QUESTIONNAIRE

Projected by
Zubeda Sayyed
Roll number-94
Class-T.Y.B.A
DEFINITION AND MEANING OF
QUESTIONNAIRE

Questionnaire is a document that contains a set of questions, the answers to which are to be printed personally by the
respondents.
It is data gathering device (tool) that elicits from a respondent, the answers/ reaction to a printed, pre
arranged set of questions presented in a specific order.
It consists simply of a list of pre-set questions. The same questions are usually given to the respondents in the same order
so that the same information can be collected from every member of the sample.
The term Questionnaire refers to a device for securing answers to questions by using a form and the
respondent fills in himself/ herself. Here the attempt is to explore the state of mind of the respondent or the sample.
The Questionnaire is a list important and pertinent questions concerning a problem.
It is a format list of questions designed to gather response from respondents on a given topic. It is thus a
Formalized schedule for data collection.
Fundamentally, the Questionnaire is a set of stimuli to literate people
are exposed in order to observe their
verbal behavior under these stimuli. It is send to personal associations
concerned requesting them to answer
the questions to the best of their knowledge and ability.
Summarizing the various definitions and understanding we can state
that there are 5 ideas implied from the term Questionnaire.

-It is a data collection tool
-It is a written or printed document
-It provides a series of questions about the problem under study.
Questions are related to the variable suggested in the stated and
implied objective and hypothesis.
-The questions are in a specific order.
-The investigator gets the answer and form the decision support
information for the research.
-The respondents are requested to answer the questions to the best
of their knowledge and ability.



SELF COMPLETION QUESTIONNAIRE
Self Completion Questionnaire (SCQ) is sometimes referred to as a self-administered
Questionnaire.

As a method the SCQ comes in different forms. The most prominent ones are as follows.

POSTAL/ MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE: As the name implies, a Questionnaire is sent to the
respondent by post who
after completion of the same is usually asked to return it by post. Alternatively, the
respondents may be
requested to deposit their completed Questionnaire in a certain location such as a box in
a school common
room or in a supervisors office in a firm.
The term postal is used rather than mail to distinguish it from E-mail Questionnaire.

E-MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE/ MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE: Questionnaires are e-mailed to the
people and received
accordingly.
The researcher may hand out Questionnaire to all respondents, say for eg. All students
form a clan and collect
them back after they have been completed.


OBJECTIVE AND SIGNIFICANCE

OBJECTIVE:
Objective is to obtain knowledge about facts known to the informant but not to the
investigator.

Secondly, questionnaire helps to collect information from the respondents who are
scattered in a vast area.

From the answers received on certain questions prediction can be made about the social
behavior. Eg. Kothari Commission (1964).

SIGNIFICANCE:
Questionnaire is used as a tool when

-Very large samples are desired.
-Costs have to be kept low
-The target groups are specialized/ literate
-Ease of administration is necessary
-Moderate response rate is considered satisfactory.


SELF COMPLETION QUESTIONNAIRE AND
STRUCTURAL INTERVIEW

In many ways, SCQ and SI are very similar methods of social research. The obvious and
central difference
between them is the SCQ, there is no interviewee to ask the questions. Instead respondents
must read each
questions themselves and answer the questions themselves.
Because there is no interviewer in the administration of SCQ, this research instrument has to be,
-Especially easy to understand
- Questions have to be particularly easy to understand.
ADVANTAGES OF SCQ

CHEAPER TO ADMINSTER


QUICKER TO ADMINISTER

ABSENCE OF INTERVIWER EFFECTS

NO INTERVIEW VARIABLITY

CONVIENENCE FOR RESPONDENTS

DISADVANTAGES OF SCQ
DO NOT KNOW WHO ANSWERS

CANNOT COLLECT ADDITIONAL DATA

DIFFICULT TO ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS:

NOT APPROPRIATE FOR SOME KINDS OF RESPONDENTS

GREATER RISK OF MISSING DATA

LOWER RESPONSE RATE
TYPES OF QUESTIONS IN
QUESTIONNAIRE
ON THE BASIS OF NATURE OF INFORMATION ELICITED
ON THE BASIC OF TYPES OF RESPONSE
ON THE BASIS OF PERSON ABOUT WHOM INFORMATION IS SOUGHT
ON THE BASIS OF MEASURING RESPONSE
OTHER TYPES OF QUESTIONS
ON THE BASIS OF NATURE OF
INFORMATION ELICITED.
Primary questions :Directly related to the research topic.
eg :The questionnaire would be answered by the person who takes decision in
the family
-husband dominated family
-wife dominated family
-egalitarian family.

Secondary question: which do not related directly to the research topic.
eg: The final selection of groom.

Tertiary question: which helps in collecting sufficient or additional information.
There are two types
PADDING QUESTION AND PROBE QUESTION..


ON THE BASIS OF THE TYPE RESPONSE
OPEN ENDED QUESTION:
These questions give us a chance to speak more/ hear more.
EG :What do you feel is the most important issue facing India
today ?

CLOSE ENDED QUESTION:
The questions have their own boundaries
EG: Whom do you consider an ideal teacher ?
-who takes teaching seriously ?
-who is always availabe for student
-who is flexible?
-who doesnt believe in punishment?


ON THE BASIS OF PERSON ABOUT
WHOM INFORMATION IS SOUGHT.
DIRECT QUESTION: Personal question.
Direct questions are the normal questions that we
can ask to friends, family members, and people who
we know well.
Eg:Wheres the bathroom?

INDIRECT QUESTION :Indirect question.
Indirect questions are a little more formal and polite.
We use them when talking to a person we dont know
very well, or in professional situations, and their form
is a little different.
Eg:Could you tell me where the bathroom is?



OTHER TYPES OF QUESTIONS
CONTIGENCY QUESTIONS :Questions whose releavance
to the respondent is determined by his response to the
previous questions.
EG: Are you in favour of using some method off birth
control ?

FILTER QUESTIONS: These question aim at eliciting
information related to a general aspects of the research
topics and are usually followed by specific questions..
EG :Do you smoke?
-Do you <being a girl> smoke?

Pitfalls to Avoid
Long complex questions
Double-barreled questions
Leading questions
Double negatives
Jargon or abbreviations
Words with double meanings
Emotionally slanted questions

DOUBLE-BARRELED QUESTIONS
It is imp not to include two or more questions in
one.

Such a questions typically leads to lesitation and
indecision on the part of the respondent..

However , if this information is not needed by the
researcher , such a questions can be posed as
long as it doesnt confuse frustrate the
respondent..


AMBIGUOUS QUESTIONS.

No researcher would purposely make questions
ambiguous.

Some words are themselves vague and ambiguous
eg terms such as social integration may not be
well known to the respondents .

Sometimes due to lack of knowledge on the part of the
researcher can result in a questions that contains no
ambiguous words.


LEVEL OF WORDING.

Questions wording can greatly affect the answer
read.

The wording of the questions includes concerns
such as the difficulty of the word used , the
degree of formality of the language , whether
slang or colloquialisms should be used.

This is a difficult matter and depends upon: the
educational level of the respondent.


LEADING QUESTIONS.
The questions should always be asked in the
most neutral form.

It should be carefully structured to minimize
the probability of biasing the respondents
answer by leading him/ her ..
Another strategy is to use euphemisms.
Eg : using the term sanitation engineer
rather than garbage man..


OPEN & CLOSED ENDED QUESTIONS.

Careful attention must be also given to the
response categories accompanying the questions.

A distinction is generally made between open
ended questions in which the response categories
are not specified.

Fixed ended or closed ended questions in which
the respondent selects one or more of the specific
categories provided by the researchers.


ADVANTAGES OF QUESTIONNAIRE :
Lower cost
Time saving
Accessible to widespread respondents
No interviews bias
Greater anonymity because the interviewer is absent.
Respondent can fill in the questionnaire at their convenience.
Specially suited to gathered data for sensitive issues and personal
issues like sexual habit, martial status , dreams etc..
Less skills required for administration..
Data can be analysed - scientifically , objectively , quickly.
They are stable , consistent & measure uniformly..


DISADVANTAGES OF QUESTIONNAIRE
Cannot be used for illiterate people.
Rate of return is low.
Mailing address may not be correct .
Cannot collect additional information.
Cannot be certain as to who has filled up the
questionnaire.