In research work, one of the most important tasks is to deal with data collection. There are several methods of data collection, including questionnaire. Even data collection through a questionnaire is one of the most popular techniques to get accurate information. The best thing about a questionnaire is that you can use it for qualitative and quantitative research. The use of a questionnaire is very convenient but demands high attention in its design. Every research has a particular problem to discuss, and you are supposed to keep that problem highlighted in a questionnaire. Also, a questionnaire should have straightforward questions which should be easy to understand for most of the audience. There should not be any need to guidance for every question. To incorporate all the best points, you should be good at designing a questionnaire. As per its importance, this article aims to discuss the steps to design a questionnaire for research.
Which Steps Can Help You Design A Questionnaire For Research?
You can design an effective questionnaire by learning 7 basic steps. These 7 steps are mentioned below:
Determine And Set A Goal For Questionnaire
The first step in designing a questionnaire is to determine its goal. For this step, you do not have to put much effort because the goal of your research is same as the goal for your questionnaire. Now, what you have to do is to align the goal of research and questionnaire. In this way, you can better make a good connection between the question with your research’s problem.
There are some factors which can help you in this step. It includes the following things that you should keep in your mind while designing a questionnaire for research:
- The scope of your research should be clear to you
- You should know what type of data you are supposed to collect. In this way, you will get a particular direction to follow
- Define the boundaries to know how much data is required
- The questions in your form should be the reflection of key research questions
- Also, you should be familiar with the research approach
Define Sample Size For Research
Defining the sample size for research is an important aspect. Without knowing the sample size, you cannot design a good questionnaire. So, you should define it at the very start of designing the questionnaire for research. Based on the research problem, you can limit the potential audience. One effective tip related to sample size is that it should be large enough to represent the targeted audience. Small sample size is not considered as a good option to define reliable results, while a large sample size can help you come up with valuable results. In this way, you can get more insights into a particular problem. There are several methods which can work for you to define the sample size, including probability and non-probability sampling. If you find yourself unsure about defining sample size, you can consult professionals working at masters dissertation help.
Work On The Language Of Questionnaire
The questionnaire for research should not have very complex terminologies, and there should not be any vague statements. All you have to do is to ensure simple language and clear statements while designing a questionnaire. For most of the respondents, it should be easy to understand the purpose of statement. If some respondents feel confused about the questions, it means you have to change those questions. This step plays a vital role in collecting reliable data for research. As a tip, you should consider that you have to avoid jargon.
Keep The Question Type Clear
There are two types of questions including open-ended and close-ended questions. Now, you have to see which type of question fits best to your questionnaire for research. For selecting the type of question, you can see your research method. With qualitative research design, you can have open-ended questions, while quantitative research design asks for close-ended questions.
In close-ended questions, you have to provide limited options. So, the respondent is bound to select an answer from the given options. Respondents feel comfortable with such questions because it does not take much time to fill the questionnaire. For example,
What is your age group?
- 31-40
- 41-50
- 51-60
- 61-70
Furthermore, open-ended questions are flexible, and respondents are free to add details to them. These types of questions are made to get insights into a research problem. The responses to such questions are tricky to manage, and you have to be careful about them.
Length Of Questions
At the time of working on the question type, you have to keep it short and change its length based on the requirement of study. The unnecessarily lengthy questions do not work well, and respondents start ignoring the main context. Also, do not repeat one thing over and over.
Sequence Of Questions
In a questionnaire, the sequence of questions matters a lot to engage the respondent and ensure the logical flow. You are supposed to add questions related to demographic information first. After that, there should be a socio-economic question to engage the respondent. Now, finally, you can add technical questions.
Authentication Of A Questionnaire For Research
In order to get reliable results from the study, you are supposed to go for authentication of a questionnaire for research. For this purpose, the best approach is to ask three to four groups to have a look at your questionnaire for research. In this way, you can get feedback if the questions are directly linked with the problem statement of study.
Final Thoughts
Designing a questionnaire for research is an important task which needs your high attention so that you can craft it very well. You can make this easy and enjoyable by following the above-mentioned points. By following the same sequence of steps, you can get effective results after collecting data from respondents. If you do not find that the questionnaire is effective, reread the points and get the core purpose for making amendments to a questionnaire.
