QUESTIONNAIRE
Introduction
According
to Goode and Hatt “questionnaire
refers to a device for securing answers to questions by using a form which the
respondent fills in himself”.
Barr, Davis and Johnson define
questionnaire as “a systematic compilation of questions that are submitted to a
sampling of populations from which information is desired”.
The
apparent ease of planning and using a questionnaire tend to make it appealing
to put in unwarranted excessive use in research. Often referred to as “the lazy
man’s way of gaining information”, both qualitative and quantitative
information. Careful preparation of good questionnaire takes a great deal of
time, ingenuity and hard work.
Measures of Questionnaire :
The most frequent misuses as
stated by Abelson are:
i)
Request for information which is available in other
sources.
ii)
Sheer lengths of response, often discourage the busy
respondents.
iii)
Frequent inclusion of questions of apparent importance.
iv)
Inclusion of leading questions or suggestive questions.
v)
Common occurrence of equivocal questions, i.e.,
questions having the same sense but expressed in different words.
Types of questionnaire
The two important forms of questionnaire are:
i)
The closed form or Restricted Questionnaire
ii)
The open form or Unrestricted Questionnaire.
i)
Closed Form:
It calls for
short check responses. It provides for making a ‘Yes’ or’ ‘No’, a short
response, or just a check from a list of suggested responses.
Merits:
a)
Easy to respond.
b)
Takes little time
c)
Keeps respondent on the track of the subject
d)
Obtained responses can be easily tabulated and
analysed.
Limitations :
a)
List of responses provided may not be complete/
exhaustive.
b)
No opportunity is given to include supplementary or
explanatory information.
ii) Open-End form:
It is otherwise known as free response or
unstructed form, which calls for a free response in the respondent’s own words.
It provides for greater depth of response. The items here are objective as the
respondents reveal their own frames of reference rather than the researcher’s.
Limitations:
i)
The responses obtained are sometimes difficult to
interpret, tabulate and summaries in a research report.
ii)
There is chance for the respondents to go out of track
in their responses.
Many
questionnaires include both the open and the closed type of items in
combination. Each type has its merits and limitations and questionnaire framer
must decide which type is likely to supply the information required.
When to use a Questionnaire:
i)
When large amount of factual information is to be
obtained from persons distributed at different regions, economical status,
occupations etc.
ii)
When other sources or tools of research cannot be
effectively used within a reasonable space of time.
iii)
When respondents are in a large number and that too
widely scattered.
Characteristics of a Good Questionnaire:
- Deals with a significant topic and it will also so appear to the respondents.
- Seeks information which is not available in other sources.
- As short as possible and yet comprehensive enough to get essential information.
- Contains clear and complete directions.
- Items are arranged in appropriate categories to ensure easy and accurate responses.
- Items should be objective in nature and avoid
a) Double
negatives.
e.g. Central
Government should not grant aid to those states in which educational opportunities are equal.
b)
double-barrelled questions.(Dividing them into two)
e.g. Did you stop beating your wife?
c)
Unwarranted assumption
e.g. To the question “Are you satisfied with
the salary that you received last
year?” “No” answer might mean that the respondent did not get any raise,
or that he is not satisfied with the raise that he got.
7. Terms that could be easily
misinterpreted are well defined
e.g.” What are
you doing now?” may fetch the answer “filling out your silly questionnaire”.
8. Descriptive adjectives and
adverbs with no definite agreed upon meaning are used carefully.
E.g., ‘Frequently’, ‘Occasionally’, ‘Sometimes’ etc. may mean different
things to different persons.
9. Alternative provided for
respondents are adequate.
e.g.
Marital status: Yes/No does not provide for
alternatives for respondents who are widowed or separated.
10. When asking for ratings,
suitable grading categories are to be provided.
11. Response categories are fixed
by the researcher rather than allowing the respondents to have their own
categories.
E.g. To get the information of
the occupation of the pupil’s father the following categories may be
inadequate.
a) Unskilled labour
b) Skilled labour
c) Clerical labour
d) Managerial work
e) Profession
f) Proprietorship
Instead, questions to be asked:
i)
At what place does your father work?
ii)
What work does he do?
12. Items are arranged in good
order, proceeding from general to more specific responses, from simple to
complex.
13. It avoids annoying or
embarrassing questions.
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