Chapter Six- Designing the questionarie
1. Value of questionarie in marketing research
- Questionnaire= A formal framework consisting of a set of questions and scales designed to generate
primary raw data
- This chapter focuses on the importance of questionnaire design and the process that should be
undertaken in the development of data collection instruments
2. Pilot studies and pretests
- “pilot study” and “pretest” interchangeably referring to the same meaning, that is, a smaller scale
study before the actual study
- A pilot study is a small-scale version of the intended main research study, including all the
subcomponents that make up the main study, such as the data collection and analysis, from about 50
to 200 respondents who are representative of the main study’s defined target population
While pilot studies can be included in any form of research (i.e., exploratory, descriptive, or causal
research designs), they are most often associated with empirical descriptive or predictive quantitative
research studies
- a pretest is a descriptive research activity representing a small-scale investigation of 10 to 30 subjects
that are representative of the main study’s defined target population but focus on a specific
subcomponent of the main study
3. Questionnaire design
Step 1: Confirm research objectives and information requirements
Step 2: Select appropriate data collection method
Step 3: Develop questions and scaling
Unstructured questions= Open-ended questions formatted to allow respondents to reply in their own
words
Structured questions= Closed-ended questions that require the respondent to choose from a
predetermined set of responses or scale points
Sensitive questions= Include income, sexual beliefs or behaviors, medical conditions, financial difficulties,
alcohol consumption, and so forth that respondents are likely to respond to incorrectly
Bad questions= Any questions that prevent or distort the fundamental communication between the
researcher and the respondents
Skip questions= Used if the next question (or set of questions) should be responded to only by respondents
who meet a previous condition
Step 4: Determine layout and evaluate questionnaire
Introductory section= Gives the respondent an over-view of the research
Screening questions (also referred to as screeners or filter questions) Used in most questionnaires, their
purpose is to identify qualified prospective respondents and prevent unqualified respondents from being
included in the study
Research questions section= The second section of the questionnaire that focuses on the research
questions
Response order bias= Occurs when the order of the questions, or of the closed-end responses to a
particular question, influences the answer given
Common methods variance (CMV)= A biased variance that results from the measurement method used in a
questionnaire
Step 5: Obtain initial client approval
Institutional Review Board (IRB)= An IRB reviews and approves, prior to initiation, all research projects that
involve the use of human participants as the source of data, to make sure their rights are protected
Step 6: Pretest, revise, and finalize questionnaire
Step 7: Implement the survey
4. The role of a cover letter and introductory section
- Cover letter= A separate written communication to a prospective respondent designed to enhance
that person’s willingness to complete and return the survey in a timely manner
Good cover letters increase response rates
Guidelines for developing cover letters and questionnaire introductory sections
5. Other considerations in collecting data
5.1. Supervisor Instructions
- Supervisor instruction form= A form that serves as a blueprint for training people on how to execute
the interviewing process in a standardized fashion; it outlines the process by which to conduct a study
that uses personal and tele-phone interviewers
5.2. Interviewer Instructions
- Interviewer instructions= Used to train interviewers how to select prospective respondents, screen
them for eligibility, and conduct the actual interview
5.3. Screening questions
- Screening questions ensure the respondents included in a study are qualified and representative of
the defined target population
- Screening questions are used to confirm the eligibility of a prospective respondent for inclusion in the
survey and to ensure that certain types of respondents are not included in the study
5.4. Quotas
- Quotas= A tracking system that collects data from respondents and helps ensure that subgroups are
represented in the sample as specified
5.5. Call or contract records
- Call records= A recording document that gathers basic summary information about an interviewer’s
performance efficiency (e.g., number of contact attempts, number of completed interviews, length of
time of interview).
