Interviews and Questionnaires
- Questionnaires are printed forms that ask the same questions of all individuals in the sample and for which respindents record their answers in verbal form.
- Interviews consist of oral questions asked by the interviewer and oral responses by the research participants.
Advantages of Questionnaires include:
- The cost of samping respondents is lower
- Less time is involved in collecting data
A major disadvantage of questionnaires is that there no ability to probe respondents regarding their responses.
Advantages of Interviews include:
- Interviews are adaptable
- Interviews can follow up with a respondents answer to ask why they believe, feel, or responded accordingly
Disadvantage:
- Time
- Cost for training and observation equipment
- Questionnaires are printed forms that ask the same questions of all individuals in the sample and for which respindents record their answers in verbal form.
- Interviews consist of oral questions asked by the interviewer and oral responses by the research participants.
Advantages of Questionnaires include:
- The cost of samping respondents is lower
- Less time is involved in collecting data
A major disadvantage of questionnaires is that there no ability to probe respondents regarding their responses.
Advantages of Interviews include:
- Interviews are adaptable
- Interviews can follow up with a respondents answer to ask why they believe, feel, or responded accordingly
Disadvantage:
- Time
- Cost for training and observation equipment
Steps in constructing questionnaires and interviews
Questionnaires
1. Define the research objectives
2. Select the sample
- Consideration: Conduct background analysis on the desired group to ensure they have the desired knowledge of the situation being studied.
3. Design the questionnaire
- Anonymity of respondents-will respondents be anonymous?
Advantage of this type of questionnaire is that you usually get more honest responses.
- Item Form-using language that is understood by your respondents. Some words have several meanings, be cautious.Also, consider whether you will have open or closed form responses.
- Use of Questionnaire in the Measurement of Attitudes-the most common approach to measurement of attitudes with questionnaire is to use a Likert scale.
- Web Questionnaires-often used to offset costs and can be interactive which respondents often respond well to.
4. Pilot test the questionnaire
Pilot-testing can allow the respondents to let you know what they liked and did not like about the questionnaire.
In addition, the pilot testing can let you measure the data collected to ensure the questions are measuring your proposed hypotheses.
5. Pre-contacting the sample
Always pre-contact the sample to introduce yourself, the purpose of the study, and ask for participation and cooperation.
Do not send the questionnaire with this letter or postcard.
6. Write a cover letter
- The cover letter must emphasis the importance of the research. If you can link the research with a professional organization with the respondents can identify with is recommended.
- The cover letter should explain the date the questionnaire is due on or before.
- The cover letter should insure confidentiality and discuss any informed consent the study will maintain or disclose.
- The cover letter should again thank the participant for their time.
7. Follow up with non-respondents
- Contact those who did not respond
- Use a follow-up letter with another questionnaire
- Ask yourself
- More than 20% missing?
8. Analyzing the questionnaire data
- Qualitative research-forced-choiced answers can be coded & entered into the Ecstatic analysis program for quantitative data.
- Comments & open-ended answers can be entered into a program to help code and sort respendents' words to find patterns.
- Quantitative data can be analyzed by using statistical methods.
1. Define the research objectives
2. Select the sample
- Consideration: Conduct background analysis on the desired group to ensure they have the desired knowledge of the situation being studied.
3. Design the questionnaire
- Anonymity of respondents-will respondents be anonymous?
Advantage of this type of questionnaire is that you usually get more honest responses.
- Item Form-using language that is understood by your respondents. Some words have several meanings, be cautious.Also, consider whether you will have open or closed form responses.
- Use of Questionnaire in the Measurement of Attitudes-the most common approach to measurement of attitudes with questionnaire is to use a Likert scale.
- Web Questionnaires-often used to offset costs and can be interactive which respondents often respond well to.
4. Pilot test the questionnaire
Pilot-testing can allow the respondents to let you know what they liked and did not like about the questionnaire.
In addition, the pilot testing can let you measure the data collected to ensure the questions are measuring your proposed hypotheses.
5. Pre-contacting the sample
Always pre-contact the sample to introduce yourself, the purpose of the study, and ask for participation and cooperation.
Do not send the questionnaire with this letter or postcard.
6. Write a cover letter
- The cover letter must emphasis the importance of the research. If you can link the research with a professional organization with the respondents can identify with is recommended.
- The cover letter should explain the date the questionnaire is due on or before.
- The cover letter should insure confidentiality and discuss any informed consent the study will maintain or disclose.
- The cover letter should again thank the participant for their time.
7. Follow up with non-respondents
- Contact those who did not respond
- Use a follow-up letter with another questionnaire
- Ask yourself
- More than 20% missing?
8. Analyzing the questionnaire data
- Qualitative research-forced-choiced answers can be coded & entered into the Ecstatic analysis program for quantitative data.
- Comments & open-ended answers can be entered into a program to help code and sort respendents' words to find patterns.
- Quantitative data can be analyzed by using statistical methods.
Interviews
1. Define the purpose of the interview
- Level of structure
- Types of questions
- Interviewer qualifications
2. Select the sample
3. Designing the interview format
4. Developing questions
- Unstructured interview in Quantitative & Informal conversational interview in qualitative research involve on-the-spot formulation of questions.
- In unstructured interviews, the formulation of good questions depend on the interviewer's ability.
- In structured interviews, guides are best.
5. Selecting and training
- You will need to decide how many interviewers to employ and whether they must include special qualities.
- The most important selection criterion is the interviewer's ability to relate to respondents positively.
- Distinctive respondents-researchers need to address and be sensitive to differences as it relates to gender, class, race, etc. of participants.
- Respondents as interviewers-some researchers recommend selecting interviewers from the respondent target population.
6. Pilot-testing
The interview guide should be pilot-tested to ensure that they will yield unbiased data.
The pilot test can be used to identify threatening questions.
Interviewers should consider selecting a subgroup from the pilot sample to check the wording of interview questions.
Validity can be threatened when one question is interpreted differently by different respondents.
7. Conducting the interview
8.Analyzing interview data
The analysis of responses to open-form questions requires the development of a category system.
George Kuh's study involved a five-step procedure that used a semi-structured interview guide. Each mention of an outcome in an interview was coded as an instance of a particular category.
In using the grounded theory approach, a researcher would use constant comparison to compare entries within and across categories. The researcher would be likely to generate constructs, themes, and patterns from the categorical data.
1. Define the purpose of the interview
- Level of structure
- Types of questions
- Interviewer qualifications
2. Select the sample
3. Designing the interview format
4. Developing questions
- Unstructured interview in Quantitative & Informal conversational interview in qualitative research involve on-the-spot formulation of questions.
- In unstructured interviews, the formulation of good questions depend on the interviewer's ability.
- In structured interviews, guides are best.
5. Selecting and training
- You will need to decide how many interviewers to employ and whether they must include special qualities.
- The most important selection criterion is the interviewer's ability to relate to respondents positively.
- Distinctive respondents-researchers need to address and be sensitive to differences as it relates to gender, class, race, etc. of participants.
- Respondents as interviewers-some researchers recommend selecting interviewers from the respondent target population.
6. Pilot-testing
The interview guide should be pilot-tested to ensure that they will yield unbiased data.
The pilot test can be used to identify threatening questions.
Interviewers should consider selecting a subgroup from the pilot sample to check the wording of interview questions.
Validity can be threatened when one question is interpreted differently by different respondents.
7. Conducting the interview
8.Analyzing interview data
The analysis of responses to open-form questions requires the development of a category system.
George Kuh's study involved a five-step procedure that used a semi-structured interview guide. Each mention of an outcome in an interview was coded as an instance of a particular category.
In using the grounded theory approach, a researcher would use constant comparison to compare entries within and across categories. The researcher would be likely to generate constructs, themes, and patterns from the categorical data.
Questionnaires and interviews can be used to collect data about phenomena that is not directly observable (e.g. inner experiences, opinions, values, interests, etc.)
They are more convenient to use than direct observation when used for collecting data on observable behavior.
Both hava advantages and disadvantages that the researcher must consider.
Both require similar steps of design in terms of data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
Planning is key for both in terms of training and equipment need to successfully conduct the study.
Refrence: Gall, Meredith D., Gall, Joyce P., &Borg, Walter R (2007). Educational research (8th Edition), A B Longman Publishing, ISBN:0-321-08189-7
They are more convenient to use than direct observation when used for collecting data on observable behavior.
Both hava advantages and disadvantages that the researcher must consider.
Both require similar steps of design in terms of data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
Planning is key for both in terms of training and equipment need to successfully conduct the study.
Refrence: Gall, Meredith D., Gall, Joyce P., &Borg, Walter R (2007). Educational research (8th Edition), A B Longman Publishing, ISBN:0-321-08189-7