This document provides information on designing questionnaires for research. It defines what a questionnaire is and discusses different types of question formats including open-ended, partially open-ended, and closed-ended questions. Examples are provided for each question type. Guidelines are outlined for developing a good questionnaire, including sequencing questions logically and avoiding biases or sensitive topics. Both advantages and disadvantages of using questionnaires are described.

1. Dr.Esther Rakel, M.Sc (N), PhD
Dean cum Principal,
Ganga College of Nursing ,
Coimbatore.

5. When you don’t know the answer, question the
question.

9. DEFINITION
A Questionnaire is a structured instrument
consisting of a series of questions prepared by
researcher that a research subject is asked to
complete , to gather data from individuals about
knowledge, attitude, beliefs and feelings.

10. A Questionnaire is a planned self-reported
form designed to elicit information through
written or verbal responses of the subjects

13. TYPES OF QUESTIONS FORMATS
 Open-ended questions
 Partially open – ended questions
 Closed-ended questions

14.  Open-ended questions

16. It is designed to encourage a full, meaningful
answer using the subject’s own knowledge

17.  There are no predetermined answers for the
respondent to choose from.

18.  Eg.
 Tell me your relationship with your
supervisor?

19. ADVANTAGES

20.  They provide true, insightful, and unexpected
suggestions.
 Facilitates enhanced levels of cooperation and
understanding.
 Provides the opportunity for others to express
themselves more openly and honestly.

21.  Assists in creating a positive learning and sharing
experience.
 Encourages others to provide information
including their ideas, concerns and feelings.
 Shows respect and interest in others

22.  Permit unlimited number of answers.
 Respondents can qualify and clarify
responses.
 Reveals respondents thinking
processes.

23.  Demonstrates your willingness to invest
time with others.
 Generate large amount of data.

24. Disadvantages :
 It takes the respondent longer to
complete
 The respondent may misinterpret the
question.
 Analysis of the data takes longer.
 Answers can be irreverent.

25.  Summarization of data can be difficult.
 Participant may not understand exactly
what the researcher is looking for.
 Inadvertently omit some answers.

26. Partially open – ended questions
 Provides participants with clearly
defined response but also provides a
space for participants to write their
own response.

27. Eg.
Who introduce you to the choreographer?
Friends
Classmates
Neighbours
Others (specify)-------------------

28. CLOSED-FORMAT QUESTIONS

30.  These questions offer respondents a
number of alternative replies, from
which the subjects must choose the one
that most likely matches the appropriate
answer.
 It is referred as “forced choice”
questions.

31.  Eg.
 Do you get along with your supervisor?

32. Characteristics:

33.  Easier for the respondent to answer
 Easier for the researcher to analyze
 facilitate easy statistical calculation of data
 Provide easy preliminary analysis
 Can be asked to different groups at different
intervals.
 Facilitate efficient tracking of opinions

34. SUBTYPES
Closed-ended questions
Dichotomous questions
Multiple choice questions
Cafeteria questions
Rank-order questions
Contingency questions
Objectionable questions

35. Rating question
Importance questions
Likert questions
Bipolar question
Matrix questions

36. Dichotomous questions:
These require the respondent to make a
choice between two responses such as yes / no
or male / female.

37. Example: Q.
Have you ever been hospitalized?
(a) Yes (b) No

38. Multiple choice questions
 These questions require respondent to
make a choice between more than two
response alternatives.

39. Example:Q.
Which of the following disease is sexually
transmitted?
Hypothyroidism
Diabetes mellitus
Syphilis
Hypertension

40. Cafeteria questions
 These are special type of multiple choice
questions that ask respondents to select a
response that most closely corresponds to
their view.

41. Example: Q.
What do you think about hormone
replacement therapy?
 It is dangerous, should be avoided
 One should be cautious while using it
 I am uncertain about my views
 It is beneficial,should be promoted

42. Rank-order questions
These questions ask respondents to rank
their responses from most favorable to
least favourable.

43. Example: Q.
What according to you is most important for
your life. Rank from most favourable to least
favourable?
• Money
• Education
• Family
• Health

44. Rating questions:
 These questions ask respondents to judge
something along an ordered dimension.
 Respondent is asked to rate a particular issue
on a scale that ranges from poor to good.

45. Example: Q.
How do you rank the education quality in
India?
1- Good
2- Fair
3- Poor
4 - Very poor

46. RANKING:
 TEAM –A----1st
 TEAM—B –2nd
 TEAM— C --3rd
RATING:
 9.6
 8.9
 2.5

47. Contingency questions:
A question that is asked further only if
the respondent gives a particular response to
previous question.

48. Example: Q.
Are you stressed?
 No
 Yes.
 if yes, what are the reasons?............................

49. Importance questions
 In this, respondents are asked to rate
the importance of a particular issue,
on a rating scale of 1-5. This helps to
know that the things/issuses that are
important to a respondent.

50. Example: Q.
Exercising everyday is ................... for the health

51. Likert questions
Likert questions help to know how strongly the
respondent agrees with the particular
statement.
These questions helps to assess how
respondent feels towards a certain issue /
services

53. Bipolar questions:
 Bipolar questions are questions that
have two extreme answers.
Respondent has to mark his or her
response between two opposite ends
of the scale.

54. Example:
What is your balance of preference here?
 I like going for walks ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) I Like watching movies

55. OBJECTIONABLE QUESTION
 Placement of items asking for sensitive
information.

56. Eg.
Objectionable: How many times per week
do you drink alcohol?
Un Objectionable: Which of the following
best describes how many times alcoholic
beverages you drink per week?
8-10times 7-5times 4-2times

57. Advantages of Close ended questions
Easy and quick to answer.
Easier to analyze on computer.
Response choices make question clearer.
Easy to replicate the study.

58. Disadvantages of close – ended questions:
 Many choices can be confusing.
 Easy to make clerical mistakes .

59. The following can make the survey
valueless:
Inappropriate questions

60. Incorrect ordering

61.  Incorrect scaling

62. Bad questionnaire format

63. GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNING A GOOD
QUESTIONNAIRE

64. The questionnaire must be developed
exactly in accordance with study
objectives.

65. The questionnaire should begin
with the instructions for the
respondents to provide their responses.

66.  The drafting of the questionnaire
should be concise, and brief.

67. Strive to make your questions
precise, but not overly precise

68. Vague: What should congress do cutting
taxes?
Precise: What should congress do about
cutting taxes in the areas of retirement
and mutual funds?
Too precise: How much should congress
do about cutting taxes in the areas of
retirement and mutual funds?

69. Write and Rewrite items until they are
clear and succinct

70. Questionnaire should have continuity

71.  Strive to build “cognitive Ties”

72.  Wordings of your items should be simple.
 Complex words to be avoided

73. Complex words Simpler substitution
 Employment Work
 Leisure Free time
 Reside Live

74. The language of the questionnaire
should be according to the
respondent’s knowledge about a
particular language

75. Do not use uncommon abbreviations or
phrases in your questions
Eg.
PTP
SIM

76. Should have a precise time reference
Eg.
Poor referent: How many times this year did
you play cricket?
Better referent: How many times did you
play cricket in 2010?

77. Avoid double questions
Eg.
Should the president support an income tax cut or
gasoline tax cut?
Yes No

78. Questions outside the respondents
experience should not be asked.

79.  In asking questions about past events, too
much reliance should not be placed on the
respondents memory.

80. Use clear and comprehensible
wording

81. Use correct spelling, grammar, and
punctuation

82.  Avoid professional jargons.

83.  Avoid long sentences or phrases.
 simple sentence are the easiest to
comprehend

84.  Avoid questions with difficult concepts

85. Questions which are likely to lead to
bias in the respondents should be
avoided.

86. Biased: Do you think modeling is
disgusting?
Unbiased: What you think about
modeling?

87.  Controversial and ambiguous questions
should be avoided.

88. Avoid negative statements.

89. Avoid leading, loaded, and long questions

90. • Avoid technical terms

91. Abrupt ending of the question and
questionnaire should be avoided

92.  Cross check the respondent by asking
same information in two different ways.

93. A mailed questionnaire should be
accompanied by introduction to the
study, purpose and directions to fill the
questionnaire

94. SEQUENCE OF QUESTIONS:

95.  Questions should flow from more
general to more specific

96. Questions should flow from least to
more sensitive

97. Researcher must ensure that answer
to question is not influenced by
previous questions

98.  There should be logical sequence of the
questions in the questionnaire.

99. Follow Sandwich
theory

100.  Ask for sensitive information at the end

101. Use statements which canbe interpretedin same
way by all subjects.
Use only one aspects of the constructin which you
are interested.

102.  METHODS OF QUESTIONAIRE
ADMINISTRATION

103. Postal
 Low cost
 Not labor intensive
 Anonymity

104. Phone
High speed
Rapport with
respondent
Detailed questions
High response rate

105. Electronic
Low cost
High speed
Anonymity
Not labor intensive

106. Personally administered
Detailed questions
High response rate

107. Advantages of questionnaire
Questionnaires are cost effective

108.  They are easy to analyze

109.  They require less time and energy to
administer

110. Questionnaires offer the possibility of
anonymity

111. They reduce bias as interviewer is not
present

112. Questionnaires are used for large
sample size

113. Questionnaires are less intrusive than
phone or face to face interview.

114. DISADVANTAGES
OF
QUESTIONNAIRE

115.  Questionnaires are not suitable for all. For
example: children, blind, and illiterates.

116.  Low response rate

117.  Questionnaire sent by mail may be filled by
someone other than the intended person.

118.  Questionnaires provide only superficial
information
 Probing of response is not possible
 There are chances of misinterpretation
 The control over the questions may be
lost.

119.  People can lie and answer the
question vaguely.

120.  Ethical Implications:

121.  Maintain anonymity
 Maintain confidentiality
 Maintain privacy
 Avoid highly personal question

122.  THETIME SPENT INTHIS EARLY PHASE OF
YOUR RESEARCHWILL PAY DIVIDENDS
LATER.