QUESTIONNAIRES
A questionnaire is considered to be the main technique of data collection in the survey method. It is an instrument that helps a researcher obtain information about personal life, feelings, and expectations etc. of the respondent. A questionnaire consists of a set of questions in a particular form and order and the respondent is expected to fill up the form him/herself.
Types of Questions in a Questionnaire
There are two types of questions generally included in a questionnaire. They are open-ended and closed-ended questions.
Open-ended Questions
These questions are not followed by any specific answer. The respondent is free to write any response he or she wants. Example: Which method do you think helps develop reflective teachers in the best way?
Closed-ended Questions
These questions are followed by specific answers and the respondents are expected to choose any one of the answers
Closed ended questions can also be in the form of yes and no
A researcher may develop a questionnaire with either of the two types of the questions or a mixture of both.
Types of Questionnaires
Questionnaires can be structured, semi-structured, unstructured, or pictorial.
– Structured questionnaires are those where the questions are prepared in advance and the wordings and order of the questions remain the same irrespective of the respondents.
– Unstructured questionnaires are those where questions are modified and adjusted according to the need of the situation with the aim to collect as much information as possible.
– Semi-structured questionnaires are those where there is a mixture of structured and
unstructured questions.
– Pictorial questionnaire are those where the alternatives to the questions are in the form of pictures.
Characteristics of a Good Questionnaire
The development of a good questionnaire is a tough task. The questionnaire should be self-explanatory. The print and layout should be good. The items should be analytical, clear, short and understandable. Questions that are threatening or embarrassing should be avoided. The questions should be according the respondents level. Method of administration and the sample for the respondents should be selected thoughtfully.
Limitations of a Questionnaire
The use of questionnaire also has some drawbacks. It is not possible to collect information of less educated or illiterate people. The response rate may be low leading to a limited amount of data for analysis. Misinterpretation of questions is also possible in the absence of the researcher him/herself. The reliability of a questionnaire is of great importance for the quality of data collected.
Schedules
Questionnaires and Scheduled are used in gathering a variety of data. The increasing use of these two techniques is probably due to the increased emphasis on quantification of data.
Questionnaires can be distinguished from interview scheduled in that the respondent himself fills out the answers to the -questions in the form provided by the investigator. Questionnaires are generally sent through mail, while the schedule is filled out by the research worker.
Both Questionnaires and Schedules are beneficial as supplementary and extending devices in observation , interview, and in evaluating personal behaviour and social situations. They also aid in standardising and objectifying observations and interviews. Further , they are useful as devices for isolating the element at a time and thus intensifying observation of it.
What is a schedule?
A schedule is a set of questions that are asked by the researcher and filled-in by themselves. Unlike a questionnaire, a schedule provides an opportunity for the researcher to build a rapport with the respondents before asking them questions. Generally, researchers talk about schedule with reference to an interview schedule or observation schedule; but there are other types of schedules too.
Types of Schedules
There are a number of schedules used in anthropological research.
- Observation Schedule
These are designed to observe specific aspects of the situation under study, for instance, to reveal patterns of either teacher or student behavior in promoting learning. They are generally used by a non-participant observer. - Rating Schedules
Also called a rating scale it is used to find information about a set of pre-determined attributes. It is sometimes used by the researcher and at times given to the respondents directly. - Evaluation Schedules
This is generally used to collect data about institutions and agencies. There are predetermined categories on which the institute is evaluated. - Interview Schedules
This contains questions that the researcher frames to ask during the interview. Space may be provided for writing down the responses of the interviewee or the researcher may simply record the responses electronically. They help in gathering of demographic data in research.
Second Answer:
INTERVIEW SCHEDULE GUIDE AND QUESTIONNAIRE
In order to conduct an interview we need to have a systematic approach. Questions are formulated so that the researcher is able to acquire relevant information from the informants during an interview. Different types of interview schedules and guides are prepared as per the requirement of the research work. For direct interview, either a structured interview schedule or unstructured interview guide is prepared by the researcher.
Interview schedule: Interview schedule is the format used by the researcher during an interview. An interview schedule can either be structured or unstructured. A structured interview schedule has a fixed format of questions that the researcher uses while conducting an interview which is mainly used for conducting surveys, or for gathering quantitative data. Census data is normally collected using fixed structured interview schedules. In most cases such quantitative data needs to be compiled, tabulated and analysed.
Interview guide: Unstructured interview guide is used for taking interviews where a strict format is not followed and mainly used for qualitative data. The interview guide helps in structuring a few basic questions regarding the topics 96 Investigation of Data that has relevance and needs to be questioned during an interview, which might not be in any set framework. These questions help in maintaining the flow in a conversation and also guide the interviewer to bring the conversation back to the topic whenever the informants gets too carried away and move astray from the topic. An interview using an interview guide can be free flowing like while gathering information for a life history or case study.
Questionnaire: While conducting interviews where the researcher is not physically present, the researcher sends the document to the informant and the information is filled up by the informant. Such a document is called a questionnaire. A questionnaire can be used in the virtual space too like creating a survey format that can be posted online on the social networking sites that allows the respondents to fill up the same online without having to take a print out. The basic difference between an interview schedule and a questionnaire is that the interview schedule is administered by the interviewer himself/herself in the field, and it is the researcher who fills up the information in the sheet, while for a questionnaire the researcher is directly not present with the informant when s/he fills up the answers. The sequence of questions is very important for a questionnaire. One begins with simple and forthright questions that can be easily answered followed by more difficult and reflective questions. Often one gives what are known as multiple choice questions where one has to choose from several options. Also, one needs to place what are known as test questions. To assess the reliability of answers to vital questions, one may have to frame multiple questions to get at the same information. For a questionnaire to be administered the group has to be literate enough to fill up the forms. This is a drawback that is not there while administering a interview schedule.