GOVERNOR ANDRES PASCUAL COLLEGE

1045 M. NAVAL ST., SAN JOSE, NAVOTAS CITY

ADVANCE METHODS OF RESEARCH

REPORT ON QUESTIONNAIRE

DANCEL A. UDQUIM-SDO MANILA

GLADYS LAUZ SABANGAN-SDO VALENZUELA
MARY ANN A. RICAPLAZA-SDO MANILA
DANCEL A. UDQUIM

SDO-MANILA
QUESTIONNAIRE
Written questions related to a particular topic,
with a space provided for indicating the response
to each question, intended for submission to a
number of persons for reply; commonly used in
normative survey and studies and in the
measurement of attitudes and opinions.

(Good, p. 435)
QUESTIONNAIRE
It is simply a set of questions which, when
answered properly by a required number of
properly selected respondents, will supply the
necessary information to complete a research
study.

It is commonly used in behavioral or social

research.
ADVANTAGES OF QUESTIONNAIRE
1. The questionnaire is easy to construct.
2. Distribution is easy and inexpensive.
3. Responses are easy to tabulate.
4. The respondents’ replies are free.
5. Confidential information may be given freely.
6. The respondent can fill out the questionnaire
at will.
7. The respondents can give more accurate
replies.
DISADVANTAGES OF QUESTIONNAIRE
1. The questionnaire can not be used with those
who can not read nor write well, especially
those who are 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 can
not be corrected at once.
DISADVANTAGES OF QUESTIONNAIRE
4. A respondent may leave some or many
questions unanswered because nobody urges
him to do so or he may not understand the
importance of the information he gives.
5. Some questions may be vague and so the
respondent may not answer them or if he does,
he may give the 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.
Construction of a Questionnaire
1. Doing library research.
2. Talking to the knowledgeable people.
3. Mastering the guidelines.
4. Writing the questionnaire.
5. Editing the questionnaire.
6. Rewriting the questionnaire.
7. Pretesting the questionnaire.
Pretesting the Questionnaire or DRY RUN
-process of measuring the effectiveness,
validity and reliability by determining the
clarity of items, difficulty of answering the
questions, proper length of time of
answering, ease in tabulating the response
and other problems.
-The process is to administer the questionnaire
to atleast 10 persons who have the same
characteristics as the study sample. After the
administration, they should be interviewed,
examine their responses to determine the
following.
 QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED AFTER DRY
RUN
• Are the directions, statements, questions and
/ or items clear and unequivocal?
• Do the questions gather the intended data?
Are the replies given those called for?
• What difficulties are encountered in
answering the questions?
• Are the respondents given adequate number
of options or choices from which they choose
their responses?
Is the questionnaire too long that it creates
boredom or is too short that the information
gathered is not adequate?

What items should be eliminated or improved?

What other items should be included?
Some of the questions that may be asked to the pretest
respondents are the following:
a. Were the directions very clear to you? Were you
able to do exactly what the directions told you
to do?
b. Did you understand completely the questions
or items? Were there no vague questions or
items?
c. What difficulties did you meet in answering the
questions?
d. If the respondents failed to answer some
questions: Why did you not answer the
questions?
Some of the questions that may be asked to the pretest
respondents are the following:
e. Are the spaces where you wrote your replies
sufficient?
f. Are number of options from which you selected your
response enough? Were you not forced to
select an option which is not actually your
choice because your actual choice was not
among the options given ?
g. Is the questionnaire too long that it creates boredom?
h. What suggestions can you give to improve? What
items should be included?
8. Writing the questionnaire
in its final form.
Types of Questions
asked in Survey
Questionnaires
according to Form:
1. The Free Answer type. This is also called the
open form, open ended, subjective,
unrestricted, essay, and unguided response
type. The respondent answers the question
in his own words and in his own way.

Example: Why do you use tooth paste in

brushing your teeth?
2. The guided response type.
This is called the closed form
or restricted type. The
respondent is guided in
making his reply. There are
two kinds of this type:
RECALL and RECOGNITION
types.
a. RECALL TYPE. The replies
are recalled.
Example: Please supply the
information asked for.
Age___ Sex___Date of
birth (exact)___Place of
birth______
RECOGNITION TYPES. The possible responses
are given and respondent selects his answer.
There are three types:
DICHOTOMOUS. There are only 2 options and
one is selected.
Example:
Are you married? Yes_______ No_____
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
Multiple Choice. Only one answer is
chosen from those given as options.
Example: Why do you use toothpaste in
brushing your teeth? Please put a check
mark before your reply.
___________It prevents tooth decay
___________It freshens the breath
___________It is soothing to the mouth.
___________ It is cheap
___________ It is imported
a. Descriptive (verbal) data

What kind of house do you

live in? Please check
___Concrete __Semi Concrete Wooden
__Bamboo ___Others
b. Quantified (numerical) data
(1) How old are you?______________________
(2) What is your average monthly income P_______
c. Intensity of feeling, emotion or attitude
Do you agree to have only one day election, set for local
and national elective officials?
______Strongly agree
______Agree
______ Fairly agree
______Disagree
______Strongly disagree
c. Degree of judgement
How serious is the problem (drug addiction, drinking ,
stealing, etc.)
______Very serious
______Serious
______ Fairly serious
______Not serious
______Not a problem
How adequate are the facilities?
______Very adequate
______Adequate
______ Fairly adequate
______Inadequate
______Very inadequate
Understanding
Explain what
democracy is.
Reasoning

Why do you prefer

democracy to
dictatorship?
Guidelines in the
Formulation of
questions for a
questionnaire.
 1. Make all directions clear and unequivocal.
Example. Poor direction for a multiple response
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.
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.
3. Make all questions unequivocal.
Example. Are you employed or not? This is double barreled
question because actually there are two questions.
One is: Are you employed? The other is: Are you not
employed ? This type of question can not be answered
by yes or no without qualifying the answer. If your
answer is affirmative, it should be : Yes, I am employed.
If your answer in the negative the answer should be: No,
Iam not employed.
Example of vague question: Are you a graduate?
Better: Are you a high school graduate? Specify the course).
4. Avoid asking bias questions.
Example: Do you use Colgate toothpaste? If not,
what brand do you use? In this question, there is
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?
5. Objectify the responses. This is for the
standardization of responses and easier tabulation.
Example: Why do you use Camay soap?
___It is fragrant.
___It makes my skin smoother.
___It is cheap.
___It is available all the time.
___It lasts long.
The replies can be checked only.
6. Relate all questions to the topic understudy.
All questions should gather data relevant to the
study.
 7. Create categories or classes for approximate
answers.
QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
How efficient is your teacher? How many sticks of cigarettes do you
____Very efficient consume a day?
____Efficient ______0-4
____Fairly Efficient ______5-9
____Ineffecient ______10-14
____Very inefficient ______15-19
______20-24
8. Group the questions in logical sequence.
a. Questions may be grouped according to the
specific questions under the statement of the
problem.
Example: Specific question: How qualified are the
teachers handling science? All questions dealing
with the degrees earned, majors of
specializations, eligibilities, seminars attended,
special trainings attended, teaching experiences
and aptitude should be grouped together.
b. Questions that deal with items that are
logically and usually placed together under a
big category should be grouped together.
Example: Questions about age, sex, civil, date of
birth, place of birth, ethnic origin, native
language etc. should be grouped under
personal data.
c. In each grouping, easier questions should be
asked first.
d. Questions should be given in successive steps
if the topic of study is a process such as
baking a cake, constructing a house,
preserving foods, etc.
9. Create sufficient number of response categories.
Example 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.
Better:
____Strongly Agree
____Agree
____Uncertain or No Comment
____Disagree
____Strongly Disagree
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.
Poor Question: Why did you become unfaithful to your
husband? (This is already telling that she is unfaithful
and this will surely embarrass her.)
Better: What, in your opinion, are the reasons why wives
sometimes fall in love with men other than their
husbands?
11. Explain and illustrate difficult questions.
Unfamiliar terms should be made clearer by
adding explanations or illustrations.
12. State all questions affirmatively. If negative
statements are unavoidable to underline the
negative word to avoid misinterpretation.
Example
Poor: Are you not studying?
Better: Are you studying?
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.
14. Add a catch all word or phrase to option or
multiple response questions.
Example: Why did you stop your studies?
____ I am too poor. I can not 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.
15. Place all spaces (in straight vertical column)
for replies at the left side of the questionnaire
for easy tabulation.
16. Make the respondents anonymous to make
them give information more freely and more
accurate.

Since many respondents are reluctant and even

refuse to give information about confidential
and/or embarrassing matters if they are not
made anonymous.
 GOVERNOR ANDRES PASCUAL COLLEGE
1045 M. NAVAL ST., SAN JOSE, NAVOTAS CITY

Report in Advance Method of Research

THE QUESTIONNAIRE
● Evidence of Misleading Questions
● The Cover Letter
● Evaluating the Questionnaire

Reported by:
Gladys L. Sabangan
 Evidence of Misleading Questions
1. All-or-none responses
2. Considerable difference in responses when
the order is changed.
3. High proportion of ommision or “no
response”
4. High proportion of “don’t know” or “don’t
recall”
5. High proportion of “other” answers.
6. Considerable number added comments.
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:
a. The purpose of the questionnaire or study;
b. Who is sanctioning, endorsing, or sponsoring the study;
c. What will be done with the information gathered by the
questionnaire;
d. The reason why the respondent should answer the
questionnaire and giving importance to the respondent;
e. The deadline date for the return of the questionnaire;
f. A guranty of the anonymity of the respondent and the
confidentiality of the information given by him;
g. An expression of gratitude for the respondent’s
participation in the study; and
h. An offer to inform the respondent of the results of the study
if he is interested
The letter should be written as courteously and cordially as
possible 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.
Here is a sample cover letter:
Dear (name of respondent),
Please be informed that I am conducting a study on the teaching of
science in the high schools of province A. In this connection, I have
constructed a questionnaire to gather information for my study. The
investigation is important to the division of Province A. In fact the Divison
Superintendent , Dr. (name of Division Superintendent) has encouraged
me to conduct the survey and promised to help me get your cooperation.
(Please see his attached letter of endorsement). Your participation in the
study by way of answering the questionnaire is very vital. Without it, the
study will not be as complete as it should be. Kindly fill up the
questionnaire and return it to me using the enclosed, stamped return
envelope by (date) or give the sealed envelope to your principal.
Please feel assured that your anonymity and the information you will
give will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
Thank you very much for your very kind response to my request and
if you are interested I will supply you with the results of my study.
Very sincerely yours,
(Signed)Researcher
  Evaluating the Questionnaire
Before sending the questionnaire to the
respondents, it must be evaluated in terms of
certain characteristics. Some of these are:
a. Is the questionnaire attractive?
b. Is it organized in its proper format?
c. Is the length reasonable, that is , not boring to
fill up?
d. Are the questions brief, clear and unequivocal?
e. Are the responses objective requiring only
check marks, single letters, numbers or words?
f. Are the questions that are unavoidably to be
answered in essay form reduced to the
minimum?
g. Are the directions clear and inequivocal?
h. Are the spaces for replies adequate and
aligned at the left side?
i. Are all the questions relevant to the study?
j. Are there enough and adequate categories for
approximate replies?
k. Are all the questions worded carefully and
in correct grammar?
m. Are there adequate and appropriate options or
choices for multiple response questions?
n. Are there catch all words or phrases for multiple
response questions?
o. Are the respondents anonymous?
p. Has the questionnaire been pretested and found
to be valid and reliable?
q. Is the questionnaire free from all sort of bias?
r. Are the data to be gathered by the questionnaire
adequate for the study?
s. Is there a good cover letter to accompany the
questionnaire?
 GOVERNOR ANDRES PASCUAL COLLEGE
1045 M. NAVAL ST., SAN JOSE, NAVOTAS CITY

Report in Advance Method of Research

SAMPLE OF QUESTIONNAIRE

MARY ANN A. RICAPLAZA-SDO MANILA