Questionnaires- Why Use Them ?

Are easy to administer to large groups A quick method of gaining information Can be standardized to meet your needs Are quantifiable Are comparable Are flexible
They should NOT be your only evaluation tool!
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Remember.

Never Test the Depth of Water with Both Feet

Constructing a Questionnaire
Make a list of what you want to know What will you actually do with the information? Ask a question only when it has a purpose. Check to see if the information is already available. Look through the respondents eyes. Be selective and realistic.
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Getting the Right Information

To get the type of information you want, you must ask the right question!
If the pen is mightier than the sword, and a picture is worth a thousand words, how dangerous is a fax? Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines? How come there aren't B batteries?
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Kinds of Information
KNOWLEDGE
what people know; how well they understand something.

BELIEF what people think is true; an opinion. ATTITUDE - how people feel about something;
a preference.

BEHAVIOR -

what people do may be a physical/manual or mental behavior.

ATTRIBUTES

what people are; what people

have.
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Two Types of Questions

Open-ended Questions

Gives respondents a chance to offer opinions in writing Take more time to complete Qualitative feelings and attitudes are expressed Difficult to analyze and quantify may require elaborate coding schemes Large amounts of time needed to analyze
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Two Types of Questions

Closed Questions

Yield quantitative data hard data Ranked, scored, cross tabs, frequencies and percentages Seek limited range of responses Yes or no Rating scales three to five responses Avoid having too many responses Use odd number of responses to force respondents to take sides 1 2 3 4 5 Avoid having too many response options
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Preparing the Questionnaire Part I

Keep form to no Make it easy and simple more than two pages to complete Avoid bias in Use clear straightquestions asked forward language Address one concept Number your questions at a time - no double for coding barrel questions Ask easy to answer questions first warm- Keep similar questions grouped in categories up questions Keep time requirement Question should be relevant to the to maximum of 15 respondents minutes

Preparing the Questions Part II

Ask someone not Provide relevant related to the field to descriptors to each answer the response option questionnaire Make anonymity an Consider sharing the option - gets honest results with and responsive answers respondents Always pre-test your questionnaire - send it Use what you learn, dont collect garbage! to a representative sample of population
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Other Questionnaire Considerations

Choice of words should be precise to maximize the validity of data collected
Honest for candid Most important for priority Free time for leisure Work for employment Help for assistance Correct for rectify Stomach ache for gastroenteritis
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Other Questionnaire Considerations - Cont.

Avoid abbreviations or unconnected phrases
PCA, ASCS, SCS, DDT (understood by ag community) versus AMA, HUD, HRS, e.g.,etc

Avoid vague questions - they usually produce vague answers

Majority (more than half or what?) Regularly (daily,weekly,monthly) Government (state,county,federal) Older people (how old?)

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Other Questionnaire Considerations - Cont

Avoid biased questions
It implies that the respondent should be engaged in a particular behavior Unequal categories may be represented It contains words with strong positive or negative emotional appeal

Avoid objectionable questions

Some information is quite personal Question may convey implications about which respondent have very negative feelings or feel incriminates them

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Other Questionnaire Considerations - Cont

Avoid questions which are too demanding
Listed below are 25 extension programs carried out in your county, rank them first to 25th in terms of their importance

Avoid a double question

Do you like chickens and turkeys?

Avoid a double negative

Should our 4-H advisory committee not meet monthly? (Yes) (no)
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Other Questionnaire Considerations - Cont

Dont assume too much knowledge
Respondents may be too embarrassed to admit their lack of knowledge and take a wild guess

Word the question technically correct

Questions must leave the respondent with the feeling that the researcher accurately comprehends the topic and that the respondent has appropriate options to choose from

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Summary
Prepare a form easy to understand and simple to fill out

Use clear, straightforward language; avoid jargon

Begin by asking easy questions first, building up to the more difficult and more personal Use a mix of closed and open-ended questions Keep your questionnaire short- no more than two pages. Limit the time required to complete the form to no more than 15 minutes Make sure each question addresses only one issue. Group questions by categories. Establish priorities among broad and specific questions Limit response options to no more than five .

Provide relevant descriptors to each response option

Pre-test all questionnaires.
CONVENE - Volume XIII, No 8 page 25

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Remember
If It At First You Dont Succeed, Redefine Success

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For further Information or to Comment Contact:

Dr Dallas L. Holmes Extension Specialist Institutional Research Utah State University Extension 4900 Old Main Hill Logan, Utah 84322-4900 DallasH@Ext.USU.Edu
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