This document outlines steps for developing an effective questionnaire, including determining research questions, drafting question items, and various question formats like fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, comment-on, list, Likert scales, and rank. Well-constructed questionnaires can efficiently gather both quantitative and qualitative data for research in a logical way that lends itself to organized analysis. Developing a questionnaire requires careful thought but produces a satisfying end product.

1. Steps for developing and
administering an effective
questionnaire
1. Determine your research questions:
- what do you intend to find out?
- how will the information be helpful?
- identify the subquestions to be included in the
questionnaire
- refine your list

2. 2. Draft the items
 Translate questions into items
 Formulate;
- Fill in the blanks
Sample:
How many management courses have you completed
in the past two years? ____________
*Note that the answer blank follows the question

3. Multiple Choice
-The respondent is given choice of answers
and must check one
Sample 1
How many days of training have you completed
during the past 12-months?
none
6 – 10
11 – 15
16 or more

4. Sample 2
What were you doing the year before you enrolled
in this program?
Full-time employment
Part-time employment
Unemployed
Full-time student
Part-time student
Other (specify) ___________

5. Comment-on
 Similar with fill-in-the-blank, except it attempts to
elicit an extensive answer by posing a question
and leaving enough space for the respondent to
write a short paragraph.
Sample:
To what extent did the training session relate to your
job needs?
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________

6. List
 Good way to find out views in an unbiased
way
Sample:
List three most important skills you acquired
during this training session.
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________

7. Likert Scales
 The respondent is presented a sentence and
is asked to agree or disagree on a 3,5 or 7
point scale.
 It provides an excellent means of gathering
opinions and attitudes
 When writing the scale, you must include
instructions that describe how to complete it

8. Sample 1
Strongly Not Strongly
disagree Disagree sure Agree agree
I use research
methods in my
job

9. Rank
 The respondent is given a list of items and
asked to rank them in order of importance
Sample:
Rank in order of importance the following five weaknesses of the training
program. That is, place 1 beside the weakness you consider most important, 2
beside the next most important weakness and so forth, until you have ranked all
five weaknesses.
Rank
The training program was too short. ____
The content did not suit my needs. ____
The content was too theoretical. ____
The training group was too large. ____
The training methods were poor. ____

10. Conclusion
 Well constructed questionnaires permit
researchers to gather reasonably valid
quantitative and qualitative data in simple,
timely and costly efficient manner.
 Questionnaires lend themselves to logical
and organized data entry and analysis.
 Developing the questionnaire requires
thought, care and time. But the end
product can be satisfying.