1. Survey questionnaires, a data collection instrument Outline 1.What is a questionnaire? 2.Open vs. Closed Questions 3.Modes of questionnaire distribution 4.Piloting 5.Take-a-ways

2. Quiz time! A questionnaire... A.Is what that guy on the Hill has on his clipboard. B.Is something you throw away with Tuesday’s junk mail. C.Causes you to hang-up on someone around election time. D.Is a cost effective means of gathering original data from a large sample population that can be performed via personal interview, telephone, or mail. E.All of the above.

3. What is a questionnaire? A questionnaire is a form of data collection, a survey methodology Questionnaires “pose standardized, formally structured questions to a group of individuals, often presumed to be a sample of a broader population... Questionnaires are useful for gathering original data about people, their behavior and social interactions, attitudes, and opinions, and awareness of events (McGurik and O'Neill 2005).” Can be used as part of a mixed methodology

4. Geographical issues that questionnaires can explore Perceptions of risk Social networks Coping behaviors (HIV, unemployed) Environmental attitudes Travel patterns Mental maps Power relations in a particular setting Gender roles in the household Access to employment, social services, education...

5. Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths of Questionnaires Gather original data about opinions, behaviors, attitudes and awareness Provide insights to relevant social trends Cost-effective meaning you can extend your research over a large area Very flexible i.e. can be combined with other methodologies Weaknesses of Questionnaires Structure of questions can influence responses Depth and originality of answers can be limited Low response rates for the more cost effective modes of delivery

6. Things to keep in mind Requires a lot of preparation and forethought, design is critical Make sure you can’t get quality data from somewhere else, don’t just use this to generate your “own” data Questions should be relevant to and focused on your research question Each question must have a clear purpose and be relevant to your critical analysis Be aware of the social and cultural limits of what your respondents are willing or able to answer Can the respondents understand the questions? Do they have the knowledge to answer them? Do your questions make them uncomfortable?

7. Closed Questions Closed/ Fixed Benefits Can get quantitative data from these Select an answer, rank, select a point on a scale Major benefit is that they are easy to code and analyze Challenges Demanding to design Have to know how the question will be interpreted and must assume that everyone will understand the meaning of the words and concepts to be the same Respondents are limited to the range of answers provided

8. Open-ended Questions Open questions Benefits Less structured Respondents get to recall experiences or explain understanding in their own words and terms Allows respondents to challenge the structure of the questionnaire You can get valuable and unanticipated insights Major benefit is it gives you the most robust perspective, major drawback is that it’s more challenging to analyze Challenges Can’t use this data for statistical analysis Requires a lot of effort to interpret

9. Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed Fixed questions allow you to do quantitative analysis on sample populations, used to make statistical claims about the population at large In qualitative analysis questionnaires are used usually as part of mixed methods i.e. non-probability sampling, looking for trends, themes Start your mixed method questionnaire with quantitative (closed-ended) questions and progress to the qualitative (open-ended questions) *DON’T try to turn open-ended answers into quantitative data, its mixed methods!*

10. Mode of Questionnaire Distribution Mail The Good low cost large coverage area good for sensitive subjects, anonymity The Bad length and complexity limits once its mailed it’s out of your hands low response rate 30-40% Email will limit your audience to those with email accounts (obviously problematic in many researach sites) some report high (and detailed) response rates

11. Mode of Questionnaire Distribution Face to face (interviewer) The Good 80-85% response rate Can usually get longer more detailed answers verbally than in writing The interviewer can explain uncertain terms and insist on more detail The Bad Expensive (especially if you hire professionals), time consuming Spatially limited Data quality is dependent on interviewers Interviewees may self-censor in the presence of an interviewer

12. Mode of Questionnaire Distribution Telephone The Good Historically good response rates Cheaper and less spatially restricted than face to face interviews Can give the feeling of anonymity overcoming self-censorship The Bad Can introduce bias since not every has or reacts the same on the telephone Not everyone has a land line, do you really expect them to use there cellphone minutes on a questionnaire?

13. Piloting, pre-testing, road-testing... is essential. Do it with a subset of your target audience, this gives you a chance to work out kinks Did they interpret the questions as you hoped? Did they answer open ended questions fully? Were they uncomfortable with the questions? How long did it take to complete the questionnaire? (30 min should be the max) If you are doing face to face interviews this is a time to build your confidence Vet your questionnaire with experienced surveyors, experience is priceless in crafting a good questionnaire

14. Take-a-ways Survey questionnaires can be a useful part of you research toolkit Survey questionnaires should be viewed as mixed method Survey questionnaires can be helpful in reaching large areas cost affectively There are tradeoffs between the depth of answers, cost effectiveness of the questionnaire, and response rate.

15. Bibliography McGurik, Pauline M., and Phillip O'Neill. "Using Quesitonnaires in Qualitative Human Geography." In Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography, edited by Iain Hay, 147-162. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. McLafferty, Sara L. "Conducting Questionnaire Surveys." In Key Methods in Geography, edited by Nicholas J. Clifford, & Gill Valentine, 87-100. London: Sage Publications Ltd., 2003.

16. Questions and Comments