Revision Note: Questionnaires

There are two main types of questionnaire – fixed response and open-ended. Fixed response questionnaires ask a series of questions, but only permit the respondent to answer in a certain way – by for example providing several answers, e.g. a), b) or c). These are called ‘coded answers’. Open-ended questions leave a small amount of space and allow the respondent to fill it in as they please. With the last type of questionnaire, it is harder for the researcher to categorize, or code, all the answers.

Questionnaires of both types have various advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

• They are generally quick and easy to complete.
• If coded, answers can be fairly easily collated and summarised, e.g. in charts, statistical form.
• A large amount of data can be collected fairly quickly.
• In general terms, questionnaires are relatively cheap – although not necessarily if it is a large project.
• If sampled carefully, the data should be reliable and representative.

Disadvantages:

• Questionnaires can constrain or distort the way respondents answer – they may therefore lack validity.
• Respondents can be influenced to answer in certain ways by the researcher or the questions.
• If the questionnaire is a postal questionnaire, there can be a high level of people who decline to answer.
• Questions may be interpreted by respondents in ways the researcher did not foresee or intend.