Designing Questionnaires
Discussion Questions
• What do you think about the questionnaires?
• Would you complete them? • Do you understand the questions?• What are the strengths and weaknesses of
each of the questionnaires?
HAVE A CLEAR PURPOSE!
MAKE SURE EVERYBODY INVOLVED HAS THE SAME UNDERSTANDING OF THE PURPOSE!
CONSIDER EVERY QUESTION AND THE DATA IT WILL GATHER IN LIGHT OF THE PURPOSE!
Covering letter
• Personalise if possible• Explain purpose of questionnaire• Include named contact• What will happen to responses
– Confidentiality– Publication– Decision making
• What is in it for respondent• Length
Questionnaire• Clear instructions• Sensibly ordered• Large font size• Well spaced out• Short length• Instructions at start• Same font throughout• Have consistent write-in boxes / options for
answers
Questions
• Easy to understand– Are you able to communicate effectively in the
local language of the Hellenic Republic?– Can you speak Greek?
• Completely unambiguous– If there is any chance a question can be
misinterpreted, then it will be misinterpreted
Questions
• Where were you born?– In Bishop Auckland General Hospital– In Bishop Auckland– In County Durham– In England– In Great Britain– In the United Kingdom
Harmonised Questions• Scottish Government working on a set of harmonised
core questions– Consultation– Cognitive testing– Pilot testing
• Time and financial savings• Allows comparisons to other surveys• Minimises risk of offence• Minimises risk of misunderstanding and poor data
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About/SurveyHarm