Questionnaire design

Question types

Type	Formulation	Example	Type
To find if the respondent is aware of an issue	Answers will depend on information already available and the source of that information	Do you know of any plans to build a motorway between Cambridge and Norwich?	Yes/No
To get general feelings on an issue	Collecting knowledge is different then solicit an opinion	Do you think a motorway should be built?	Strongly agree/Agree/Neither agree or disagree/Disagree/Strongly disagree
To get answers on specific parts of the issue	Use a checklist like format including different aspect on the issue	Do you think a motorway will affect the local environment?	Yes/No
To get reasons for a respondent's views	Precoded questions	If against, are you against the building of this motorway because....	List of different options
	Open questions	Why are you against the motorway being built
To find how strongly these views are held		Which of the following would you be prepared to do to support your view (write, sign petition, speak in pulic, go on demonstration)	List of options
		How important is the Hall that would be demolished if the motorway is built	Numerically-base rating scale

Question wording Try to prevent the following:

• Two or more questions as one
• Questions that contain difficult or unfamiliar words
• Questions which start with words meant to software hardness or directness
• Questions which contain conditional or hypothetical clauses
• Questions which contain one or more instructions to respondents

Part of M7-Quantitative Decision Methods-S1 - Managing Data and Survey Methods