2. Questionnaire
A questionnaire is a research instrument
consisting a series of questions and other
prompts for the purpose of gathering information
from respondents.
It was invented by Sir Francis Galton, and is often
used in behavioral or social research.
When properly constructed and responsibly
administered, questionnaires become a vital
instrument by which statements can be made
about specific groups or people or entire
populations.
3. Advantages of the Questionnaire
1. The questionnaire is easy to construct.
Distribution is easy and inexpensive.
2. Responses are easy to tabulate.
3. The respondent’s replies are free.
4. Confidential information may be given freely.
5. The respondent can fill out the questionnaire at
will.
6. The respondent can give more accurate replies.
4. Disadvantages of a Questionnaire
1. The questionnaire cannot be used with those who
cannot read or write well, especially those who are
totally illiterate.
2. If many respondents may not return the filled up
copies of the questionnaire purposely or forgetfully,
considerable follow-ups are necessary.
3. If a respondent gives wrong information, it cannot be
corrected at once.
4. A respondent may leave some or many questions
unanswered because nobody urges him to do so or
he may not understand the significance of the
information he gives.
5. 5. Some questions may be vague and so the
respondent may not answer them or if he does,
he may give wrong replies.
6. The number of choices may be so limited that
the respondent may be forced to select
responses that are not his actual choices.
6. Construction of a Questionnaire
1. Doing library search. Do some library
research among studies similar to yours. There
may be some questionnaires similar to what
you want to use. They may serve as guides in
constructing yours.
2. Talking to knowledgeable people. Talk to
people who have some knowledge about the
construction of questionnaires. You may be able
to get some ideas from them.
7. 3. Mastering the guidelines. There are
guidelines in the construction of a
questionnaire. You learn these from books and
similar studies in your library search and from
your interviews with knowledgeable people.
Master the guidelines.
4. Writing the questionnaire. Write the
questionnaire following the guidelines as closely
as possible.
8. 5. Editing the questionnaire. After the
questionnaire has been finished, show it for
correction and suggestions for improvement to
people who are known to posses adequate
knowledge in the construction of questionnaire.
6. Rewriting the questionnaire. Rewrite the
questionnaire according to the corrections and
suggestions.
9. 7. Pretesting the questionnaire. This is called a
dry run. This the process of measuring the
effectiveness, validity, and reliability of the
questionnaire, and determining the clarity of the
items, the difficulty of answering the
questions, the proper length of time in
answering, ease in tabulating responses, and
other problems.
10. Parts of a questionnaire
1. Instructions
- to clarify to the respondents how and what to do
with the questionnaire; it is found at the topmost
part of the form
11. 2. Classification
- Information that describes the respondents by
certain physical, social, economic, and other traits
that relate to the subject of research
Example : age, sex, civil status, educational
attainment, family income, occupation, or
profession of the respondents
12. 3. Information
- sought to make up the body of major portion of
the questionnaire. The answers in this portion of
the questionnaire provide data to solve the
defined problem of the research study.
13. 4. Request for Cooperation
- expresses appreciation and thanks to the
respondents for their time and assistance in
gathering data.
Example :
Thank You for your Cooperation.
14. Types of Questions asked in Survey
Questionnaires
1. According to form
1. The free-answer type
2. The guided response type
2. According to the kind of data asked for
1. Descriptive (verbal) data
2. Quantified (numerical) data
3. Intensity of feeling, emotion, or attitude
4. Degree of judgment
5. Understanding
6. Reasoning
15. Guided Response Type
- This is also called the restricted type. The
respondent is guided in making his reply.
There are two types of this type:
a. Recall Type
b. Recognition Types
16. a. Recall Type
The replies are recalled.
Example :
Please supply the information asked for:
Age ______
Sex ______
Date of Birth _________
Place of Birth _________
17. Recognition Types
-The possible responses are given and
respondent selects his answer. There are
three types:
a. Dichotomous
b. Multiple Choice
c. Multiple Response
18. Dichotomous
There are only two options and only one is
selected.
Example: Are you married?
Yes _____ No _____
19. 2. Multiple Choice
Only one answer is chosen from those given
as options.
Example: What is your highest educational
attainment? Please put a check mark before your
reply.
____ Elementary graduate
____ High school graduate
____ College graduate
20. 3. Multiple Response
Two or more options may be chosen.
Example: Why do you use toothpaste in brushing
your teeth? Place check marks
before your choice.
____ It prevents tooth decay
____ It freshens breath
____ It is soothing to the mouth
____ It is cheap
____ It is imported
21. 2. According to the kind of data asked for
1. Descriptive (verbal) data
2. Quantified (numerical) data
3. Intensity of feeling, emotion, or attitude
4. Degree of judgment
5. Understanding
6. Reasoning
22. Descriptive (verbal) data
Example : What kind of house do you live in?
Please check.
____ Concrete
____ Bamboo
____ Semi-Concrete / Wooden
____ Others
23. Quantitative (numerical) data
Example :
How old are you? ______
What is your average monthly income?_____
24. Intensity of Feeling, emotion, or attitude.
Example : Do you agree to have only one
day election, set for local and national elective
officials?
____ Strongly Agree
____ Agree
____ Fairly Agree
____ Disagree
____ Strongly Disagree
25. Degree of Judgement
Example: How serious is the problem (drug
addiction, drinking, stealing, etc.)?
____ Very Serious
____ Serious
____ Fairly Serious
____ Not serious
____ Not a problem
28. Guidelines in the Formulation of
Questions for a Questionnaire
It has been said before that a questionnaire is a set
of planned questions which, when answered
properly, would supply the needed data for a
research problem or topic.
Hence, the questions should be formulated properly
and appropriately to be able to secure the
necessary information.
29. The following are useful guidelines in the
construction of questions for a questionnaire:
1. Make all directions clear and unequivocal. As
much as possible make all directions clear, definite,
unequivocal and brief. There should also be a
direction for every type of questions. See to it that
the respondent knows exactly what to do.
Example: Poor direction for a multiple question:
Answer the following questions.
Better: Choose the items or options that would best
answer the question and write a check mark on
the space before each option. You may have
more than one choice.
30. 2. Use correct grammar. Punctuation marks
especially should be placed properly to avoid
misinterpretation.
Example of poor grammar:
Please accomplish the questionnaire as soon as
possible return it.
Better: Please accomplish the questionnaire and
return it as soon as possible.
31. 3. Make all questions unequivocal. As much as
possible make all questions brief, clear, and
unequivocal. Avoid making double barreled
questions, questions which can be interpreted in
two ways.
Example:
Are you employed or not?
This is not a doubled barreled question because
actually there are two questions.
One is: Are you employed?
The other is: Are you not employed?
32. This type of question cannot be answered by yes or no
without qualifying the answer. If your answer is
affirmative, it should be: Yes, I am employed. If you
answer in the negative the answer should be: No, I
am not employed.
Example of a vague question: Are you a graduate?
Better: Are you a high school graduate? (Specify the
course)
33. 4. Avoid asking biased questions. A biased question
is one in which there is a veiled suggestion for an
answer.
Example:
Do you use Colgate toothpaste? If not, what
brand do you use?
In this question there is a veiled suggestion to make
Colgate as the answer. The respondent may think
that because Colgate is mentioned, it is the best
toothpaste and he has the tendency to say yes.
Better:
Which brand of toothpaste do you use?
34. 5. Objectify the responses. This is for the
standardization of responses and easier tabulation.
Example: Why do you use Camay soap?
The replies can be checked only.
____It is fragrant.
____It makes my skin smoother.
____It is cheap.
____It is available all the time.
____It lasts long.
35. 6. Relate all questions to the topic under study. All
questions should gather data relevant to the study.
If the study is about the teaching of science, all
questions should gather data that have something
to do with the teaching of science. If the study is
about the teaching of mathematics, all questions
should gather data that have something to do with
the teaching of mathematics.
36. 7. Create categories or classes for approximate
answers. There are questions which cannot be
given exact answers and so there is a necessity of
creating categories or classes to accommodate the
approximate replies. Such classes or groupings
may be qualitative or quantitative.
37. Qualitative
How efficient is your
teacher?
____Very efficient
____Efficient
____Fairly efficient
____Inefficient
____Very inefficient
Quantitative
How many sticks of
cigarettes do you
consume a day?
____ 0 – 4
____ 5 – 9
____ 10 – 14
____ 15 – 19
____ 20 - 24
38. 8. Group the questions in logical sequence. Some
ways of groupings are:
1. Questions may be grouped according to the
specific questions under the statement of the
problem. All questions that gather data to
answer one specific question under the
statement of the problem should be grouped
together.
2. Questions that deal with items that are
logically and usually placed together under a
big category should be grouped together.
39. 3. In each grouping, easier questions should be
asked first.
4. Questions should be given in succession
steps if the topic of study is a process such
as baking a cake, constructing a house,
preserving foods, etc.
40. Questions may be grouped according to the
specific questions under the statement of the
problem.
Example:
How qualified are the teachers handling
science?
All questions dealing with degrees earned,
majors or specializations, eligibilities, seminars
attended, special trainings attended, teaching
experiences, and aptitude should be grouped
together.
41. Questions that deal with items that are logically and
usually placed together under a big category
should be grouped together.
Example:
Questions about age, gender, civil status, date of
birth, place of birth, ethnic origin, native
language, etc. should be grouped under personal
data.
42. 9. Create sufficient number of response
categories. This is to make possible the inclusion
of the correct choice of the respondent. If the
correct choice of the respondent is not included
among the response categories and he is required
to make, his reply would be wrong.
43. Ex. of limited number of response categories:
Do you agree that the presidential form of government is
better than the parliamentary form?
____Agree
____Disagree
If the respondent does not know which is better, either he does not
answer the question, or if he is forced to make a response, either
reply will be wrong.
It would be better to make a room for a number of responses:
___Strongly agree
___Agree
___Uncertain or No comment
___Disagree
___Strongly disagree
44. 10. Word carefully or avoid questions that
deal with confidential or embarrassing
information.
Example:
Suppose a woman becomes unfaithful to her
husband and you want to find the reasons
why she became unfaithful to her husband.
This is in connection with your study of
family relations.
45. Poor question: Why did you become
unfaithful to your husband? (This is
already telling her that she is unfaithful and
this will surely embarrass her.)
Better: What, in your own opinion, are
the reasons why wives sometimes fall in
love with men other than their own
husbands? (Supply all possible reasons
and she will choose those which she
experienced.)
46. 11. Explain and illustrate difficult questions. Difficult
questions such as those employing some unfamiliar
technical terms should be made clear by added
explanations and/or illustrations.
47. 12. State all questions affirmatively. If negative
statements are unavoidable, underline the negative
word to avoid misinterpretation.
Example: Are you not studying?
Better:Are you studying?
48. 13. Make as many questions as would supply
adequate information for the study. The study is
only as complete as the completeness of the data
used. If some important data are missing, the worth
of the inquiry is very much reduced particularly its
accuracy and validity.
49. 14. Add a catch-all word or phrase to options of
multiple response questions. This is necessary
for any additional information that the respondent
may want to give.
Example:
Why did you stop your studies?
_____I am too poor. I cannot afford.
_____I married early.
_____I lost interest.
_____My family moved to a place too far from school.
_____Others, please specify.
The word “Others” is the catch-all-word.
50. 15. Place all spaces for replies at the left side. As
much as possible, place all spaces for replies at the
left side of the questionnaire for easy tabulation.
The spaces should be in a straight vertical column.
51. 16. Make the respondents anonymous. This is to
make them give information more freely and more
accurately. Respondents are reluctant and even
refuse to give information about confidential and/or
embarrassing matters if they are not made
anonymous.
52. Evidence of Misleading
Questions
(Treece and Treece Jr, p. 189)
1. All-or-none responses. If all or most of the
answers are in the same direction, such as all
“yes” or all “no”, there is something wrong with
the question. An example is “Are you in favor of
good health?” Naturally the answer is “yes”.
2. Considerable difference in responses when
the order is changed. This may be a change in
the word order of an item or a change in the
order of the questions.
53. 3. High proportion of omission or “no
response.” If so many questions are left
unanswered, either the question is overlooked,
or it is unclear, or it is offensive, or there is no
place where to write the answer.
4. High proportion of “don’t know” or “don’t
recall”. These responses indicate that the
items are improperly stated or inappropriate.
This is why pretesting is necessary to discover
these defects.
54. 5. High proportion of “other” answers. This is
an indication that the choices or options for
selection are either inadequate or inappropriate.
Enough options should be provided and their
appropriateness should be studied carefully.
55. 6. Considerable number of added comments. If
there are many comments on the margins or at
the end of the items, this indicates the
enthusiasm of the respondent or weakness of
the items. If the comments are irrelevant, the
items are either unclear or the alternatives are
inappropriate.
56. Example:
Why are you studying to become a teacher?
The options or choices are:
______I love to teach children.
______I can have a good job.
______I want to work in an office.
The options are inadequate. The respondent may add
“There are not enough choices.” and then adds “This is the
kind of service I want to render to my people.” Besides, “I
want to work in an office.” is an inappropriate because
teaching is not working in an office.
57. The Cover Letter
Every copy of the questionnaire to be sent to a
respondent should be accompanied by a cover
letter which should certain among other things
the following:
The purpose of the questionnaire or study
Who is sanctioning, endorsing, or sponsoring the study
What will be done with the information gathered by the
questionnaire
The reason why the respondent should answer the
questionnaire and giving importance to the respondent
58. The deadline date for the return of the questionnaire
A guaranty of the anonymity of the respondent and
the confidentiality of the information given by him
An expression of gratitude for the respondent’s
participation in the study
An offer to inform the respondent of the results of
the study if he is interested
59. The Cover Letter
The letter should be written as courteously and
cordially as possible by making it very personal
and neatly printed or typed bearing the actual
signature of the researcher.
The sponsoring or endorsing person should be
selected on the basis of his influence upon the
respondents.
