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There are various types of questionnaires that can be used in research to ask questions of a sample of participants. However, one of the most widely used survey instruments is the self-completed questionnaire. While the development of a questionnaire may at first appear to be an easy task it is often a more complex process than anticipated. There are a number of steps required to develop a questionnaire to ensure that the end product is rigorous, and meets the needs of the research while also being appropriate to the participant sample. While the steps discussed below are presented in linear order, the process of developing a questionnaire is actually an iterative process.
Basic quantity, information or categorical questions Forced choice yes/no questions Multiple choice questions A scale Ranking
Quantity, Information or Categorical Questions This form of questioning is usually used to find out basic demographic or related information that will inform the context of the participant group you are surveying. It would be usual to include questions about age, gender and ethnicity and other demographic information that may be useful to the purpose of the research. Other kinds of quantitative information you may want to find out include what year participants first started using a programme or intervention of interest, for example, joined a gym or began a public health course. Alternatively you may use categorical questions to find out whether participants have ever or currently attend a cardiovascular clinic, an organised sport etc. Forced Choice Yes/No Questions Forced choice questions are self-explanatory. The intention is to produce simple quantitative data relating to a certain issue or topic. For example:
Dont
1 2 3
Multiple Choice Questions Multiple choice questions offer participants a range of responses but they must choose only one response. For example:
How many vending machines does the school have on the school grounds that are accessible to students?
Please tick one box only
1 2 3 4 5 6
Scale A commonly used scale is the Likert Scale. This scale is used when you want to find out the extent to which participants agree or disagree with a statement. The Likert Scale includes five possible ratings. For example: It is important for staff working in your organisation to have free fruit available in the workplace?
Please circle one answer only
Strongly Agree
Agree
Unsure
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Ranking A ranking approach is used when you want to find out how participants prioritise certain issues. This approach is often used to find out how important an issue is to participants. A ranking approach requires participants to rank their responses in order of priority. For example: In your household what are the most common barriers to physical activity: (please rank in
order of importance where a 1 indicates the barrier that is most important to you and a 6 indicates the barrier that is the least important to you).
Lack of money
Lack of time Lack of energy Unsafe neighbourhood No one to be active with Health problems
2 3 4 5 6
questions that produce quantitative data. For example, while you may want to find out the total number of participants who have ever bought food from a vending machine you may also want to understand why those who have never bought food from a vending machine have not done so. Alternatively, you may want to find out how many people in a work place regard free fruit as a top priority, but also why participants view this as more important than showers or bicycle parking.
Questionnaire Presentation
Question sequence
A questionnaire needs to be shaped into a logical sequence that provides some order and is likely to make sense to participants. The general rule of thumb is to work from the broadest to the narrowest questions, and from the least sensitive or difficult questions, to the potentially most sensitive or most difficult questions. Filter or skipping questions can be used when an issue is likely to apply to only some participants. For example:
Has your school ever updated or reviewed the food and nutrition policy/procedures? Yes
42
If Yes
continue to question
No Dont know
question 45
2 3
If No
go to question 45
If Dont know
go to
Questionnaire length
When developing a questionnaire it is wise to keep the length to a minimum in terms of the time it is likely to take participants to respond to the questionnaire. Obviously, where an issue is of importance to a particular group and where there is likely to be good compliance the length of the questionnaire will matter less than if the issue has low level interest and compliance is likely to be a problem. However, if it is necessary to construct a relatively long questionnaire it is useful to insert headings and transition statements which explain to the participant what the next group of questions is about.
minimise the number of open-ended questions consider translation where necessary consider use of showcards or pictures to illustrate concepts (e.g., portion size or definition of moderate activity)
clear headings clearly separating questions from answers making the form of response required constant (e.g., a tick or circle) placing questions on one side of the paper only (for later use in the data management and analysis process) using sufficient space between sections of the questionnaire and individual questions to prevent the appearance of overcrowding allowing sufficient space for participants to record their responses to open-ended questions laying out questions in a way that ensures the visibility of all questions in the questionnaire thank the participant at the end of the questionnaire
It is also important to consider factors such as paper texture, quality, colour and size, the print style and size, and whether to include graphics or images as a way to bring the questionnaire to life or to enhance appeal to certain audiences. When a large number of questionnaires are being administered it is useful to include a coding system on the questionnaire as it is being developed. Some points to keep in mind when developing and finalising a survey questionnaire include:
Is the questionnaire clearly worded and easy to read? Is the questionnaire easy to follow, does the ordering of questions make sense? Is the layout appropriate and appealing? Is the language used and the way the questions are worded culturally appropriate? Is the language used and the way the questions are worded appropriate to the participant group, especially targeted groups (e.g., unemployed male youth, pregnant teen women, migrant health workers)? Is the spelling and grammar correct? Are all the questions, question numbers and pages included?
It is useful to pilot or trial a draft survey questionnaire with the target audience.