What is a Questionnaire?

A questionnaire is a research instrument that consists of a set of questions or other types of

prompts that aims to collect information from a respondent. A research questionnaire is
typically a mix of close-ended questions and open-ended questions.

The data collected from a data collection questionnaire can be both qualitative as well
as quantitative in nature. A questionnaire may or may not be delivered in the form of
a survey, but a survey always consists of a questionnaire.

A questionnaire is a research tool consisting of a set of questions or other ‘prompts’ to

collect data from a set of respondents.

When used in most research, a questionnaire will consist of a number of types of questions
(primarily open-ended and closed) in order to gain both quantitative data that can be
analyzed to draw conclusions, and qualitative data to provide longer, more specific
explanations.

Advantages of using a questionnaire

1. Questionnaires are relatively cheap

Depending on the complexity of your study, using a questionnaire can be cost effective
compared to other methods.

You simply need to write your survey questionnaire, and send it out and then process the
responses.

You can set up an online questionnaire relatively easily, or simply carry out market research
on the street if that’s the best method.

2. You can get and analyze results quickly

Again depending on the size of your survey you can get results back from a questionnaire
quickly, often within 24 hours of putting the questionnaire live.

It also means you can start to analyze responses quickly too.

3. They’re easily scalable

You can easily send an online questionnaire to anyone in the world and with the right
software you can quickly identify your target audience and your questionnaire to them.

4. Questionnaires are easy to analyze

If your questionnaire design has been done properly, it’s quick and easy to analyze results
from questionnaires once responses start to come back.

This is particularly useful with large scale market research projects.

Because all respondents are answering the same questions, it’s simple to identify trends.

5. You can use the results to make accurate decisions

As a research instrument, a questionnaire is ideal for commercial research because the data
you get back is from your target audience (or ideal customers) and the information you get
back on their thoughts, preferences or behaviors allows you to make business decisions.

6. A questionnaire can cover any topic

One of the biggest advantages of using questionnaires when conducting research is

(because you can adapt them using different types and styles of open ended questions and
closed ended questions) they can be used to gather data on almost any topic.

There are many types of questionnaires you can design to gather both quantitative data and
qualitative data - so they’re a useful tool for all kinds of data analysis.

Disadvantages of using a questionnaire

1. Respondents could lie

This is by far the biggest risk with a questionnaire, especially when dealing with sensitive
topics.

Rather than give their actual opinion, a respondent might feel pressured to give the answer
they deem more socially acceptable, which doesn’t give you accurate results.
2. Respondents might not answer every question

There are all kinds of reasons respondents might not answer every question, from
questionnaire length, they might not understand what’s being asked, or they simply might
not want to answer it.

If you get questionnaires back without complete responses it could negatively affect your
research data and provide an inaccurate picture.

3. They might interpret what’s being asked incorrectly

This is a particular problem when running a survey across geographical boundaries and
often comes down to the design of the survey questionnaire.

If your questions aren’t written in a very clear way, the respondent might misunderstand
what’s being asked and provide an answer that doesn’t reflect what they actually think.

Again this can negatively affect your research data.

4. You could introduce bias

The whole point of producing a questionnaire is to gather accurate data from which
decisions can be made or conclusions drawn.

But the data collected can be heavily impacted if the researchers accidentally introduce bias
into the questions.

This can be easily done if the researcher is trying to prove a certain hypothesis with their
questionnaire, and unwittingly write questions that push people towards giving a certain
answer.

In these cases respondents’ answers won’t accurately reflect what is really happening and
stop you gathering more accurate data.

5. Respondents could get survey fatigue

One issue you can run into when sending out a questionnaire, particularly if you send them
out regularly to the same survey sample, is that your respondents could start to suffer from
survey fatigue.
In these circumstances, rather than thinking about the response options in the
questionnaire and providing accurate answers, respondents could start to just tick boxes to
get through the questionnaire quickly.

Types

As we explored before, questionnaires can be either structured or free-flowing.

 Structured Questionnaires: Structured questionnaires collect quantitative data. The

questionnaire is planned and designed to gather precise information. It also
initiates a formal inquiry, supplements data, checks previously accumulated data,
and helps validate any prior hypothesis.
 Unstructured Questionnaires: Unstructured questionnaires collect qualitative data.
They use a basic structure and some branching questions but nothing that limits
the responses of a respondent. The questions are more open-ended to collect
specific data from participants.

Types of questions in a questionnaire

You can use multiple question types in a questionnaire. Using various question types can
help increase responses to your research questionnaire as they tend to keep participants
more engaged. The best customer satisfaction survey templates are the most commonly
used for better insights and decision-making.

Some of the widely used types of questions are:

 Open-Ended Questions: Open-ended questions help collect qualitative data in a

questionnaire where the respondent can answer in a free form with little to no
restrictions.
 Dichotomous Questions: The dichotomous question is generally a “yes/no” close-
ended question. This question is usually used in case of the need for necessary
validation. It is the most natural form of a questionnaire.
 Multiple-Choice Questions: Multiple-choice questions are a close-ended question
type in which a respondent has to select one (single-select multiple-choice
question) or many (multi-select multiple choice question) responses from a given
list of options. The multiple-choice question consists of an incomplete stem
(question), right answer or answers, incorrect answers, close alternatives, and
distractors. Of course, not all multiple-choice questions have all of the answer
types. For example, you probably won’t have the wrong or right answers if you’re
looking for customer opinion.
 Scaling Questions: These questions are based on the principles of the four
measurement scales – nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. A few of the question
types that utilize these scales’ fundamental properties are rank order
 questions, Likert scale questions, semantic differential scale questions, and Stapel
scale questions.
 Pictorial Questions: This question type is easy to use and encourages respondents to
answer. It works similarly to a multiple-choice question. Respondents are asked a
question, and the answer choices are images. This helps respondents choose an
answer quickly without over-thinking their answers, giving you more accurate
data.

Types of Questionnaires based on Distribution

Questionnaires can be administered or distributed in the following forms:

 Online Questionnaire: In this type, respondents are sent the questionnaire via email
or other online mediums. This method is generally cost-effective and time-
efficient. Respondents can also answer at leisure. Without the pressure to respond
immediately, responses may be more accurate. The disadvantage, however, is
that respondents can easily ignore these questionnaires. Read more about online
surveys.
 Telephone Questionnaire: A researcher makes a phone call to a respondent to
collect responses directly. Responses are quick once you have a respondent on the
phone. However, a lot of times, the respondents hesitate to give out much
information over the phone. It is also an expensive way of conducting research.
You’re usually not able to collect as many responses as other types of
questionnaires, so your sample may not represent the broader population.
 In-House Questionnaire: This type is used by a researcher who visits the
respondent’s home or workplace. The advantage of this method is that the
respondent is in a comfortable and natural environment, and in-depth data can be
collected. The disadvantage, though, is that it is expensive and slow to conduct.
 Mail Questionnaire: These are starting to be obsolete but are still being used in
some market research studies. This method involves a researcher sending a
physical data collection questionnaire request to a respondent that can be filled in
and sent back. The advantage of this method is that respondents can complete
this on their own time to answer truthfully and entirely. The disadvantage is that
this method is expensive and time-consuming. There is also a high risk of not
collecting enough responses to make actionable insights from the data.

How to design a Questionnaire

Questionnaire design is a multistep process that requires attention to
detail at every step.

Steps Involved in Questionnaire Design

1. Identify the scope of your research:

Think about what your questionnaire is going to include before you start designing the look
of it. The clarity of the topic is of utmost importance as this is the primary step in creating
the questionnaire. Once you are clear on the purpose of the questionnaire, you can begin
the design process.

2. Keep it simple:

The words or phrases you use while writing the questionnaire must be easy to understand.
If the questions are unclear, the respondents may simply choose any answer and skew the
data you collect.

3. Ask only one question at a time:

At times, a researcher may be tempted to add two similar questions. This might seem like an
excellent way to consolidate answers to related issues, but it can confuse your respondents
or lead to inaccurate data. If any of your questions contain the word “and,” take another
look. This question likely has two parts, which can affect the quality of your data.

4. Be flexible with your options:

While designing, the survey creator needs to be flexible in terms of “option choice” for the
respondents. Sometimes the respondents may not necessarily want to choose from the
answer options provided by the survey creator. An “other” option often helps keep
respondents engaged in the survey.

5. The open-ended or closed-ended question is a tough choice:

The survey creator might end up in a situation where they need to make distinct choices
between open or close-ended questions. The question type should be carefully chosen as it
defines the tone and importance of asking the question in the first place.

If the questionnaire requires the respondents to elaborate on their thoughts, an open-

ended question is the best choice. If the surveyor wants a specific response, then close-
ended questions should be their primary choice. The key to asking closed-ended questions is
to generate data that is easy to analyze and spot trends.

6. It is essential to know your audience:

A researcher should know their target audience. For example, if the target audience speaks
mostly Spanish, sending the questionnaire in any other language would lower the response
rate and accuracy of data. Something that may seem clear to you may be confusing to your
respondents. Use simple language and terminology that your respondents will understand,
and avoid technical jargon and industry-specific language that might confuse your
respondents.
For efficient market research, researchers need a representative sample collected using one
of the many sampling techniques, such as a sample questionnaire. It is imperative to plan
and define these target respondents based on the demographics required.

7. Choosing the right tool is essential:

Question Pro is a simple yet advanced survey software platform that the surveyors can use
to create a questionnaire or choose from the already existing 300+ questionnaire templates.

Always save personal questions for last. Sensitive questions may cause respondents to drop
off before completing. If these questions are at the end, the respondent has had time to
become more comfortable with the interview and are more likely to answer personal or
demographic questions.