MARKETING RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE

INTRODUCTION
In our present unit we are going to discuss the theoretical principles of questionnaire design and guidelines for questionnaire design.

This unit opener shows that designing a single question/scale for collecting a specific type of raw data is different from taking a set of scale measurements and creating a good scientific questionnaire. A researcher’s ability to design a good scale measurement is by itself not enough to guarantee that the appropriate primary raw data will automatically be collected.

This unit focuses on developing a clear understanding of the importance of questionnaire designs and the process that should be undertaken in the development of survey instruments. Understanding questionnaire designs will require that you integrate many of the concepts discussed in earlier modules.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the theoretical principles of questionnaire design. 
2. Explain why a questionnaire is more than just asking a respondent some questions. 
3. Identify and discuss the critical factors that can contribute to directly improving the accuracy of surveys and explain why questionnaire development is not a simple process. 
4. Identify and explain the communication roles of questionnaire in the data collection process. 

 Questionnaire Design

One of the great weaknesses of questionnaire design today is that many researchers believe that designing questionnaire is an art rather than a science. Where art relates to the researcher’s creative use of words in asking the right questions and developing the related scale points, while there is some level of creativity involved in designing a questionnaire, the process itself should be a scientific one that integrates established rules of logic objectivity, discriminatory powers and systematic procedures. Everyone understands that words go into questions but not everyone understands that writing questions give you a questionnaire.

Guidelines for Questionnaire Design

Sound questionnaire design principles should focus on three areas. The first relates to the wording of the question. The second refers to the planning of issues with regard to how variables will be categorized, scaled and coded after receipt of the responses. The third pertains to the general appearance of the questionnaire. All three are important issues in questionnaire design because they can minimize bias in research.

Here are some of the issues to be considered in designing questionnaires:
Question selection: The only questions that should be asked are those that will provide answers of definite use to the researcher. The reliability of respondent’s answers often decreases as a questionnaire’s length increases. Researchers should ask of each proposed questions.

How will the answer to this question help us in this study?
Question form. The two basic forms are closed-ended questions and open-ended question. As their names imply, closed-end questions provide all possible answers and respondents simply nominate their choice from the selection, whereas open-end question invite respondents to answer in their own words. Within the two main questions types, these are many variations.

Question wording - it is important to design questions that will be understood. And, it is essential to use language that is clear, unambiguous and appropriate to the particular respondent group. Avoiding bias in the wording of questions is also important. However you should not underestimate the difficulty of designing questions that are genuinely neutral and do not need respondents towards particular responses.

Question Sequencing The question sequence should be logical and easy to follow. The aim here should be use early questions to gain respondents’ interest without offering them, and leave controversial or personal questions until last. Sometimes, however, early questions are probing in order to screen respondents-that is, to avoid wasting time with unsuitable or unwilling respondents.

Some common errors in question design.

Questions that make respondent feel the information requested is none of your business.

1. What is your family’s income? 
2. How old are you? 
3. How much alcohol did you consume last Saturday night?
4. Questions that lack a standard of reference. 
5. Do you have a large kitchen? (there is no indication of what is meant by large) 
6. Do you attend church regularly? 
7. Questions to which the respondent will probably not know the answer. 
8. What is your wife’s favourite brand of lipstick? 
9. Question about details the respondent cannot remember, and therefore guesses How many calls did you (as a sales representative) make on office-supply lenses during the past year? 

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

• What are the theoretical principles of Questionnaire design? 

 Questionnaire Construction

A carefully constructed questionnaire is essential to the success of any survey. Questions must be clear, easy to understand, and directed toward a specific objective; that is, they must be designed to elicit information that meets the study's data requirements. Researchers need to define the objective before trying to develop a questionnaire because the objective determines the substance of the questions and the amount of detail. A common mistake in constructing questionnaires is to ask questions that interest the researchers but do not yield information useful in deciding whether to accept or reject a hypothesis. Finally, the most important rule in composing questions is to maintain impartiality.

The questions are usually of three kinds:
Open-ended, dichotomous, and multiple-choice.
Open-Ended Question

What is your general opinion about broadband Internet access?

 Definition of Questionnaire and Questionnaire Construction

A questionnaire also called a survey instrument is a formalized framework consisting of a set of questions and scales designed to generate primary raw data. Questionnaire construction involves taking established set of scale measurements and formatting them into a complete instrument for communicating with and collecting raw data from respondents.

Bruner (2001) defined a questionnaire as a pre-formulated written set of questions record their answers usually within rather closely defined alternatives. Questionnaires are an efficient data collection mechanism when the researcher knows exactly what is required and how to measure the variables of interest. Questionnaire can be administered personally, mailed to the respondent (s) or electronically distributed.