Q.33) What is questionnaire?

Describe questionnaire
designing?
Ans.
 Definition of Questionnaire:-
According to David J.
Luck and Ronald S. Rubin, “A questionnaire is
simply a formalised schedule to obtain and record
specified and relevant information with tolerable
accuracy and completeness.”

 Meaning of Questionnaire:-
Questionnaire means a
set of questions suitably arranged in order to collect
information/data from the respondents. Questionnaire
is an integrated series of questions used for data
collection. It is called as schedule when handed over
to respondents for recording their responses.
Questionnaires are used for collecting information on
many aspects relating to the subject matter of survey.

 Meaning of Questionnaire Designing:-

Preparation
or designing of questionnaire is lengthy and time-
consuming activity. It needs careful planning,
knowledge of communication skills and technical
 knowledge of drafting appropriate questions for
collecting required information. To prepare an ideal
questionnaire needs practical approach and common
sense. Preparing a good questionnaire is an art.

 Steps In Questionnaire Designing:-

The steps to be
followed in preparing questionnaire are as follows:-
1.Preliminary Decisions

2. Informal Interviewing

3. Drafting The
Questionnaire

4. Pre-testing/Piloting The Questionnaire

5. Deciding The Final Form of

Questionnaire
6. Final Questionnaire
1.Preliminary Decisions:-
Before designing a questionnaire, the researcher has
to take decisions on certain basic issues such as the
data need of research project, sources of data, sample
to be used, layout and physical characteristics of
questionnaire and so on. The researcher has to decide
the nature of information required in and should
define the ultimate objective of the research program

2.Informal Interviewing:-
In this second step,
informal interviews are arranged with limited number
of respondents in order to test the points that have
been listed in the questionnaire. The purpose is to
find out how people think about the issues and what
are their reactions.

3.Drafting The Questionnaire:-

The informal
interviewing gives valuable indications as to how the
questionnaire should be framed for encouraging
response from the respondents. In this third step of
designing a questionnaire, a researcher has to make
all possible efforts to draft an ideal questionnaire.
The questionnaire should be simple and easy.

4.Pre-testing/Piloting The Questionnaire:-

After
drafting the questionnaire, redrafting and revision of
the same will be necessary in order to remove
possible defects and deficiencies noted therein. This
should be followed by pre-testing of the
questionnaire drafted. Pre-testing of the questionnaire
is necessary for making it perfect in all respects.

5.Deciding The Final Form of Questionnaire:-

In this
step of preparing questionnaire, the final touches
(final revision) will be given to the questionnaire.
This will be in the light of the experience gained in
the pre-testing. All necessary and corrections will be
incorporated.

6.Final Questionnaire:-
Pilot questionnaire is for pre-
testing. Such pre-testing avoids all possible defects
and deficiencies in the final questionnaire to be
issued for survey purpose. Final questionnaire is next
to pilot questionnaire.