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Surveys with questionnaire
The process of research
Determining the research problem
Choosing the units for analyses
Overview of previous results
Determining hypotheses
Conceptualization
Taking sample
Collecting data
Analyses, interpretations
Publishing results
Questionnaires
Comprehensive category: Types of research, which describes variables
referring to a determined population in a quantitative way
with the help of a pre-determined and unified questionnaire
Questionnaires (Survey method)
They can be used in different phases of research, but their main aera is data collection
With this methods a large population can be examined
Definition of population: the group that the result of the survey referred to.
Definition of sample: that part of the population who are involved in the survey.
Important to note: Filling in the questionnaire is voluntary the number of those submit the questionnaire ranges 5-100%
The number depends on topic and methods
Planning the questionnaire
Planning the questionnaire
The characteristics of population survey
The topic
The prospective methods of analysis and interpretation must be considered.
Phases of a questionnaire study Decision about the information we would like
gather
Definition of the types of questions
Preparing of the first version
Testing the questionnaire
Reviewing the questions
Preparing the final questionnaire
Recording data
Processing data
Information gathered by a questionnaire
Factual information About the responder:
Personal datae.g. How old are you? Highest degree obtained?
Behavioural datae.g. What do you spend your free time with?Do you like reading?How many hours do you watch TV?
About others Personal data
e.g. What is your mothers highest degree?
Behavioural data
e.g. How many hours do your parents watch TV? Based on these question we can compare the responders and the parents responses and draw conclusions about them
Information gathered by a questionnaire
Knowledge e.g. Which food is healthy?
Do you know who the Prime Minister is?
Opinion What do you think about the quality of higher education?
Attitude To what extend do you think the following qualities are true for you?
(Mark your answer on a scale from one to seven /1: The least --- 7: The most/)
Tolerant
Patient …
Motivation Why did you choose this university?
Types of questioning Explicit (direct) questioning
Direct question e.g. (Question to a student)
How many hours did you read yesterday? even those student who did not read at all will feel oblige to answer at least 1 hour
Implicit questioning Indirect question: we deduce the answer to the original
question from the given answer e.g. (Question to a student)
What did you spend yesterday afternoon with? (Please indicate the time after each activity)Studying ….Watching TV ….Playing with the computer ….Reading …. If they didnt read, they will not indicate it.
Types of questions
Open question Projective question
Closed question
Anecdote question
Semi closed question
Question including scaled answered
Open questions
The questions that the responder can answered freely are called open question. The responder answers in there on way and uses there own vocabulary.
Advantages:
The researcher may get unexpected answers
Suitable for revealing unknown data
It is more difficult to influence answers
What do you think about the gym at your school?
Excellent
Acceptable
Bad, because it is too small
Bad, because it is not well equipped
Bad, because the equipment is obsolete
The compensation and the spelling both supplement the characterisation of the person examined.
Disadvantage: The variations make the processing more difficult.
Projective question
The question is a situation without an end. The responder should finish this story. E.g. Wolfgang arrives at school but he hasn’t done the homework for the
math's lesson. What should he do?
Psychologists have proved that responders give a more honest answer if the subject of the story is an unkonwn person.
Closed questions
Alternative question: Yes/No question
Usually two options can be given for the answer, but sometimes there is a third options. „I don't know”
E.g. Does your mother have a university degree?
Yes
No
I don't know
Multiply choose question More options for the answers (a, b, c, d, ….)
It has to contain all options, but for this, the examined population has to be known
Anecdotal question
The question describes a situation, and offers multiply ending. Mr. Schmidt arrives is late for work, because he celebrated his
birthday the previous night. As soon as he enters the office building he meets his boss.What should he say?
A. I am late because I got stuck in a traffic jam.
B. I am late because I celebrated my birthday last night.
C. I am late but you have also been late several times recently.
This question type is frequent is implicit question.
Closed questions used in test (Special aera)
Complex multiply test We give statements and the correctness of these is combined in the
answers.
E.g. in English lesson: Question:„I should have had my bicycle repaired.
Grammatical structures you can choose from:I. passiveII. necessity pastIII. reported speechIV. conditional causativeWhich grammatical structures can you find in this sentence?”
Answers:A. I. és II.B. I., II. and IV.C. II. and IV.
Closed questions used in test (Special aera) Associations:
Tasks in which the respondent has to find the correct order
Or
Matching different units
Relation analysis It examines the understanding of causality
When in a compound sentence the respondent has to decide whether the first half or the second half is true, and if the two parts are correct it has to be decided whether there is a connection between them.
E.g. „The number of sunny days in Bremen is lower than in Budaoest, because Bremen lies north of Budapest.”
1. Half 2. Half Relation
A. True True Yes
B. True True No
C. True False -
D. False True -
E. False False -
Advantages and disadvantages of close question Advantages:
Offers options for the responder that they may disregard
Standardized way of filling in easy processing
Directly suitable for statistical processing.
Disadvantages:
If not all the possible answers are included it will distort
The responder chooses an answer, because they find it attractive and not because it typifies their own opinion.
Semi-closed questions
They combines the advantages of the open and closed questions.
Besides the option offered’ we can find the other: … category
The responder may add a new item to the list if they don’t find an appropriate pre-written answer
Evaluation scales
They determine the presence or the obscene of a phenomenon
Types: Graphic scales:
Numeric scales
Descriptive scales
The rules of preparing of questionnaire
Clear wording
Avoid ambiguous questions E.g: What do you think about dealing writing less and with speaking
more in the English lessons?The problem is that the responder may agree with the first half of the question but may not agree with the second half because may think about an other alternative e.g. that they should do more reading or listening in English lessons.
It’s better to ask shorter questions
Avoid negative question E.g. Don’t you like sports?
Avoid suggestive questions E.g. Nuclear power stations should be closed, shouldn’t they?
The rules of preparing of questionnaire Do not economize on paper
Use conditional questions
Or use skipping instructions
Give instruction at the beginning of the questionnaire.
Testing
Test the questionnaire on samples that represent the population to be examined.
Researcher must be present
After filling in the questionnaire it is advisable to ask about the responders opinion
Reviewing the questions
Content: Is the given question necessary?
Do the questions cover the examined topics.
Are new questions necessary?
Do the responders possess the require information?
Do the responders give the require information?(With taboo topics it is comment that they don’t do not use direct questions)
E.g. Direct question: Do you smoke? Yes/no
Better: How many cigarettes do you smoke a day?
If we get numerous similar answers we should think it over whether we have suggested those answers.
E.g. What do you think about iPhone revolution?
Reviewing the questions
Wording: Is the question understandable?
Is the question clear?
Use only one aspect per question. E.g Where and how do you learn English?
We must examine whether facts and desires are separated?
E.g. Bad question:What is your favorite holiday place?
Good question:Which is the best holiday place you have ever been to?OrWhat is your dream destination that you haven’t been to?
Reviewing the questions
Order: Is it proper?
It is advisable to start with the simple questions Factual question first, than attitude question then.
Some kind of logic helps the responder e.g.: Chronological, Topic
Processing We have to decide the processing methods. Decision about the necessary information
E.g.: Name, Sex, Age etc. We can not make up for this information later
Preparing the final questionnaire
It must be known Whether the researcher will be present during the filling in,
if not, clear instruction necessary E.g.: Circular the correct answers.
You must mark one answer, the option for several anwers will be indicated.
Introduction is useful It should be motivating
Ensure the responder about anonymity (Even if the name is asked for, we should ensure the responders that we will consider there personality rights)
Sending the questions to the responders
The questionnaire available at the place of the research
(workplace, school, library readers who are members of the library)
Questionnaires sent by post
(E.g.: library potential readers)
Questionnaire with interlocutor
They must be trustworthy Clothing is important they should be
similar to the responders They must know the questionnaire as if
they were talking They must know the aim of the
questionnaire The shouldn’t divert from the text They should record the answers correctly
The interlocutor must be trained.
Designing online questionnaire
Advantages and disadvantages ofpaper-format questionnaires
Advantages:
Tactile
Easier to flip through and to review
Even those without ICT competence can use it.
Disadvantages:
Expensive
It is complicated to have the questionnaire filled in
Processing is time consuming and costly
Scanning answer sheets maybe helpful
But…
Digital literacy changes our habits
The means of communication have changed The effect of the development of the ICT can be used when designing
questionnaire
Advantages and disadvantages of online questionnaire Advantages:
Cheaper but not free (designing and creating online questionnaires and data processing are time and money consuming just like with the paper questionnaires)
Easier to send them to the responders
Easier to create and address list using databanks
Disadvantages:
Consumer society constantly bombarding us with questionnaires Apathy
Low fill-in rate
Exception: when the topic affects the people and on an emotional basis they think it is important to express their opinion.
A computer is needed to fill-in the questionnaire
We may loose responders
Paper or online questionnaire?
The answer is not given!
It depends on the Situation
Topic
Target group.
In some cases both computer and paper based questionnaire can be used.
Practice
Task 1.
Let’s make an online questionnaire!
Online questionnaire creating software's
Pay-sites
Frequest.com
Profilsurvey.com
Free-sites
Limesurvey.com
Gmail.com
Step 1.
Log on to your gmail account!
If you don’t have one, please create it!