Questionnaire Design
AEE 888The Ohio State University
May 4, 2009Guest Lecturer: Amy Beaudreault
Class Objectives
To describe the design elements of a mail questionnaire.
To identify good and bad characteristics of a questionnaire.
To describe question ordering techniques.
How Many of You…
Didn’t understand the directions?
Received a questionnaire in the mail and just from first glance, placed it in the junk mail?
Half-way through a questionnaire stopped?
Design Elements of Mail QuestionnaireBooklet formatDescriptive titleNo questions on front or backSize appropriately for mailUse easy-to-read font and size (sans serif larger
than 10-point; Ariel)Use color if possibleMake attractive and invitingNumber questionsTell people how to respond; have scales on
each page
Design Elements of Mail Questionnaire
Fit entire question on same pageLong questions with a number of subparts
should not be followed by a short question at the end of a page
Use vertical formatUse quality paper (thick enough to not see
through)Blank space is a good thing
Front Cover
Study title
Graphic or photo related to topic
Return directions
Name and address of study sponsor
IRB protocol instructions
Back Cover
Additional comments
No question items
THANK YOU!
Blank Space
Four Stages of Survey Response
Comprehension
Retrieval
Judgment
Reporting
All this happens in approximately 5 seconds.
Question Ordering
Screening question always first, if applicable
Most important questions first; demographics last
Group together similar topics and scales
Create cognitive ties
Imbed threatening questions
First Question
Related to topic
Quick question; not open-ended
Applicable to everyone
Question Wording
Avoid absolutes like always and never
No double-barreled questions
Be aware of social desirability
Avoid biased questions
Use simple words
Consider your population
Avoid slang
Practice: What’s Wrong?
I read the newspaper every day.
Use of absolute
I watch the news on television and read the news online.
Double-barreled
Do you procrastinate?
What does procrastinate mean: Do you put off until tomorrow what you can do today?
More Practice: Small Groups
Aspects to remember:DesignTitle DirectionsWord choiceEnough blank space?Sponsorship
Tips for Beginners
Resist writing questions until you have finalized your research questions.
Refer to research goals when writing questionnaire.
Every time you write a question, ask yourself, “Why do I want to know this?”
Use questions from successful studies (replication is okay).
Survey Resources
Bradburn, N., Sudman, S., and Wansink, B. (2004). Asking Questions. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. San Francisco, CA.
Tourangeau R., Rips, L.J., and Rasinski, K. (2000). The Psychology of Survey
Response. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Groves, R. M., Fowler, F. J., Couper, M. P., Lepkowski, J. M., Singer, E., &
Tourangeau, R. (2004). Survey methodology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Interscience.
Bradburn, N. M., Rips, L. J., & Shevell, S. K. (1987). Answering autobiographical questions: The impact of memory and inference on surveys. Science, 236, 157-161.
Bishop, G. F. (1986). Opinions on fictitious issues: The pressure to answer survey questions. Public Opinion Quarterly, 48, 510-519.
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