ResearchMethodology Week10

RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
(Business Research Methods)
Week 10
29 August 2005 MBA III (Research Methodology) Course Instructor: Dr. Aurangzeb Z. Khan 1
Designing a Questionnaire
 A survey is only as good as the questions it asks
 The underlying esearch problem and objectives must be clearly understood

by the researchers
 Using common sense, good grammar and imagination alone cannot

guarantee producing a high quality questionnaire
 Good quality and professionally-worded, carefully conceived

questionnaires produce good quality information which can aid in decision-
making
 Good questionnaires require experience and a knowledge of the

respondents level of awareness, education and understanding in order to
maximize feedback and miminize respondent and other potential sources
of error
Typical Issues in Questionnaire Design
 What should the respondents be asked?
 How should each question be phrased?
 In what sequence should the questions be arranged?
 What is the best questionnaire layout for the research
problem in question?
 What communication medium should be utilized
(personal interview, telephone interview etc.)
 Should the questionnaire be pretested?
 How should the questionnaire be pretested?
 Does the questionnaire require a revision?
Questionnaire Relevancy & Accuracy
 Qustionnaires must fulfill the two fundamental criteria of
redundancy and accuracy in order to meet the purposes for
which the research is being undertaken
 Relevancy means that no unnecessary information is

obained from the questionnaire and that all the information
that is needed for the purpose of the research is collected,
and that no important information is omitted
 Accuracy means that the questions are worded in a

manner which ensures the collection of correct information
from respondents
Phrasing Questionnaires (1)
Open-Ended Questions – These require the respondent to answer the question
in his or her own words
Examples:
– Why do you like studying at COMSATS?

– Why do you fly with Airlines X, Y or Z?
– How do you assess the economic prospects of Pakistan?
Open-ended questions allow the respondent to ask or probe the respondent

further if he/she feels that clarification of a point, or additional information, is
needed. Good for exploratory research. Disadvantage are the difficulties of
analyzing the data and in categorizing and summarizing answers because of the
unique resonses. Also, there is the possibility of interviewer bias and bias caused
by the different education levels of the respondents
Fixed-Alternative Questions – These require the respondent to choose, among a limited
number of alternative given responses, the one which coincides closely with his or her
view or behaviour. Example:
• Do you base your examination preparation on Dr. Aurangzeb‘s PPT-slides or do you read
the prescribed course literature
Use the PPT-Slides Read the Course

OnlyAlternative questions allow the respondentLiterature
Fixed to ask or probe the respondent further if
he/she feels that clarification of a point, or additional information, is needed. Advantages
include requiring less interviewer time, less interviewer skill and ease of answer for
respondents. Disadvantages are that the researcher may be basing the response
structure on assumptions which may be incorrect, and that there may be additional
responses which are not indicated. Also, care must be taken to ensure that response
categories are mutually exclusive and do not overlap
There are several categories of Fixed-Alternative Questions, for example:
The Simple Dichotomy (dichotomous alternative) Question – Respondent

can choose one out of two alternatives, for example, „yes“ and „no“
The Determinant Choice Question – Respondent must choose one of

several possible alternatives (Example: Which is your preferred place to sit in
an aircraft: First Class, Business Class, Economy Class)
The Frequency Determination Question – Respondent is asked about the

frequency of occurence (Example: How often Do you watch Discovery,
History or National Geographic Channel each week (Every day, 8-9 times a
week, 3-7 times a week, 1-2 times a week, less than once a week, never)
The Checklist Question – Respondent can choose multiple answers to a
single question. Example:
What sources of information would you use to compile your classroom

project research paper:
- Local bookstores
- University libraries in Islamabad and surroundings
- Research Institutes
- The Digital library at CIIT Islamabad
- Technical Journals
- Magazines and Newspapers
- Interviews with Key Stakeholders
Some important guidelines for phrasing questionnaires include:
 Avoidance of Complexity / Use Simple Language – Respondents may

have quite different educational backgrounds (from illiterate or semi-literate
to PhD) and conversational levels (from quiet and shy to articulate) which
have to be taken into consideration when designing a questionnaire which is
intended for general circulation. Technical jargon should only be considered
when the group of respondents is homogenous and familiar with the jargon
 Avoidance of „Leading“ and „Loaded“ Questions – Both are major

sources of bias in the wording of questionnaires. Leading means implying
certain answers which respondents are pushed towards (see example on
page 336); Loading pushes the respondent towards a socially desirable or
politically correct answer or puts a question which is emotionally charged
(see example on page 337)
 Counterbiasing Statements – Respondents are presented with an
introductory statement or preface to a question or section of questions
that may help reduce the respondents reluctance to answer the
question(s) (see example on page 338)
 Avoidance of Ambiguity – Respondents must not be presented with

terms and words that are vague or general or which cause confusion
and misunderstanding (example: How „frequently“ do you go the the
internet cafe? Do you „usually“ pepare for your examinations alone?
See other examples on page 339)
 Avoidance of Double-Barreled Questions – Questions which

adress two or more issues simultaneously (see examples on pages
341-342)
 Avoidance of Assumptions – Respondents are presented with
assumptions which cause them to give biased responses (see
example on page 343)
 Avoidance of Burdensome (and Memory Taxing) Questions –

Respondents are asked to give answers to questions which they
may not be in a position to give due to forgetfulness (note: aided
and unaided recall). See example on page 343
Sequencing Questions in Questionnaires (1)
 The order in which questions are put in a questionnaire may significantly affect
the response rate
 Asking questionnaires which require resondents to give personal details at the

beginning of the questionnaire is generally not recommended
 Usually, researchers prefer to ask general questions from respondents before

moving on to specific questions (funnel technique)
 Often, it is advisable to produce multiple versions of a questionnaire in which

fixed-alternative responses are shuffled about
 Filter Questions are used to screen out respondents who are not
qualified to answer one or more related questions. Example:
Are
Are you
you aa student
student of
of
COMSATS?
COMSATS?
Yes
Yes
No
No When
When were
were you
you enrolled?
enrolled?
What
What is
is your
your GPA?
GPA?
Note: Questionnaires can include Which
Which classes
classes are
are you
you attending?
attending?
hints for interviewers on how to
conduct the interview (see page 351)
 The layout of questions can also influence the answers of the respondents. Good, simple and visually
appealing layouts are a must for mail surveys, but also can be useful in personal and telephone
interviews (see examples on pages 348 – 351)
 Factors to consider in questionnaire layout:
 Don‘t overcrowd the questionnaires

 Use margins of adequate size
 Use white space if needed to seperate sections of the questionnaire
 Keep questionnaires as brief as possible
 Use a booklet instead of stapled form
 Use good quality paper
 Ensure that the title and subtitles of the questionnaire and questionnaire sections are carefully phrased and
captures the respondents attention
 Include a privacy and confidentiality mention
Pretesting Questionnaires (1)
 Pretesting is a very useful method for determining whether respondents
have any difficulty understanding the questionnaire and wther the
questions are ambiguous or can lead possibly to biased answers
 Pretesting ensures that costly errors in questionnaires which are given to a

large number of respondents is avoided and that damage to the image of
the researchers is avoided
 The respondents involved in a pretest should be similar in essence to the

target respondents of the research
 Personal interviewers are often used for pretesting in order to ascertain

why questions appear ambiguos or confusing etc. to respondents, and to
solicit their comments
Pretesting Questionnaires (2)
 Pretesting provide answers to important questions for the business
researcher, such as:
 Can the questionnaire format be followed by the interviewers?

 Does the questionnaire flow naturally and conversationally?
 Can respondents answer the questions easily?
 Which alternative forms of questions work best?
NOTE: Cultural factors have to be considered in the design of

questionnaires (see example on page 351)

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RESEARCH

 The underlying esearch problem and objectives must be clearly understood

 Using common sense, good grammar and imagination alone cannot

 Good quality and professionally-worded, carefully conceived

 Good questionnaires require experience and a knowledge of the

 Relevancy means that no unnecessary information is

 Accuracy means that the questions are worded in a

– Why do you like studying at COMSATS?

Open-ended questions allow the respondent to ask or probe the respondent

Use the PPT-Slides Read the Course

The Simple Dichotomy (dichotomous alternative) Question – Respondent

The Determinant Choice Question – Respondent must choose one of

The Frequency Determination Question – Respondent is asked about the

What sources of information would you use to compile your classroom

 Avoidance of Complexity / Use Simple Language – Respondents may

 Avoidance of „Leading“ and „Loaded“ Questions – Both are major

 Avoidance of Ambiguity – Respondents must not be presented with

 Avoidance of Double-Barreled Questions – Questions which

 Avoidance of Burdensome (and Memory Taxing) Questions –

 Asking questionnaires which require resondents to give personal details at the

 Usually, researchers prefer to ask general questions from respondents before

 Often, it is advisable to produce multiple versions of a questionnaire in which

 Factors to consider in questionnaire layout:

 Don‘t overcrowd the questionnaires

 Pretesting ensures that costly errors in questionnaires which are given to a

 The respondents involved in a pretest should be similar in essence to the

 Personal interviewers are often used for pretesting in order to ascertain

 Can the questionnaire format be followed by the interviewers?

NOTE: Cultural factors have to be considered in the design of

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