Page 78 - DLIS401_METHODOLOGY_OF_RESEARCH_AND_STATISTICAL_TECHNIQUES

Unit 5: Research Techniques and Tools

• critical incidents Notes

• portfolios.

Questionnaires

Questionnaires are a popular means of collecting data, but are difficult to design and often
require many rewrites before an acceptable questionnaire is produced.
Advantages:

• Can be used as a method in its own right or as a basis for interviewing or a telephone survey.
• Can be posted, e-mailed or faxed.
• Can cover a large number of people or organisations.
• Wide geographic coverage.

• Relatively cheap.
• No prior arrangements are needed.
• Avoids embarrassment on the part of the respondent.
• Respondent can consider responses.

• Possible anonymity of respondent.
• No interviewer bias.
Disadvantages:
• Design problems.

• Questions have to be relatively simple.
• Historically low response rate (although inducements may help).
• Time delay whilst waiting for responses to be returned.
• Require a return deadline.

• Several reminders may be required.
• Assumes no literacy problems.
• No control over who completes it.
• Not possible to give assistance if required.

• Problems with incomplete questionnaires.
• Replies not spontaneous and independent of each other.
• Respondent can read all questions beforehand and then decide whether to complete or
not. For example, perhaps because it is too long, too complex, uninteresting, or too
personal.

Notes A distinction can be made between questionnaires with questions that measure
separate variables, and questionnaires with questions that are aggregated into either
a scale or index. Questionnaires within the former category are commonly part of
surveys, whereas questionnaires in the latter category are commonly part of tests.

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