1. Designing Data Collection Forms
Chapter 11
Designing Data Collection Forms

2. The Functions of a Questionnaire
Translates the research objectives into specific questions
Standardizes those questions and the response categories
Fosters cooperation and motivation
Serves as permanent records of the research
Can speed up the process of data analysis
Can serve as the basis for reliability and validity measures

3. The Questionnaire Development Process

4. Preliminary Considerations – Question Contents
Will the respondent understand the question?
Does the respondent know the answer?
Can the respondent recall the answer?
The respondent must be willing to provide the information, e.g., the sensitivity issues— income, sex life, drug use, HIV,

5. Developing Questions Research Questions
A research question: is employed in research projects to obtain overt, verbal communication from individual study participants
Its intended function is to elicit meaningful verbal responses from study participants.
Research questions measure:
Attitudes
Beliefs
Behaviors
Demographics

6. “Shoulds” of Question Wording
Developing Questions
“Shoulds” of Question Wording
Question should be focused on a single issue or topic.
Question should be brief.
Question should be interpreted the same way by all respondents.
Question should use respondent’s core vocabulary.
Question should be a grammatically simple sentence if possible.
Should use “mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive categories”.

7. “Should Nots” of Question Wording
Developing Questions
“Should Nots” of Question Wording
Question should not assume criteria that are not obvious.
Question should not be beyond the respondent’s ability or experience.
Question should not use a specific example to represent a general case.
Question should not ask the respondent to recall specifics when only generalities will be remembered.
Question should not require the respondent to guess a generalization.

8. Questionnaire Organization Five Functions of Introduction-Cover letter
Identification of the surveyor/respondent
Undisguised
Disguised
Purpose of survey
Explanation of respondent selection
Request for participation/provide incentive
Incentives
Anonymity
Confidentiality
Screening of respondent

9. Questionnaire Organization
Typical Question Sequence
Approaches to Question Flow
Work approach: is employed when the researcher realizes that respondents will need to apply different mental effort to groups of questions– from easy to difficult questions.
Sections approach: organizes questions into sets based on a common objective of questions in the set

10. Precoding the Questionnaire
Precoding: placement of numbers on the questionnaire to facilitate data entry after the survey has been conducted
Numbers are preferred for two reasons:
Numbers are easier and faster to keystroke into a computer file
Computer tabulation programs are more efficient when they process numbers

11. Computer-Assisted Questionnaire Design
Computer-assisted questionnaire design: software programs allow users to use computer technology to develop and disseminate questionnaires– “e.g., WebSurveyor, Survey Pro”
Advantages:
Easier
Faster
Friendlier
More functionality

12. Computer-Assisted Questionnaire Design…cont.
Survey creation feature:
Question list
Question libraries
Details
Survey appearance
Preview
Publish
Send notification

13. Computer-Assisted Questionnaire Design…cont.
Creation of data files and data collection
Data analysis and reports
Performing the pretest of the questionnaire

14. Designing Observation Forms
Observation forms: prepared for the researchers to record the behaviors observed by researchers in observation studies
Structuring observational studies
Build-up and break-down approaches
Build-up: perform observations first, then build categories
Break-down: categories are created before observation and provided on an observation record forms

15. Case 11.3 The Hobbit’s Choice
Please read Case 11.3 in p. 331.
Analyze the case and then answer question 1.