Reasearch Methods r - Essay Example

For questionnaires to result in the collection of accurate, large volumes of data, planning and developing an effective questionnaire is very essential. The survey carried out for the research project in hand may turn out to be useless if sufficient time and thought are not spent in questionnaire construction. Mistakes such as irrelevant questions, wrong wording of questions, bad format, biased questions etc. can destroy the purpose to be accomplished. Therefore, whenever we are using questionnaires as a method to collect data for our research projects, we must ensure that we have developed an effective questionnaire that meets all the needs of our project and would ultimately result in the gathering of all intended information we seek to obtain.

Only then can we proceed ahead with the distribution of the questionnaires and finally the tabulation and reporting of results. Developing a good questionnaire is not an easy task and requires significant skills. A specific procedure is to be followed when developing one. Before you start with anything, you first need to determine exactly what problem or need you are trying to address through this research project and how it will be done using the information obtained from the questionnaires This will help you develop relevant questions that in turn help you to obtain accurate information.

Then you need to determine your audience, i.e., from whom you need to obtain the required data and also How If your audience is very large, it is better to first give out the questionnaires to a smaller randomly selected group to ensure that the questionnaire is achieving the purpose for which it is developed. Next, you need to decide on the format of your questionnaire. Would you use a free format or a fixed format questionnaire These types are discussed in the later section. Usually, a combination of these two is used.

Having decided upon the format, the next task is to write the questions. As you write them, check them for any construction errors. Also ensure that they are properly worded and do not result in any misinterpretations on the respondents part. The questions should also be free of any personal bias. It is also important to identify yourself at the beginning. Moreover, questions framed should arouse the respondents' interest. Care should also be taken to ensure that you slowly move from general to more specific questions.

Specific questions should not be asked directly. If any mistakes are found, edit the questions. Types of Questionnaires:Questionnaires can broadly be classified into fixed format and free format questionnaires. A fixed format questionnaire is one that contains questions that require the respondent to only select from the choices already provided. In other words, it provides little freedom to the respondent and uses closed ended questions. In contrast, a free format questionnaire provides a lot of latitude to the respondent by allowing the respondent to write the answer in his own words rather than merely selecting it.

It makes use of open ended questions. Types of Questions:As mentioned above, there are two main types of questions: closed ended or open ended.2 Closed ended questions are those that restrict the user by providing him with options to choose from. Example: Do you smokeYes NoIn contrast, open ended questi