Business Research Methods

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BusinessResearch Methods

• Chapter 15
• Questionnaire Design

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A GOOD QUESTIONNAIRE APPEARS

• VERY EASY TO COMPOSE
• BUT IT IS USUALLY THE RESULT OF LONG, PAINSTAKING
  WORK

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The Major Decisions in Questionnaire Design
1. What should be asked? 2. How should each
question be phrased? 3. In what sequence should
the questions be arranged? 4. What
questionnaire layout will best serve the
research objectives? 5. How should the
questionnaire be pretested? Does the
questionnaire need to be revised?
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WHAT SHOULD BE ASKED?

• QUESTIONNAIRE RELEVANCE - Information to answer
  the research questions.
• QUESTIONNAIRE ACCURACY - Obtaining reliable and
  valid answers.

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PHRASING QUESTIONS

• OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES - Difficult to code and
  analyze (subjective).
• FIXED-ALTERNATIVE QUESTIONS - Dichotomous,
  Multiple (determinant) choice, frequency
  determination, attitude rating, checklist.

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DEVELOPING A QUESTIONNAIRE

• NO HARD OR FAST RULES
• ONLY GUIDELINES

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• Avoid complexity - use simple, conversational
  language
• Avoid leading and loaded questions
• Avoid ambiguity - be as specific as possible
• Avoid double-barreled items
• Avoid making assumptions
• Avoid burdensome questions

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Avoid complexity
1. To what extent do you agree that when
effluents from a paper mill can be drunk
and exhaust from a factory smokestack can
be breathed than man will have done a good
job in saving the environment.
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Avoid leading questions
2. Many people are using dry cleaning less
because of improved wash-and-wear clothes.
How do you feel wash-and-wear clothes have
affected your use of dry cleaning
facilities in the past four years?
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Avoid loaded questions
3. In light of todays farm crisis, it would be
in the publics best interest to have the
federal government require labeling of
imported meat.
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Avoid Ambiguity
4. How often do you fell that you consider the
alternatives before making a decision?
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Avoid double-barreled items
5. Please indicate if you have ever called in
sick or left work to golf.
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Avoid Making Assumptions
6. Should Macys continue its excellent
gift-wrapping program?
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Avoid Burdensome Questions
7. Do you recall which brands of beer were
advertised on that program?
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QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN

• QUESTION SEQUENCE
• ORDER BIAS
• FUNNEL TECHNIQUE
• FILTER QUESTIONS
• QUESTION LAYOUT

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QUESTION LAYOUT

• Screener or qualifying questions.
• Warm-ups.
• Transitions.
• Difficult and complicated.
• Classification and demographic.

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PRETESTING IS IMPORTANT - Make changes, code and
run simple statistics