Chapter 9: Administering

Questionnaires

13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
 Introduction
• Questionnaire is a preformulated written set of questions to which
respondents record their answers, usually within rather closely defined
alternatives.
• Questionnaires are generally designed to collect large numbers of
quantitative data.
• Questionnaires are generally less expensive and time consuming than
interviews and observation.

13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Different
Questionnaires (1)
Mode of data collection
Personally administered
questionnaires
13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
Advantages Disadvantages
• Can establish rapport and • Explanations may introduce a
motivate respondent, bias, and
• Doubts can be clarified, • Take time and effort.
• Less expensive when
administered to groups of
respondents,
• Almost 100% response rate
ensured, and
• Anonymity of respondent is
high.
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Different
Questionnaires (2)
Mode of data collection
Mail questionnaires
13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
Advantages Disadvantages
• Anonymity is high, • Response rate is almost always
• Wide geographic regions can low (30% rate is quite
be reached, acceptable),
• Token gifts can be enclosed to • Cannot clarify questions, and
seek compliance, • Follow up procedures for
• Respondent can take more nonresponses are necessary.
time to respond at
convenience. Also can be
administered electronically, if
desired.
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Different
Questionnaires (3)
Mode of data collection
Electronic questionnaires
13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
Advantages
• Easy to administer,
• Can reach globally,
• Very inexpensive,
• Fast delivery,
• Respondents can answer at
their convenience like the mail
questionnaire, and
• Automatic processing of
answers.
Disadvantages
• Computer literacy is a must,
• Sampling issues,
• High non-response,
• Not always possible to
generalize findings,
• Respondent must be willing to
complete the survey, and
• People find invitations via
email rude and offensive;
emails are deleted or people
complain.
 Guidelines for Questionnaire Design
Sound questionnaire design principles focus on:
1. Principles of wording,
2. Principles of measurement, and
3. General “setup”.
Those three are important issues in questionnaire design because they can
minimize bias.

13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
Principles of wording: Content and purpose of
the question
• Depends on the nature of the variable tapped.
• Subjective (feelings)
Measure respondents’ beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes. Questions should tap
the dimensions and elements of the concept.
• Objective (facts)
Use single direct questions, preferably one that has an ordinal scaled set of
categories.
13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
 Principles of wording: Language and wording
of the questionnaire
The language of the questionnaire should approximate the level of
understanding of the respondents. Choice of words will depend on:
1. Respondents’ educational level,
2. Terms and idioms in the culture, and
3. Frames of reference of the respondents.

13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
 Principles of wording: Type and Form of
Questions
• Open-ended versus closed • Recall-dependent questions
questions • Leading questions
• Positively and negatively • Loaded questions
worded questions
• Social desirability
• Double barreled questions
• Length of questions
• Ambiguous questions
13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
 Principles of wording: Sequencing of
Questions
Funnel approach: the sequence of questions should be arranged from general to more
specific, and from easy to difficult
Don’t place contiguously a positively worded and negatively worded questions
tapping the same element of a concept sequentially, e.g.:
I have opportunities to interact with my colleagues during work hours
Ihave few opportunities to interact with my colleagues during work hours.
The way questions are sequenced can also introduce biases
13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
 Principles of wording: Classification Data or
Personal Information
Classification data (personal information/demographic questions) elicit information
such as age, educational level, marital status, and income

Respondent’s name shouldn’t be included, if really necessary it’s better that the
questionnaire is numbered and connected in a separate private document

Question seeking personal information may appear at the beginning or at the end

13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
 Principles of measurement: General
Appearance of the Questionnaire
Great questionnaire should be:
1. Has appropriate introduction
2. Organize the question, giving instruction, guidance, and have great alignment
3. Personal data
4. Personal and sensitive information about his/herself, such as financial income, etc
5. Open questions in the end
6. Summarize the questionnaire
 Principles of measurement: Reviewing
Questionnaire Design
• Principle questionnaire design related to how the questions are being asked
and measured, and how the questionnaire is being organized
• Objectives: Minimize bias and error in the measurement
 Principles of measurement: Re-test the
structure of the question
• Retesting involves small number of respondents to test the accuracy of their
questions and understanding.
• This is very helpful for researchers to correct all deficiencies before doing the
administration instruments orally or through questionnaires to respondents,
and thus can reduce bias.
Questionnaire and electronic survey design
• Electronic survey systems facilitate the preparation and administration of
questionnaires that are very useful for online research.
• Contoh: InstantSurvey, Infopoll, SurveyGold, Statpac, SurveyMonkey,
SurveyPro, dan The Survey System.
 International Dimension of Surveys
Special issues in instrumentation for cross-cultural research
• It is important to ensure that the translation of the instrument to the local language matches
accurately to the original language
• The instrument should be first translated by a local expert. Then, another bilinguist should translate it
back to English to ensures vocabulary equivalence.
• It is because not only is the meaning lost in some messages by literally translating the English words into
the native languages, but insome cases they actually become offensive.
Issues in Cross Cultural Data Colection
• Response equivalence is ensured by adopting uniform data collection procedures in the different cultures
• Data collection should be completed within acceptable time frames in the different countries
• The status of the individual collecting the data
13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DIFFERENT
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
Face‐to‐face interviews
Telephone interviews
Observational studies
Personally administering
questionnaires
13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
Adventages
• Establish rapport with the interviewees
• Explore and understand complex
issues
• Dispersed over various geographic
regions
• Obtain immediate responses
• Comprehend complex issues through
direct observation
• Establish rapport with the Respondents
• Provide clarification sought by the
respondents
• 100% response rate
Disadvantages
• Have the potential for introducing
interviewer bias
• Can be expensive if a large number of
subjects are involved
• Cannot observe the nonverbal
responses
• The interviewee can block the call
• Expensive, since long periods of
observation
• Expensive, especially if the sample is
widely dispersed geographically
 Ethics in Data Collection
Ethics and the researcher
• Treating the information given by the respondent as strictly confidential and guarding his
or her privacy
• Personal or seemingly intrusive information should not be solicited
• The self‐esteem and self‐respect of the subjects should never be violated
• No one should be forced to respond to the survey
• Nonparticipant observers should be as unintrusive as possible
• Act in accordance with anti‐spam legislation and guidelines
• No misrepresentation or distortion in reporting the data collected
13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
 Ethics in Data Collection
Ethical behavior of respondents
• The subject, once having exercised the choice to participate in a study,
should cooperate fully in the tasks ahead, such as responding to a survey
• The respondent also has an obligation to be truthful and honest in the
responses

13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053
 Thank You
Is there any question?

13415019-13415035-13415039-13415053