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Preparation ofquestionnaire and schedule
12th October 2011
ICSSR Research Methodology Workshop for Research ScholarsDepartment of Economics
Karnatak UniversityDharwad
Harish Ramaswamy, PhDProfessor of Political Science
Karnatak UniversityDharwad
• Associated with the CSDS, New Delhi, for National Election Studies
• My work is survey based
Why I’m here
Why one needs aquestionnaire or schedule
Social Science is ABSTRACT
EMPIRICISM as science
FACTS quantified
FACTS qualified
It is time for us define it
• an inexpensive way to gather data from a potentially large number of respondents
QUESTIONAIRES
• in technical terms, the set of questions which is mailed to the respondents
RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIREs
• comparatively an expensive way to gather data, actually filled by the enumerators / researchers responsible
RESEARCH SCHEDULES
How do questionnaires work?
Questionnaires are an inexpensive tool for data collection
Questionnaires are generally sent through mail or through investigators to respondents
But the responder remains incognito
And the method is very slow
Also non-response becomes a major problem as responders either do not return answered questionnaires or do not answer them at all!
How do schedules work?
A rather expensive method as enumerators do not come cheap or research scholar expenses often run high
Schedules are filled by the enumerator / researcher who can also interpret the question if necessary
Needless to say, the identity of the respondents is known
Information collection is both assured and punctual
How experts look at these• Only feasible methods to reach a number of respondents
large enough to allow a reliable statistical analysis
• A well-designed questionnaire coupled with its efficient use to gather data can result in effective structuring of analyses
• However, although these are cheap methods, they are taxing in terms of designing-time and interpretation
• Questionnaires and schedules are flexible in what they can measure although they each have shortcomings in certain
genres of collection
I
•Define the objectives of the survey
II
•Determine the sampling group
III
•Write the questionnaire (language and item-writing)
IV
•Administer the questionnaire
V
•Interpret the results
The Questionnaire Process
The Schedule Process
I
•Define the objectives and required specific information
II
•Identify the source and its size to obtain information
III
•Assess the study time and cost
IV
•Working methodology and action plan
V
•Collect data and prepare an analysis report
How best to use them?• No governing rule as to choosing between either
• Think of the type of information to be gathered, resources available, type of survey/experiment
• Resources are limited
• Participant privacy is necessary
• Corroborating other findings
Questionnaires arepreferred in thesecircumstances:
Keep these in mind!
Ask only necessary
background questions
Avoid sensitive and
embarrassing questions
Keep questions simple and
straightforward
Do not ask questions that
turn off the participants’
spirits
TYPES OF QUESTIONS
Open format
Ask for unprompted opinions (free to
answer)
Solicit objective data
Closed format
Multiple Choice Questions
Logical ‘yes’ or ‘no’ type
Structured
Unstructured
ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE
Boring to the interviewee
Influential on the reader
Tabulation is not automatic
Read and think individually
A chance for vivid expression
Free to answer
Ope
n fo
rmat
Clos
ed fo
rmat
ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE
No place for expression
Hardly any thinking
Not much involvement
Easy to compute results
Quick and not boring
Easy to answer
Number of questions is at the researcher’s discretion• Think of the interviewee’s patience, resources and how difficult analysis becomes
with unnecessary questions
Question precision is important• E.g. very often, often, sometimes, rarely, never vs. everyday, 3-6 times a week, about
once a month
Question clarity is important• E.g. Are you interested in renting out a house? and Are you interested in renting a
house?
Avoid leading questions that hint at an answer• E.g. superb, excellent, great, good, fair vs. partially agree, totally agree, disagree,
neither agree nor disagree
Phrase questions with care• E.g. think of childish and childlike
Rules of thumb
Opt for declarative concluding questions• Look to achieve affirmation of statements previously made
Avoid loaded questions• E.g. M K Gandhi vs. Fundamentalists: who advocated communal harmony?
Avoid ambiguous questions• E.g. Are you interested in a small house? Think of what the word interested may refer to: buying or
renting?
Avoid double-barreled questions• E.g. Do you favour or oppose the food security bill?
Avoid hypothetical questions?• E.g. If you were the governor, what would you do to stop crime?
Avoid long questions, negations and tautologies• E.g. Do you think it is safe to say, with the best interests of the authenticity of the survey in mind,
that you can state without fear of contradiction that you do not really like it or you are not for it or that you accept said fact simply because of their force?
Overall and intra-sequential consistency in framing questions
Work on re-enforcing questions knowing their usefulness
Avoid haphazard questions
Reason analysis is important
Pilot survey is a good idea before finalisation
Remember to keep a diary in case of Panel Surveys
Prepare drafts and regularly re-evaluate
Always maintain neutrality in questions
Avoid personalisation and presumptuous questions
Improvise
Mechanics of questionnaires and schedules are equally important
Mechanics
Note of thanks
Recall questions
Pattern
Margin
Spacing
Sectionisation
Precoding
Item numbering
Instructions on questionnaires and schedules
The End
Harish Ramaswamy, PhDprofessor of political science
Karnatak UniversityDharwad
HarishRamaswamy.com
