What is a Questionnaire?

A questionnaire is a research instrument that consists of a set of

questions or other types of prompts that aims to collect information
from a respondent. A research questionnaire is typically a mix
of close-ended questions and open-ended questions. Open-ended,
long-form questions offer the respondent the ability to elaborate on
their thoughts. Research questionnaires were developed in 1838 by
the Statistical Society of London.

The data collected from a data collection questionnaire can be

both qualitative as well as quantitative in nature. A questionnaire
may or may not be delivered in the form of a survey, but a survey
always consists of a questionnaire.

 Characteristics of a good questionnaire

Your survey design depends on the type of information you need to

collect from respondents. Qualitative questionnaires are used when
there is a need to collect exploratory information to help prove or
disprove a hypothesis. Quantitative questionnaires are used to
validate or test a previously generated hypothesis. However, most
questionnaires follow some essential characteristics:

 Uniformity: Questionnaires are very useful to

collect demographic information, personal opinions, facts, or
attitudes from respondents. One of the most significant attributes
of a research form is uniform design and standardization. Every
respondent sees the same questions. This helps in data
collection and statistical analysis of this data. For example,
the retail store evaluation questionnaire template contains
questions for evaluating retail store experiences. Questions relate
to purchase value, range of options for product selections, and
quality of merchandise. These questions are uniform for all
customers.
 Exploratory: It should be exploratory to collect qualitative
data. There is no restriction on questions that can be in your
questionnaire. For example, you use a data collection
questionnaire and send it to the female of the household to
understand her spending and saving habits relative to the
household income. Open-ended questions give you more insight
and allow the respondents to explain their practices. A very
structured question list could limit the data collection.
 Question Sequence: It typically follows a structured flow of
questions to increase the number of responses. This sequence of
questions is screening questions, warm-up questions, transition
questions, skip questions, challenging questions, and
classification questions. For example, our motivation and buying
experience questionnaire template covers initial demographic
questions and then asks for time spent in sections of the store and
the rationale behind purchases.
 

Types of questionnaires
As we explored before, questionnaires can be either structured or
free-flowing. Let’s take a closer look at what that entails for your
surveys.

 Structured Questionnaires: Structured questionnaires

collect quantitative data. The questionnaire is planned and
designed to gather precise information. It also initiates a formal
inquiry, supplements data, checks previously accumulated data,
and helps validate any prior hypothesis.
 Unstructured Questionnaires: Unstructured questionnaires
collect qualitative data. They use a basic structure and some
branching questions but nothing that limits the responses of a
respondent. The questions are more open-ended to collect
specific data from participants.
Types of questions in a questionnaire
You can use multiple question types in a questionnaire. Using
various question types can help increase responses to your
research questionnaire as they tend to keep participants more
engaged. The best customer satisfaction survey templates are the
most commonly used for better insights and decision-making.

Some of the widely used types of questions are:

 Open-Ended Questions: Open-ended questions help collect

qualitative data in a questionnaire where the respondent can
answer in a free form with little to no restrictions.
 Dichotomous Questions: The dichotomous question is
generally a “yes/no” close-ended question. This question is
usually used in case of the need for necessary validation. It is the
most natural form of a questionnaire.
 Multiple-Choice Questions: Multiple-choice questions are a
close-ended question type in which a respondent has to select
one (single-select multiple-choice question) or many (multi-select
multiple choice question) responses from a given list of options.
The multiple-choice question consists of an incomplete stem
(question), right answer or answers, incorrect answers, close
alternatives, and distractors. Of course, not all multiple-choice
questions have all of the answer types. For example, you probably
won’t have the wrong or right answers if you’re looking for
customer opinion.
 Scaling Questions: These questions are based on the
principles of the four measurement scales – nominal, ordinal,
interval, and ratio. A few of the question types that utilize these
scales’ fundamental properties are rank order questions, Likert
scale questions, semantic differential scale questions, and Stapel
scale questions.
 Pictorial Questions: This question type is easy to use and
encourages respondents to answer. It works similarly to a
multiple-choice question. Respondents are asked a question, and
 the answer choices are images. This helps respondents choose
an answer quickly without over-thinking their answers, giving you
more accurate data.
 

A good questionnaire design

Questionnaire design is a multistep process that requires attention

to detail at every step.

Researchers are always hoping that the responses received for a

survey questionnaire yields useable data. If the questionnaire is too
complicated, there is a fair chance that the respondent might get
confused and will drop out or answer inaccurately.

As a survey creator, you may want to pre-test the survey by

administering it to a focus group during development. You can try
out a few different questionnaire designs to determine which
resonates best with your target audience. Pre-testing is a good
practice as the survey creator can comprehend the initial stages if
there are any changes required in the survey.

Steps Involved in Questionnaire Design

1. Identify the scope of your research: Think about what your
questionnaire is going to include before you start designing the look
of it. The clarity of the topic is of utmost importance as this is the
primary step in creating the questionnaire. Once you are clear on
the purpose of the questionnaire, you can begin the design process.

2. Keep it simple: The words or phrases you use while writing the

questionnaire must be easy to understand. If the questions are
unclear, the respondents may simply choose any answer and skew
the data you collect.

3. Ask only one question at a time: At times, a researcher may be

tempted to add two similar questions. This might seem like an
excellent way to consolidate answers to related issues, but it can
confuse your respondents or lead to inaccurate data. If any of your
questions contain the word “and,” take another look. This question
likely has two parts, which can affect the quality of your data.

4. Be flexible with your options: While designing, the survey

creator needs to be flexible in terms of “option choice” for the
respondents. Sometimes the respondents may not necessarily want
to choose from the answer options provided by the survey creator.
An “other” option often helps keep respondents engaged in the
survey.

5. The open-ended or closed-ended question is a tough

choice: The survey creator might end up in a situation where they
need to make distinct choices between open or close-ended
questions. The question type should be carefully chosen as it
defines the tone and importance of asking the question in the first
place.

If the questionnaire requires the respondents to elaborate on their

thoughts, an open-ended question is the best choice. If the surveyor
wants a specific response, then close-ended questions should be
their primary choice. The key to asking closed-ended questions is to
generate data that is easy to analyze and spot trends.

6. It is essential to know your audience: A researcher should

know their target audience. For example, if the target audience
speaks mostly Spanish, sending the questionnaire in any other
language would lower the response rate and accuracy of data.
Something that may seem clear to you may be confusing to your
respondents. Use simple language and terminology that your
respondents will understand, and avoid technical jargon and
industry-specific language that might confuse your respondents.

For efficient market research, researchers need a representative

sample collected using one of the many sampling techniques. It is
imperative to plan and define these target respondents based on
the demographics required.

7. Choosing the right tool is essential: QuestionPro is a simple

yet advanced survey software platform that the surveyors can use
to create a questionnaire or choose from the already existing 300+
questionnaire templates.

Always save personal questions for last. Sensitive questions may

cause respondents to drop off before completing. If these questions
are at the end, the respondent has had time to become more
comfortable with the interview and are more likely to answer
personal or demographic questions.
https://www.questionpro.com/blog/what-is-a-questionnaire/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235801675_Questionnaire_Designing_for_a_Survey

The questionnaire was invented by Sir Francis Galton, a British

a n t h r o p o l o g i s t , e x p l o r e r a n d s t a ti s ti c i a n i n l a t e 1 8 0 0 .
Questi onnaire forms the backbone of any survey and the
success of it lies in the designing of a questionnaire.
A s d e fi n e d ‘ A q u e s ti o n n a i r e i s s i m p l y a l i s t o f
mimeographed or printed questions that is completed by or
for a respondent to give his opinion’.
A questionnaire is the main means of collecting quantitative
primary data. A questionnaire enables quantitative data to be
collected in a standardized way so that the data are internally
consistent and coherent for analysis. Questionnaires should
always have a definite purpose that is related to the objectives
of the research, and it needs to be clear from the outset how
the findings will be used.
A questionnaire is used in case resources are limited as a
questionnaire can be quite inexpensive to design and administer
and ti me is an important resource which a questi onnaire
consumes to its maximum extent, protection of the privacy of
the participants as participants will respond honestly only if
their identity is hidden and confidentiality is maintained, and
corroborating with other findings as questionnaires can be
useful confirmation tools when corroborated with other studies
that have resources to pursue other data collection strategies.

Types of Survey Questions

There are about four different types of questionnaire designing
for a survey. They are applied according to the purpose of
the survey.
1. Contingency questions/Cascade format
2. Matrix questions
3. Closed-ended questions
4. Open-ended questions.

Contingency Questions/Cascade Format

A question that is answered only if the respondent gives a
particular response to a previous question. This avoids asking
questions to people that do not apply to them
E x a m p le : A s k i n g t h e e x p e r i e n c e of b r a c e s t r e a t m e n t i n
children who have not undergone orthodontic treatment.

Matrix Questions
I d e n ti c a l r e s p o n s e c a t e g o r i e s a r e a s s i g n e d t o m u l ti p l e
questi ons. The questi ons are placed one under the other,
forming a matrix with response categories along the top and a
list of questions down the side. This is an efficient use of
page space and respondents’ time.
Example: Carver and White’s BIS/BAS scale. Behavioral
approach system (BAS)/behavioral avoidance (or inhibition)
system.

Closed-ended Questions
Respondents’ answers are limited to a fixed set of responses.
Most scales are closed ended. Types of closed-ended
questions include:
a. Yes/No questions—The respondent answers the questions
with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.
Example: Have you ever visited a dentist?
b. Multiple choice—The respondent has several options from
which to choose.
Example: How would you rate this product
(i) Excellent (ii) Good (iii) Fair (iv) Poor
c. Scaled questions—Responses are graded on a continuum
(example: Rate the appearance of the product on a scale
from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most preferred appearance).
Examples of types of scales include the Likert scale and

Semantic differential scale.

Likert scale is a psychometric scale commonly involved
in research that employs questionnaires to measure social
attitudes.
Example: Are you happy with your child’s teeth arrange-
ment?
(1) Strongly disagree (2) Disagree (3) Don’t know
(4) Agree (5) Strongly agree
A semantic differential scale is a list of opposite adjectives
to measure psychological meaning of an object to an individual.
Example: Rate the park on the following dimensions:
Safe _ _ _ _ : _ _ _ _ : _ _ _ _ Dangerous
Dirty _ _ _ _ : _ _ _ _ : _ _ _ _ Clean
Quiet _ _ _ _ : _ _ _ _ : _ _ _ _ Noisy

Open-ended Questions
The options or predefined categories are not suggested. The
respondent replies in their own words without being
constrained by a fixed set of possible responses. Types of
open-ended questions include.
a. Completely unstructured—For example, ‘What is your
opinion on questionnaires?’
b . W o r d a s s o c i a ti o n — W o r d s a r e p r e s e n t e d a n d t h e
respondent mentions the first word that comes to mind.
Example: If interviewer says cold, the respondent may say
hot and the like ones.
c . S e n t e n c e c o m p l e ti o n — R e s p o n d e n t s c o m p l e t e a n
incomplete sentence. For example, ‘The most important
consideration in my decision to buy a new house is . . .’
d. Story completion—Respondents complete an incomplete
story.
e . P i c t u r e c o m p l e ti o n — R e s p o n d e n t s fi l l i n a n e m p t y
conversation balloon.
f. Thematic apperception test—Respondents explain a picture
or make up a story about what they think is happening in
the picture.
Ideal Requisites of a Questionnaire
A questionnaire should:
1. Be composed of a simple and a specific language
2. Demand one answer on one dimension
3. Yield a truthful and accurate answer
4. Accommodate all possible contingencies of a response
5. Have mutually exclusive response options
6. Produce variability in response
7. Minimize social desirability.
Main Aspects of a Questionnaire
There are three main aspects of a questionnaire:
1. General form
2. Question sequence
3. Question formulation and wording.
General Form
A questi onnaire can be either structured or unstructured.
Structured questions are those questions in which there are
definite, concrete and predetermined questions. The questions
are presented with exactly the same wordings and in the same
order to all respondents. A highly structured questionnaire is
one in which all questions and answers are specified and
comments in respondents own words are minimized.
Example: Do you have a driver’s license?
( ) Yes
( ) No
W h e n t h e s e c h a r a c t e r i s ti c s a r e n o t p r e s e n t i n a
questionnaire, it is termed as unstructured or nonstructured
questionnaire. Interviewer is provided with a general guide on
the type of information to be obtained, but the exact question
formulation is largely his own responsibility and replies are
to be taken down in respondent’s own words.
Example: How can we stop dental caries?
Question Sequence
The question sequence must be clear and smoothly moving. A
proper sequence of questions reduces considerably the chances
of individual question being misunderstood. The first few
questions are particularly important because they are likely
to influence the attitude of respondents and in seeking his
desired cooperation.
The following questions should be avoided as opening
questions:
i. Questions that put great strain on memory
ii. Questions of a personal character
iii. Questions related to personal wealth.
Relatively difficult, personal and intimate questions should
be kept toward the end. Thus, question sequence should usually
go from the general to the more specific questions.
Question Formulation and Wording
Question should be very clear and impartial in order not to
give a biased picture of the true state of affairs. In general the
questions should meet the following standards.
Should be:
i. Easily understood
ii. Be simple
iii. Should convey only one thought at a time
iv. Be concrete and conform as much as possible to
respondent’s way of thinking
v. Words with ambiguous meanings must be avoided
vi. Danger words, catch words and words with emotional
connotations must be avoided.
Methods to Reach Target Respondents
Pilot Survey/Pretesting Questions
Pilot survey: A preliminary part of research conducted before
a complete survey to test the effectiveness of the research
methodology.
Purpose of Pretesting
To determine whether:
i. The questions are properly framed
ii. Wording of the questions will achieve the desired results
iii. The questions have been placed in the best order
iv. The questions are understood by all classes of respondents
v. Additional or specifying questions are needed or some
need to be eliminated
vi. Instructions to interviewers are adequate.
Basic Steps in Pretesting
1. Select the sample similar in socioeconomic background
and geographic location which is intended to be used in
the main study
2. Instruct interviewers to note all respondents’ remarks
regarding instructions or question wording.
3. Administer the questionnaire.
4. Check the results.
Reliability
Reliability refers to the extent to which a measurement gives
consistent results. In pretesting of questionnaire, one should
check the following:
a. Inter-interviewer reliability
b. Test-retest reliability
c. Internal consistency reliability.
Inter-interviewer Reliability
T h i s i s u s e d t o a s s e s s d e g r e e t o w h i c h t h e d i ff e r e n t
interviewer’s gives consistent interpretati on of the same
phenomenon in case of interview administered questionnaire.
Test-retest Reliability
This is used to assess the consistency of response from one
time to another.
Both interobserver reliability and test-retest reliability is
checked by kappa statistics. The reliability is acceptable if the
value is 80% or above.
The reliability of the tool is judged by estimating how well
the items reflect the same construct. Will they yield similar
results? This is expressed using the statistical test Cronbach’s
(alpha). It is acceptable if the value is 80% or above. Once the
reliability of tool is proven then one may proceed to test the
validity. If a questionnaire is unreliable then it cannot be valid.
Internal Consistency Reliability
This is used to judge the reliability of the tool by estimating
how consistent the results are for different items of the same
construct.
Example: Impact of dental caries on the activities of daily
living. If the respondent says he has pain due to dental caries
and also tells he does not have trouble eating, that means the
questionnaire is not framed properly.
Internal consistency reliability is expressed using the
statistical test Cronbach’s- [alpha]. It is acceptable if the value
is 80% or above.
Validity
The degree to which a questionnaire measures what it was
intended to measure. In questionnaire we check four types of
validity.
a. Content validity
b. Face validity
c. Criterion validity
d. Construct validity
Content Validity
Refers to the extent to which a tool represents all aspects of a
given social concept. Expert judgment is the primary method
used to determine whether a test/tool have content validity.
Statistical tests are not employed here. If content validity is
acceptable, one can proceed to face validity.
Face Validity
This is an estimate of whether the item of a questionnaire
seems to be appropriate, i.e. at face value are they getting the
response in way the researcher aims to measure.
Face validity can be done using two methods:
1. Interview/Probe method: Here we select a random sample
which is approximately 5 to 10% of final sample size and
administer the questionnaire to them. Then the investigator
will have a detailed discussion with them regarding each
item, assessing their understanding about each question.
Any modification may be done to decide the final format.
2. Bilingual method: It is employed if the tool is translated
into a regional language. Here bilingual expert who is well-
versed in both the languages is employed to assess the
face validity. Ideally it should be done and approved by
official translators.
Criterion Validity
It indicates the effectiveness of questionnaire in predicting
the outcomes of what it measures. The responses on the
questionnaire being developed are checked against on external
criteria or by using gold standard which is direct and
i n d e p e n d e n t m e a s u r e o f w h a t t h e n e w q u e s ti o n n a i r e i s
designed to measure. The criterion validity maybe concurrent
or predictive. It is said to be concurrent when both the tools
are administered simultaneously or predicti ve where the
predictor tool is administered first and after some period a
new tool is administered.
Construct Validity
This refers to the extent to which new questionnaire conforms
(goes along with) to existing ideas or hypothesis concerning
the concepts/constructs that are being measured.
Recognizing Poor Questions through Pretesting
The signs which indicate that there are errors in the early drafts
of the questionnaire are as follows:
1. Lack of order in the answers: This may be due to use of
difficult words or questions which attempt to obtain too
much data at one time.
2. All or none responses: We can suspect that our question
has elicited a mere stereotyped response or cliché, if all
respondents answer the same way.
3. High proporti on of don’t know or do not understand
answers: Large percentage of do not know suggest that
the question is vague, it is too complex, it involves difficult
answers or respondent is simply not in a position to answer
the question.
4. High proportion of refusal to answers: This suggests that
the interviewing instructions or training is insufficient.
Restudy any question for which the refusal rate is over
5% or more.
5. S u b s t a n ti a l v a r i a ti o n i n a n s w e r s w h e n o r d e r o f
questi ons has been changed: Wording of questi ons is
not adequate, first alternatives are chosen more often, or
choice of order is not proper.
CONCLUSION
A questionnaire is a tool which can be used in any type of
research. This article is developed to give in-depth information
about requisites like constructing a questionnaire, pilot testing
them, standardizing them and reframing the poor questions. It
is good practice to ‘pilot’ or pretest your questionnaire with a
small sample of respondents. Before using it to check people’s
understanding and ability to answer the questions, highlight
the areas of confusion and look for any routing errors, as well
as provide an estimate of the average time each questionnaire
will take to complete.
A sincere effort from the authors in bringing about this
article is to help the researchers to improve their ability in
designing a questionnaire. A carefully and accurately designed
questionnaire helps us to collect reliable information