2. Introduction
• Questionnaires are a set of questions circulated among a specific group of people to collect data.
• Questionnaires are used to conduct social surveys.
• Questionnaires are used to conduct Market Surveys.
Definition
A questionnaire is a set of questions asked to the target respondents. Both open and
close-ended questions can be used in the design of the questionnaire to collect data.
In questionnaire design, different types of data which can be used are; nominal, ordinal, interval
and ratio scales.
3. 1. Structured Questionnaires
Wording and order of questions is uniform for all respondents. Respondents choose from
the options given in questinnaire.
2. Unstructured Questionnaires
Wording and order of questions is not uniform for all respondents. Respondents create
their own responses.
3. Combination Questionnaires
Contains both structured and unstructured items.
Types of Questionnaires
4. 1. Open-ended Questions
Respondents can freely answer these questions. There are no fixed responses set previously in the
questionnaire. One can provide a textbox, free space or lines to express the response.
e.g. What are you wearing today?
How did you meet your best friend?
What is it like to live in Barcelona?
2. Closed-ended Questions
Prefixed responses are already mentioned in the questionnaire.
e.g.
3. Rating Questions
Rating questions help us to find out how your survey-takers would rate something. It’s a useful
question to ask, as you can gauge peoples’ opinions across the board.
e.g.
Types of Questions in a Questionnaire
5. 4. Likert Scale Questions
Likert Scale questions can help you ascertain how strongly your respondents agree to a particular statement.
Such type of questions also help you assess how your customers feel towards a certain issue, product or a service.
5. Picture Choice Questions
A picture paints a thousand words. But in a survey? It does so much more.
Ask a picture choice question and make your survey even more interactive.
e.g. Rate your experience in the shop.
Types of Questions in a Questionnaire
6. Methods of Conducting Questionnaire Surveys
1. Mailed Surveys
– Advantages – efficient, inexpensive, easily standardized, easy to score, anonymous or
confidential
– Disadvantages – low response rate, inability to probe
2. E-mailed Surveys /Online Surveys
– Advantages – quick, efficient, inexpensive, easily standardized, easy to score
– Disadvantages – can only assure confidentiality, respondents might not have access to e-mail
3. Telephone Surveys
– Advantages – high response rates, efficient
– Disadvantages – requires lists of telephone numbers, requires training
4. Personal Administration
– Advantages – efficient if respondents are in close proximity to the administrator, allows for
probes
– Disadvantages – time consuming, expensive, requires training
5. Personal Interviews
– Advantages – rich complete responses
– Disadvantages – little standardization, takes time to administer, expensive
