What is a Questionnaire?A questionnaire is a research instrument that consists of a set of questions or other types of prompts that aims to collect information from a respondent. A research questionnaire is typically a mix of close-ended questions and open-ended questions. Show
Open-ended, long-form questions offer the respondent the ability to elaborate on their thoughts. Research questionnaires were developed in 1838 by the Statistical Society of London. The data collected from a data collection questionnaire can be both qualitative as well as quantitative in nature. A questionnaire may or may not be delivered in the form of a survey, but a survey always consists of a questionnaire. Advantages of a good questionnaire design
Characteristics of a good questionnaireYour survey design depends on the type of information you need to collect from respondents. Qualitative questionnaires are used when there is a need to collect exploratory information to help prove or disprove a hypothesis. Quantitative questionnaires are used to validate or test a previously generated hypothesis. However, most questionnaires follow some essential characteristics:
Types & DefinitionsAs we explored before, questionnaires can be either structured or free-flowing. Let’s take a closer look at what that entails for your surveys.
Types of questions in a questionnaireYou can use multiple question types in a questionnaire. Using various question types can help increase responses to your research questionnaire as they tend to keep participants more engaged. The best customer satisfaction survey templates are the most commonly used for better insights and decision-making. Some of the widely used types of questions are:
Types of QuestionnairesQuestionnaires can be administered or distributed in the following forms:
How to design a QuestionnaireQuestionnaire design is a multistep process that requires attention to detail at every step. Researchers are always hoping that the responses received for a survey questionnaire yield useable data. If the questionnaire is too complicated, there is a fair chance that the respondent might get confused and will drop out or answer inaccurately. As a survey creator, you may want to pre-test the survey by administering it to a focus group during development. You can try out a few different questionnaire designs to determine which resonates best with your target audience. Pre-testing is a good practice as the survey creator can comprehend the initial stages if there are any changes required in the survey. Steps Involved in Questionnaire Design1. Identify the scope of your research:Think about what your questionnaire is going to include before you start designing the look of it. The clarity of the topic is of utmost importance as this is the primary step in creating the questionnaire. Once you are clear on the purpose of the questionnaire, you can begin the design process. 2. Keep it simple:The words or phrases you use while writing the questionnaire must be easy to understand. If the questions are unclear, the respondents may simply choose any answer and skew the data you collect. 3. Ask only one question at a time:At times, a researcher may be tempted to add two similar questions. This might seem like an excellent way to consolidate answers to related issues, but it can confuse your respondents or lead to inaccurate data. If any of your questions contain the word “and,” take another look. This question likely has two parts, which can affect the quality of your data. 4. Be flexible with your options:While designing, the survey creator needs to be flexible in terms of “option choice” for the respondents. Sometimes the respondents may not necessarily want to choose from the answer options provided by the survey creator. An “other” option often helps keep respondents engaged in the survey. 5. The open-ended or closed-ended question is a tough choice:The survey creator might end up in a situation where they need to make distinct choices between open or close-ended questions. The question type should be carefully chosen as it defines the tone and importance of asking the question in the first place. If the questionnaire requires the respondents to elaborate on their thoughts, an open-ended question is the best choice. If the surveyor wants a specific response, then close-ended questions should be their primary choice. The key to asking closed-ended questions is to generate data that is easy to analyze and spot trends. 6. It is essential to know your audience:A researcher should know their target audience. For example, if the target audience speaks mostly Spanish, sending the questionnaire in any other language would lower the response rate and accuracy of data. Something that may seem clear to you may be confusing to your respondents. Use simple language and terminology that your respondents will understand, and avoid technical jargon and industry-specific language that might confuse your respondents. For efficient market research, researchers need a representative sample collected using one of the many sampling techniques, such as a sample questionnaire. It is imperative to plan and define these target respondents based on the demographics required. 7. Choosing the right tool is essential:QuestionPro is a simple yet advanced survey software platform that the surveyors can use to create a questionnaire or choose from the already existing 300+ questionnaire templates. Always save personal questions for last. Sensitive questions may cause respondents to drop off before completing. If these questions are at the end, the respondent has had time to become more comfortable with the interview and are more likely to answer personal or demographic questions. Differences between a Questionnaire and a Survey
Read more: Difference between a survey and a questionnaire Questionnaire ExamplesThe best way to understand how questionnaires work is to see the types of questionnaires available. Some examples of a questionnaire are:
The above survey questions are typically easy to use, understand, and execute. Additionally, the standardized answers of a survey questionnaire instead of a person-to-person conversation make it easier to compile useable data. The most significant limitation of a data collection questionnaire is that respondents need to read all of the questions and respond to them. For example, you send an invitation through email asking respondents to complete the questions on social media. If a target respondent doesn’t have the right social media profiles, they can’t answer your questions. Learn More: 350+ Free Survey Examples and Templates Which type of information is obtained by the questionnaire?A questionnaire is a list of questions or items used to gather data from respondents about their attitudes, experiences, or opinions. Questionnaires can be used to collect quantitative and/or qualitative information.
Which type of questions should be avoided in a questionnaire?5 common survey question mistakes that'll ruin your data. Don't write leading questions. ... . Avoid loaded questions. ... . Stay away from double-barreled questions. ... . Absolutely do not use absolutes in questions. ... . Be clear by speaking your respondent's language.. What are the types of closedClosed-ended questions come in a multitude of forms, including: multiple choice, drop down, checkboxes, and ranking questions. Each question type doesn't allow the respondent to provide unique or unanticipated answers, but rather, choose from a list of pre-selected options.
Which of the following is the first step in the questionnaire design process?There are at least nine distinct steps: decide on the information required; define the target respondents, select the method(s) of reaching the respondents; determine question content; word the questions; sequence the questions; check questionnaire length; pre-test the questionnaire and develop the final questionnaire.
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