Chapter FourteenChapter FourteenQuestionnaire Questionnaire DevelopmentDevelopment

Angela Gillis & Winston JacksonAngela Gillis & Winston Jackson

Nursing Research: Methods and Nursing Research: Methods and interpretationinterpretation

Questionnaire DesignQuestionnaire Design

General GuidelinesGeneral Guidelines

Types of Questions IllustratedTypes of Questions Illustrated

Steps and Rules for Questionnaire DesignSteps and Rules for Questionnaire Design

Rules for Ordering, Formatting, & Rules for Ordering, Formatting, & PresentingPresenting

General GuidelinesGeneral Guidelines

Consult respondentConsult respondent

Keep it shortKeep it short

Precise measurementPrecise measurement

Types of Questions IllustratedTypes of Questions Illustrated

Precoded, single choice questionsPrecoded, single choice questions

4. What year of schoolare you in? 4. What year of schoolare you in? Freshman‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑- ‑- 1Freshman‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑- ‑- 1 Sophomore‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ Sophomore‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ - - - 2- - - 2 Junior‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑---‑‑‑‑3Junior‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑---‑‑‑‑3 Senior‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑- - Senior‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑- - - ‑4- ‑4

Single Choice QuestionSingle Choice Question The population of the place I considered my

hometown when growing up was:

Rural area --------------------1

town under 5,000 --------------2

5,000 to 19,999 ---------------3

20,000 to 99,999 --------------4

100,000 to 999,999 ------------5

1,000,000 or over -------------6

Open-ended QuestionsOpen-ended Questions20. Approximately, what was your average in your final year of high school? % 21. What is (or was) your father's occupation? (e.g., foreman, railway machine shop...supervises work of about 25 people.) Job -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brief Job Description ---------------------------------------------------

Open-ended QuestionsOpen-ended Questions

22. In what year were you born? 1 9 . 23. What is the one thing that you would like to see changed at the university health and counseling center? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Use open-ended when...Use open-ended when...

Too many response categories (yr. of Too many response categories (yr. of birth)birth)

you don’t wish to impose categories on you don’t wish to impose categories on respondentrespondent

““really” consulting respondentreally” consulting respondent

qualitative--source of quotationsqualitative--source of quotations

determining appropriate categorizationdetermining appropriate categorization

change-in-pace for respondentchange-in-pace for respondent

Presence-absence questionsPresence-absence questions23. Have you ever had contact with handicapped in any of these groups? (Circle to indicate "yes" or "no" for each group.)

Yes No Community 1 0 Family 1 0 Relatives 1 0 Elementary school class 1 0 Junior high school class 1 0 Senior high school class 1 0 University class 1 0 As co-worker 1 0

Rank Ordering QuestionsRank Ordering Questions31. Rank order the three most important things you want in your nursing job? (Place a 1 beside the most important one; a 2 beside thenext important one; and a 3 beside the next most important one.)

High salary------------------- _____

Satisfaction------------------ ____

Continued interest----------- _____

Power------------------------- _____

Prestige---------------------- _____

Excitement-------------------- _____

Likert Style QuestionsLikert Style Questions

In the following items, circle a number to indicate the extentto which you agree or disagree with each statement. 52. I would quit my present job if I won $1,000,000 througha lottery. Strongly Disagree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Strongly Agree 53. I would be satisfied if my child followed the same type ofcareer as I have. Strongly Disagree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Strongly Agree

Tips for Likert Style QuestionsTips for Likert Style Questions

“ “and” alert: avoid multidimentionaland” alert: avoid multidimentional

““strongly agree” always on right sidestrongly agree” always on right side

avoid double negatives--use direct avoid double negatives--use direct negative statementsnegative statements

vary “strength of wording” to produce vary “strength of wording” to produce variation in responsevariation in response

make all respondents feel comfortablemake all respondents feel comfortable

Steps in Questionnaire DesignSteps in Questionnaire Design

List variablesList variables

Anticipate how analysis will be doneAnticipate how analysis will be done

write wordings on index cards (one per Q)write wordings on index cards (one per Q)

review conceptual definitionsreview conceptual definitions

develop wordingsdevelop wordings

Developing wordingsDeveloping wordings

Simple wordings, common understandingSimple wordings, common understanding

watch for “and” alertwatch for “and” alert

vary wording to produce variation in vary wording to produce variation in repliesreplies

avoid difficult tasks--KISSavoid difficult tasks--KISS

use existing wording if comparative studyuse existing wording if comparative study

take edge off sensitive questionstake edge off sensitive questions

no speculation on hypothesisno speculation on hypothesis

Develop Wordings (2)Develop Wordings (2)

Be precise--but not overly…Be precise--but not overly…

Pre-test questionnairePre-test questionnaire

Pilot studyPilot study

Ordering the QuestionsOrdering the Questions

Introduce--use blurb to introduce survey Introduce--use blurb to introduce survey and to assure confidentiality and and to assure confidentiality and anonymityanonymity

ease them into itease them into it

key and repeated questions at 1/3 pointkey and repeated questions at 1/3 point

group questions by type--don’t jerk aroundgroup questions by type--don’t jerk around

Formatting the QuestionsFormatting the Questions

begin conditioning respondentsbegin conditioning respondents

anticipate computer data entryanticipate computer data entry

vary placement of response categoriesvary placement of response categories

clearly indicate branchingclearly indicate branching

don’t squeezedon’t squeeze

distinctive lookdistinctive look

Question StylesQuestion Styles

1. Babbie Format Style for Fixed-Choice Responses: 23. Have you ever smoked marijuana? [ ] Yes [ ] No 2. Dillman Format Style for Fixed-Choice Responses: Q-22 Your Sex (Circle number of your answer) 1 MALE 2 FEMALE

Question Styles (2)Question Styles (2)3. Krahn Format Style for Fixed Choice Responses: 54. In the past year, has any member of your immediate family

(not counting yourself) been unemployed (out of work and looking for work)?

No ....... 1 Yes ...... 2 4. Jackson Format Style for Fixed-Choice Responses:

What year are you in?

Freshman---------------1

Sophomore-------------2

Junior-------------------3

Senior-------------------4

Branching QuestionsBranching Questions9. Have you smoked any cigarettes in the past seven days? Yes ---------1 No ----------2

9.1 If Yes: How much did yousmoke in the past week?

Less than one package--1 1 to 3 packages----------2 4 or more packages------3 ¦

Sample QuestionnairesSample Questionnaires

There are 150 (or so) questionnaires on There are 150 (or so) questionnaires on the Website for the text. These include the Website for the text. These include those used in surveys developed with those used in surveys developed with students for Sociology & Nursing 300 students for Sociology & Nursing 300 projects. You can look them up by topic or projects. You can look them up by topic or by author.by author.

See: www.stfx.ca/people/agillisSee: www.stfx.ca/people/agillisClick on FA Davis BookClick on FA Davis Book