Tools for Data Collection

Questionnaire
Consists of a number of question typed or printed in a definite order

It is mailed to respondents who are expected to read and reply in the space meant for the purpose.

Filled by the respondents themselves.

Schedule
It is used as a tool for interviewing. Filled by the interviewer in a face to face interviewing.

Similarity Between Questionnaire and schedule

Both contain set of questions. Both are aimed at eliciting response. In both case, the content, response structure ,the wordings of questions, question sequence are same for all respondents.

Questionnaire
1. 2. 3.

Schedule
1.Done only Personally. 2. For schedule you have to move everywhere. 3. Enumerator ensures the filling all the questions. 4.Always filled by enumerator.

Can be sent via mail. Cheaper method. Can be returned without answering.

4. 5. 6.

Can be filled by anyone. Respondent should be literate.

5. Schedule can be filled by illiterate. Risk of incomplete & wrong information is more.
7.

6. Risk of incomplete & wrong information is less. 7. Not necessary . 8. Depends on honesty & competency of Enumerator.

Physical appearance has to be attractive.

8.

Success depends on its design.

Guidelines for questionnaire construction

Use statements which are interpreted in the same way by members of different population of interest. Use statements where persons that have different opinions or traits will give different answers. Think of having an "open" answer category after a list of possible answers. Use only one aspect of the construct you are interested in per item. Use positive statements and avoid negatives or double negatives. Do not make assumptions about the respondent. Use clear and comprehensible wording, easily understandable for all educational levels. Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Merits of Questionnaire
Low cost. cost. Free form bias. bias. Respondents have adequate time. time. Respondents can also be reached conveniently. conveniently. Results can be made more dependable and reliable. reliable.

Demerits of Questionnaire
Bias due to non-response. Respondents should be educated and co-operative. Control over questionnaire is lost. Inflexible. Possibility of ambiguous replies. Difficult to know whether respondents are truly representative. Likely to be the slowest of all.

Types of questionnaire
Structured Questionnaire

Unstructured Questionnaire

Open-ended

Close-ended

1. Structured questionnaire a) Have definite and concrete questions. b) Is prepared well in advance. c) Initiates a formal inquiry. d) Supplements and checks the data, previously accumulated. e) Used in studies of the economics and the social problems, studies of the administrative policies and changes etc.

Open ended questionnaire a) Respondent is free to express his views and the ideas. b) Used in making intensive studies of the limited number of the cases. c) Merely an issue is raised by such a questionnaire. d) Do not provide any structure for the respondents reply. e) The questions and their orders are pre determined in the nature.

Close ended questionnaire a) Responses are limited to the stated alternatives. b) One of the alternatives is simply YES or NO. c) Respondent cannot express his own judgment

2. Unstructured questionnaire a) Used at the time of the interview. b) Acts as the guide for the interviewer. c) Is very flexible in working. d) Used in studies related to the group of families or those relating to the personal experiences, beliefs etc

3. Mixed questionnaire a) Questions are both close and open ended. b) Used in field of social research.

4. Pictorial questionnaire a) Used very rarely. b) Pictures are used to promote the interest in answering the questions. c) Used in studies related to the social attitudes and the prejudices in the children.

Interview
Prominent method of data collection.

Systematic conversation between an investigator and an informant, initiated for obtaining information.

It requires face-to-face contact or contact over telephone.

Merits of interview more information can be obtained. Flexibility Personal information can be obtained Special scoring devices, visual materials can be used to improve quality. Accuracy and dependability of answers can be obtained by observation. Interviewer can obtain supplementary information .

Demerits of Interview Expensive when sample is large. Possibility of bias. Time-consuming. Respondents may not be easily reachable. Interviews results are affected by interviewers mode of asking questions. Calls for highly skilled interviewers. Poses problem in recording information obtained . Refuses to respond to personal and financial information.

Conditions necessary for Successful Interview Data availability. Role Perception. Interviewers role. Respondents motivation. Reduce the effect of demotivation