Procedure for Developing a Questionnaire Step 1: Specify what info will be sought

Determine type of question and method of Step 2: administration

Step 3: Determine content of individual questions Step 4: Determine form of response to each questions Step 5: Determine wording of each question Step 6: Determine sequence of questions

Step 7: Determine physical characteristics of questions

Step 8: Re-examine steps 1-7 Step 9: Pretest and revise
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Step 1: Information sought research questions and hypothesis dummy tables Step 2: Type of questionnaire and method of Administration requires decisions on structure and disguised type of data culture of the society
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Step 3: Individual question content is the question necessary? several questions vs one do respondents have necessary info? (telescoping error, recall loss) will respondents give the information - hide the questions - stating behaviour is not unusual - third person response - category
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3. Form of response open ended questions multichotomous questions - capturing the true feeling - genuine dont know - scaling context - mutual exclusiveness - number of alternatives - order bias dichotomous questions wording (split ballot) scaling
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4. Question wording
item non response measurement error use simple words avoid ambiguous words avoid leading questions
Do you feel limiting taxes by law is an effective way to prevent your government from pickpocketing your savings ? Yes--- No---

avoid implicit alternative

Would you like to have a job, if this were possible?

avoid implicit assumptions

Are you favour of better control on classroom attendance?

avoid generalizations and estimates avoid double barreled questions

5. Question sequence simple interesting opening questions use funnel approach branching questions with care - flow chart - proximity - respondent should not anticipate classification info at the end difficult questions towards the end
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6. Physical characteristics securing acceptance facilitate handling 7. Revise 1-7 8. Pretest and revise