Questionnaire and its types; Merits and demerits

1. Questionnaire
• A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of
questions for the purpose of gathering information from respondents.
• The questionnaire was invented by the Statistical Society of London in
1838.
• Advantage of questionnaire is that they are cheap and do not require as
much effort from questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often
have standardized answers that make it simple to compile data.
• The primary purpose is to extract data from respondents.

2. Types
• Open Ended or Unstructured Questionnaires
These questions don't have predetermined set of responses and the respondent is
free to answer whatever he/she feels right.
• Completely Unstructured Questions
Such questions were ask openly to get opinion or view about the aspect.
• Thematic Apperception Test
Sequence of pictures are shown to respondent in same order for same
duration and ask the question.
• Word Associate Questions
Words are presented and the respondent mentions the first word that comes
to mind.

3. • Close Ended or Structured Questionnaires
Multiple choice questions, where respondents are restricted to choose among
any of the given multiple choice answers
• Dichotomous (Two category)
These kinds of questions has two possible responses only, either Yes / No or
True / False or Agree / Disagree
• Multiple Choice

4. • Close Ended or Structured Questionnaires
• Scale Questions
• Matrix Questions
A matrix question—are really, multiple questions presented on a grid—is
one of the most popular question types in online and traditional pen-and-
paper surveys.

5. • Close Ended or Structured Questionnaires
• Contingency Questions
A questionnaire that is answered only if the respondent gives a particular
response to a previous question

6. • Mixed Questionnaire

7. Essentials of a good Questionnaire
• Person conducting the survey must introduce himself in the beginning.
• Purpose of the study should be stated.
• Assure the participants about the anonymity & confidentiality of data.
• Number of questions should be kept to minimum.
• Questions should be short as possible and simple to understand.
• Questions requiring calculations should be avoided.
• Questions should be arranged in a logical order.
• Instructions in regard to filling up of the form must be given in the
questionnaire itself.
• Proper space must be left for recording the answer.
• Convenient size and easy to handle.
• Questionnaire should look attractive.

8. How to Design a Good Questionnaire?
• Examining the model and specifying the variables to be measured
• Framing of questionnaire
• Pilot survey or pretesting
• Printing the questionnaire
• Administering the questionnaire

9. How to Design a Good Questionnaire?
• Examining the model and specifying the variables to be measured
• Examine the model through literature survey, exploratory
interviews.
• Identify the variables to be measured
• Framing of questionnaire
• Form of questionnaire
• Question sequence
• Question formulation and word

10. How to Design a Good Questionnaire?
• Pilot survey or pretesting
• The objective of the pilot study is to make the questionnaire
more reliable
• Ensure that the content, sequence of questions, spacing
arrangements appearance etc. are proper
• If any questions are confusing , it need to be reformulated
• Printing the questionnaire
• Printing should be clear legible and unambiguous
• Administering the questionnaire
• Interview method, distribution method, postal delivery method,
telephone, internet

11. Merits and Demerits of Questionnaire
Merits of Questionnaire
Method:
• It’s very economical
• It’s a time saving process
• It covers the research in wide
area
• It’s very suitable for special type
of responses
• It is most reliable in special
cases
Demerits of Questionnaire
Method:
• Through this we get only limited
responses
• Lack of personal contact
• Greater possibility of wrong answers
• Chances of receiving incomplete
response are more
• Sometimes answers may be illegible
• It may be useless in many problems.