The document discusses the importance of questionnaire design in research, emphasizing the need for validity, reliability, and clarity in questions. It outlines key principles for constructing effective questionnaires, such as avoiding jargon, ensuring mutual exclusivity in response options, and preventing leading or confusing questions. Additional sections cover the types of questions to consider, the layout of the questionnaire, and the steps for administering the survey effectively.

1. Questionnaire
Design

2. Importance of Questionnaires
Questionnaires & interviews are most
popularly used in research.
Whether the results of the research are valid
depends on the quality of these instruments.
•Good questionnaires are difficult to ____
•Bad questionnaires are difficult to _____
construct analyze
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3. Quality aims in Survey Research
The goal is to collect information that is:
Valid: measures the concept that is being
surveyed.
Reliable: measures the concept in a
consistent or reproducible manner
Unbiased: measures the concept in a way
that does not systematically underestimate or
overestimate the true value
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4. Principles for Composing a Draft
Questionnaire
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5. Principle: Ask for an answer in
only one dimension at a time
Question: How many cups of coffee or tea
do you drink in a day?
Solution: Avoid confusion or ambiguity by
separating the question into two –
(1) How many cups of coffee do you drink
during a typical day?
(2) How many cups of tea do you drink
during a typical day?firdaus@icbm.ac.in

6. Write questions that will produce
variable responses.
Question: Are you against drug abuse?
( ) Yes ( ) No
Question: Are you corrupt?
( ) Yes ( ) No
Solution: Eliminate the question.
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

7. Principle: Avoid jargons, slangs &
abbreviations
Do you face cognitive dissonance?
What is your funda in sports?
Sometimes I doubt my recent purchase when I
get new information about other brands:
Agree/Disagree.
What are your fundamental beliefs about
sports? firdaus@icbm.ac.in

8. Avoid questions having non-
mutually exclusive answers
Question: What is your qualification?
 BA/BCOM/BSC/BBA/BTECH
 MA/MCOM/MSC/MBA/MTECH/CA/CS/ICWA
 PhD/MBBS
Solution: There should be no overlap in response
categories. Categories should be exhaustive & balanced
What is your highest qualification?
o Bachelor’s degree (BA/BCOM/BSC/BBA/BTECH)
o Master’s degree (MA/MCOM/MSC/MBA/MTECH)
o Professional diploma (ICWA/CA/CS)
o Doctorate/Post doctorate (PhD, MBBS)
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9. Avoid overlap, create mutually
exclusive categories.
• Less than Rs.1 lakh
• Rs.1 lakhs to less than Rs. 3 lakhs
• Rs. 3 lakhs to less than 5 lakhs
• More than Rs. 5 lakhs
Solution: Create class intervals. Follow one pattern,
don’t confuse the respondent.
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

10. Avoid hidden assumptions or
false premises.
Question: What brand of laptop do you own?
(A) IBM (B) Apple
Solution: Insert all possible answers. Add necessary
response categories and allow for multiple responses.
What brand of laptop do you own? (Tick all
that apply)
• Do not own laptop
• IBM
• Apple
• Other (Name the brand) _______
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

11. Make sure question and answer
options match
Question: Have you had pain in the last
week?
[ ]Never [ ]Sometimes [ ]Often [ ]Very often
Solution: Reword either question or answer to
match.
How often did you have pain in the last
week?
[ ]Never [ ]Sometimes [ ]Often [ ]Very Often
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

12. Be clear in your questions. Double
check the meaning of words used
Question: Where are you from?
Rural
Urban
Solution: Rephrase using the right word
Where do you live? or
Where were you born? or
Where did you live in your childhood?
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

13. For awareness question,
encourage reflection
Question: Which one of the following
increases the chance of having a heart
attack? (Check one.)
[ ]Smoking [ ]Being overweight [ ]Stress
Solution: Make the respondent engage with the qt.
Which of the following increases the chance
of having a heart attack?
1.Smoking: [ ]Yes [ ]No [ ]Don’t know
2.Being overweight: [ ]Yes [ ]No [ ]Don’t know
3.Stress: [ ]Yes [ ]No [ ]Don’t know
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

14. Avoid branching, avoid confusion
(1) Do you currently have a life insurance policy?
(Circle: Yes or No)
If no, go to qt. 3, if yes go to qt. 2
(2) How much is your annual life insurance
premium?
(3) Why do you not have life insurance policy?
Solution: Avoid linking qts. if possible and write as one
question. Avoid testing respondent’s memory.
How much did you spend last year for life
insurance? (Write 0 if none).firdaus@icbm.ac.in

15. Phrase questions in the terms in
which respondents think
How many litres of petrol did you buy last
year for your car?
How many movies do you see in a year?
Solution: Break into weekly or monthly numbers &
calculate yearly number for your report.
How many litres of petrol do you buy in a
typical week for your car?
How many movies do you usually see in a
month?
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

16. Avoid leading / loaded qts.
Did you do your patriotic duty and vote
in the last assembly election? Yes/No
You do not really want SC/ST to take
over the education system, do you?
Yes/No
According to experts, noodles with
monosodiumglutamate are bad for
health. Do you agree? Yes/No
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

17. Avoid double negation
Students should not be allowed to disagree
with administrative staff decisions:
Agree/Disagree
Solution: keep the sentence simple.
Student’s feedback regarding
administrative staff decisions should be
allowed: Agree/Disagree
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

18. Avoid issues beyond respondent’s
recall.
Avoid intentions in the distant future
Two years ago, how many hours of TV did
you watch per month?
After your PG studies, when you get a job
and are married, will you invest a lot of money
in the stock market?
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

19. firdaus@icbm.ac.in
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE

20. KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
- facts
- quasi-facts
- awareness/penetration of info
- opinions
- attitude
- future action plan
- reasons for behaviour
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1. TYPE OF INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED:

21. 2. TYPES OF QUESTIONS
A.INDIRECT QUESTIONS
B.DIRECT QUESTIONS
a) Open-ended qts.
b) Close-ended qts.
Dichotomous qts.
Multiple Choice qts
Ranking qts
Rating qts.
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

22. 3. PHRASING OF QUESTIONS
 Avoid technical terms (unless necessary) & jargons
 Avoid slangs, ambiguous and vague words
 Do not combine 2 or more issues in one question
 Avoid branching of questions
 Match qt. and answer responses
 Do not manipulate using loaded or leading qts.
 Avoid confusing, overlapping response options
 Do not ask about distant past or vague future.
 Avoid lengthy qts.
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

23. 4. ORDER OF QUESTIONS
General rapport building questions
to
Specific questions relating to research objectives
Easier questions in the beginning
to
Difficult/ sensitive questions in the end
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

24. 5. NO. OF QUESTIONS
Quality of qts. is more important than quantity
Ideally, not more than 20-25 questions
6. LAYOUT OF QUESTIONNAIRE
Title should be clear, may use logo, pictures if needed
 Be mindful of paper quality/app screen, border, bullets,
font type & size, spacing. Use bold print where required
 Beginning sentence seeking willingness, assuring there
will be no misuse
 Thanking sentence
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

25. 7. PRE-TEST/PILOT TEST DRAFT QUESTIONNAIRE
- Give draft to friends, colleagues, strangers to fill
- Take feedback after completion
- Make changes where required
8. RELEASE THE FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE TO SAMPLE
KEY ISSUES WHILE DESIGNING A
QUESTIONNAIRE
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

26. Steps in Survey method using
Questionnaire
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27. Using Questionnaire for Survey:
1. Write out the research problem & objectives of your
study.
2. Write out concepts/information to be collected that
relates to these objectives.
3. Review the current literature to identify already
validated questionnaires that measure your specific
area of interest.
4. Compose a draft of your questionnaire.
5. Pilot test & revise the draft.
6. Release final questionnaire to the sample/population.
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

28. Reflect….
Why is Questionnaire not a passive method?
Is Questionnaire under personal means or non-personal
means? Why?
Should we expect any differences in response based on
whether the Qnre is:
- Hardcopy or softcopy?
- Online – offline?
- Mobile compatible or not?
o Can you have a Qnre with only open-ended questions?
firdaus@icbm.ac.in

29. THANK YOU!
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