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and Administration
MDSC 3200
Douladel P. Tyndale (Mrs.)
douladel.willie02@uwimona.edu.jm
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Introduction
What is a Questionnaire?
Questionnaire Construction
1. Specifying of information
Guided by research objectives
Thinking and discussion with experts
Literature review
Steps in questionnaire
construction
2. Initial drafting
List from previous step carefully crafted in questions
Deliberate decisions re
Words and phrasing
Order of questions
Degree of complexity
(implications for validity - see later slides)
Steps in questionnaire
construction
3. Pre-test
Administer questionnaire to
Aimed at
Improving clarity
Detecting errors and other issues
Receiving feedback on questions
Steps in questionnaire
construction
Steps in questionnaire
construction
Constructing a
questionnaire and
wording the
questions are not
simple tasks
Meadows, 2003
Coates, 2004
Words of wisdom
Open ended
How do you feel about the standard of the treatment you
received while you were a patient at this hospital? *
Closed ended
How would you rate the standard of the treatment you
received while you were a patient at this hospital? (circle
one number) 1-excellent; 2-good; 3-moderately good; 4fair; 5-poor*
Types of Questions
*Introduction to Research in the Health
Sciences, 5th ed. Polgar & Thomas
Open ended
Closed ended
No pre-determined
responses
Less/un-structured
Benefits
Costs
Responses difficult to encode
and analyse with quantitatively
Greater respondent burden
(longer time to answer,
difficulty in gathering and
writing thoughts)
Tightly structured
Responses easily encoded and
analysed
Less time and effort to complete
Costs
Less in-depth responses
Researcher must ensure
completeness of options
Respondents must fit their answer
in provided responses
Types of questions
Likert
Forced-choice
Conventional 5-point
Likert-type scale
*My medical practitioner
always explains the chosen
treatment to me (circle one
number).
1 Strongly agree
2 Agree
3 Undecided
4 Disagree
5 Strongly disagree
1 Strongly agree
2 Agree
3 Disagree
4 Strongly disagree
Likert-type
Advantage
Allows undecided
responses
Disadvantage
Does not guard against
acquiescent response mode
(phenomenon where
respondents give middle
answers all the time)
Forced-choice
Advantage
Respondent forced to give a
positive or negative
response
Disadvantage
Undecided response not
allowed
Double-barrelled questions
Two questions included in one: Do you like epidemiology or
biostatistics?
What is the problem here? How should a yes be interpreted?
Ambiguous questions
Questions having terms that are likely to mean different
things to different people because of different reference
points: Do old people?
Wording of Questions
-Pitfalls to avoid
Leading questions
Questions that appear to lead the respondent to answer in a
particular way: How often do you? This can be made worse if
never is not a response option
Pattern of questions can create bias is persons are led to respond
in a particular way: Do you value human life? Do you think
unborn babies should be murdered?
This question is also too emotive
Pitfalls to avoid
Instead, try:
I should take my medication if I am feeling fine
Strongly agree/agree/Undecided/disagree/strongly disagree
Pitfalls to avoid
Structure of questionnaire
Useful techniques
Never undermine the power of aesthetics (selfadministered instruments: appropriate spacing, font and
font-size, no unnecessary clutter, general appearance)
Keep questionnaire as short as possible (Can affect the
response rate!)
Mode of administration (next slide) usually dictates how
a questionnaire is organised and presented
Other tips
Self-administered
Interviewer-administered
Administering a questionnaire
Interviewer bias
Interviewer can consciously or unconsciously influence
responses away from the truth
Possibly because of tone, disposition, body language, or mere
presence
Selection bias
Who are the persons who complete the questionnaire? How
are they different from the ones who do not?
Test Yourself
Note
References