplify language:  
“Do you think soft drinks are readily available when you want to buy them?”

6. What’s wrong with this question? Formulate a better question
1) “Do you think Coca-Cola is a tasty and refreshing soft drink?”
2) “How many liter of soft drinks did you consume during the last four weeks?”
3) “Which brand of shampoo do you use?”
4) In a typical month, how often do you shop in department stores? _____ Never _____ Occasionally _____ Sometimes _____ Often _____ Regularly
5) “Do you think that patriotic Americans should buy imported automobiles when that would put American labor out of work?”

7. Are several questions needed?
Q: What’s wrong?
“Do you think Coca-Cola is a tasty and refreshing soft drink?”
A: Double-barreled question: two or more questions are combined into one. Two distinct questions :  
“Do you think Coca-Cola is a tasty soft drink?” and
“Do you think Coca-Cola is a refreshing soft drink?”

8. Can the respondent remember?
Q: What’s wrong?
“How many liter of soft drinks did you consume during the last four weeks? ”
A: Does the respondent remember that? Alternative:
How many liter of soft drinks do you consume in a typical week?
1.                  ___ Less than 1
2.                  ___ 1 to 3 liter per week
3.                  ___ 4 to 6 liter per week
4.                  ___ 7 or more liter per week

9. Define the issue Q: What’s wrong? “Which brand of shampoo do you use?”
A: Define the issue in terms of who, what, when, and where:  
“Which brand or brands of shampoo have you personally used at home during the last month?
In case of more than one brand, please list all the brands that apply”

10. The W's
Defining the Question
Who
The Respondent
It is not clear whether this question relates to the individual respondent or the respondent's total household.
What
The Brand of Shampoo
It is unclear how the respondent is to answer this question if more than one brand is used.
When
Unclear
The time frame is not specified in this question. The respondent could interpret it as meaning the shampoo used this morning, this week, or over the past year.
Where
Not Specified
At home, at the gym, on the road?

11. Use unambiguous words Q: What’s wrong?
In a typical month, how often do you shop in department stores? _____ Never _____ Occasionally _____ Sometimes _____ Often _____ Regularly
Better:
In a typical month, how often
do you shop in department stores? _____ Less than once _____ 1 or 2 times _____ 3 or 4 times _____ More than 4 times
A: The scale is unnecessarily ambiguous.

12. Avoid leading or biasing questions
Q: What’s wrong?
“Do you think that patriotic Americans should buy imported automobiles when that would put American labor out of work?”
A: The question clues the respondent to what the answer should be. Better:  
“Do you think that Americans should buy imported automobiles?”

13. Is the respondent informed?
Q: What’s wrong?
“What do you think about the Philips Streamium?”
A: First need a filter question to measure familiarity and past experience; or include a don’t know option.

14. Is the respondent willing to answer?
Q: What’s wrong?
“Please list all departments from which you purchased merchandise on your most recent shopping trip to a department store”
A: too much effort; simplify the task:

15. Sensitive question
Sometimes respondents are not willing to answer because topic of question is sensitive, embarrassing, related to prestige…
To overcome unwillingness to answer:
Make question appropriate given context, legitimate it: explain why you ask the question;
Move sensitive questions toward the end of the questionnaire;
If question is about embarrassing behavior, underscore that such behavior is common;
Third-person technique.

16. Avoid implicit alternatives
Q: What’s wrong?
“Do you like to fly when traveling short distances?”
A: Alternative is not explicitly expressed. Better:  
“Do you like to fly when traveling short distances, or would you rather drive?”

17. Avoid implicit assumptions
Q: What’s wrong?
“Are you in favor of a balanced budget?”
A: Questions should not be worded so that the answer is dependent upon implicit assumptions about what will happen as a consequence. Better:  
“Are you in favor of a balanced budget if it would result in an increase in the personal income tax?”

18. Avoid generalizations and estimates
Q: What’s wrong?
“What is the annual per capita expenditure on groceries in your household?”
A: Less difficult to assess when translated into two different questions :  
“What is the monthly expenditure on groceries in your household?”
&
“How many members are there in your household?”

19. TYPICAL PROBLEMS IN WORDING QUESTIONS

20. TYPICAL PROBLEMS IN WORDING QUESTIONS

21. TYPICAL PROBLEMS IN WORDING QUESTIONS

22. TYPICAL PROBLEMS IN WORDING QUESTIONS

23. TYPICAL PROBLEMS IN WORDING QUESTIONS

24. TYPICAL PROBLEMS IN WORDING QUESTIONS

25. TYPICAL PROBLEMS IN WORDING QUESTIONS

26. Checklist Use ordinary words Are several questions needed?
Can the respondent remember?
Define the issue
Use unambiguous words
Avoid leading or biasing questions
Is the respondent informed?
Can the respondent articulate?
Is the respondent willing to answer?
Avoid implicit alternatives
Avoid implicit assumptions
Avoid generalizations and estimates