Questionnaires

Questionnaires are a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. They are often used in survey research to collect self-report data from study participants. A questionnaire can be thought of as a kind of interview on paper or via electronic means.

History

The use of questionnaires for data collection has a long history. The United States Census Bureau has been using this method since 1790. The advent of the Internet and digital technologies has further expanded the possibilities for questionnaire design and distribution.

Types of Questionnaires

There are several types of questionnaires, including:

• Structured Questionnaires: These have a formalized, standardized format. Respondents answer the same set of questions in the same order.

• Unstructured Questionnaires: These are more like a 'guided conversation', and are more flexible.

• Semi-Structured Questionnaires: These have a mix of structured and unstructured questions.

Designing a Questionnaire

Designing a questionnaire involves several steps:

• Identifying the Research Objectives: The first step in designing a questionnaire is to clearly identify what information is needed.

• Choosing the Questionnaire Format: The format of the questionnaire can be structured, unstructured, or semi-structured.

• Writing the Questions: The questions should be clear, concise, and relevant to the research objectives.

• Testing the Questionnaire: Before distributing the questionnaire, it should be tested to identify any problems or issues.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Questionnaires have several advantages, including cost-effectiveness, the ability to collect data from a large number of respondents, and the anonymity they provide, which can result in more honest responses. However, they also have disadvantages, such as the potential for low response rates, the possibility of biased responses, and the fact that they require literacy and understanding from respondents.

See Also

• Survey Research
• Interviews
• Data Collection

This research related article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it.