SUMMARIZATION/PARAPHRASING/ABSTRACT/PRECIS

Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper

Definition and Purpose of Abstracts

An abstract is a short summary of your (published or unpublished) research paper, usually about a paragraph
(c. 6-7 sentences, 150-250 words) long. A well-written abstract serves multiple purposes:
1. an abstract lets readers get the gist or essence of your paper or article quickly, in order to decide
whether to read the full paper;
2. an abstract prepares readers to follow the detailed information, analyses, and arguments in your full
paper;
3. and, later, an abstract helps readers remember key points from your paper.

WRITING A PRECIS
A precis writing is a gist of any passage in as few words as possible. A precis should mention all important
details of the original paragraph so that anyone who is reading it can understand the idea of the original passage.
The word Precis comes from the Latin ‘praecisus’ and the old French ‘précis’ which means abrupt,
abridged, cut off, or shortened. The word Precis is pronounced with a silent ‘s’ (Pray-see).
Things to consider when making a precis

1. Attentively read the source text. You need to understand what it is about and what the author wants to
emphasize. Make a list of the bullet points to always have them in front of you;
2. Highlight its main features, arguments and points. Then it will be much easier for you to concentrate on the
work and stick to a proper précis format;
3. Make a list of the used evidence. This will help you will understand what the main ideas and motives of the
author are. Without walking in the author’s shoes you won’t be able to create an awesome work;
4. Research any information you find unfamiliar. This includes terms, definitions, data, statements, etc. You
need to have a clear understanding of what you are writing about. If you have any doubts, research the
subject;
5. Identify call-to-actions. These may become the main motives the author was trying to convey. They are
usually situated in the end of the paragraph or text and urge the reader to move forward, support the author
or act in any particular way. The best precis examples always contain outstanding call-to actions;
7. Make a thesis restatement. It should also consist of one or two statements and indicate general ideas of
the whole work. Your thesis is the heart of the work, so think thoroughly about how to put it into words.
Don’t be in a hurry and write this section only when the whole précis is ready;
8. Write a brief summary for each part of the article. It should explain its key ideas and features, and give the
reader an understanding of what the source text is about;

Do’s and Don’ts of Precis Writing

Here are some Do’s listed below which one can follow in Precis Writing:

Read all the text carefully and identify the main points.
Focus on the main points of the given text and it is best to avoid adding any irrelevant
information.
Write a concise summary of the text which reflects all the main points of it.

Don’ts to be followed in Precis Writing

❌ Avoid including your personal opinion

❌ Re-write or summarize the entire text
❌ Avoid adding any superfluous details

PARAPHRASING

Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas into your own words. Paraphrasing a source involves
changing the wording while preserving the original meaning.
Paraphrasing is an alternative to quoting (copying someone’s exact words and putting them in quotation
marks). In academic writing, it’s usually better to integrate sources by paraphrasing instead of quoting. It shows that
you have understood the source, reads more smoothly, and keeps your own voice front and center.
Every time you paraphrase, it’s important to cite the source. Also take care not to use wording that is too
similar to the original. Otherwise, you could be at risk of committing plagiarism.
 Before summarizing, you need to identify the main idea or thesis of the original text to ensure your summary
captures its essence accurately.

How to paraphrase correctly

Putting an idea into your own words can be easier said than done. Let’s say you want to paraphrase the text
below, about population decline in a particular species of sea snails.

Example: Source text “Like other marine animals living near heavily populated coasts, horse conchs have lost
considerable habitat to development and pollution, including favorite breeding grounds along mud flats and seagrass
beds. Their Gulf habitat is also warming due to climate change, which scientists think further pressures the animals,
based on the negative effects extra heat has on other big mollusks” (Barnett, 2022).

Incorrect paraphrasing
You might make a first attempt to paraphrase it by swapping out a few words for synonyms.

Example: Incorrect paraphrasing

Like other sea creatures inhabiting the vicinity of highly populated coasts, horse conchs have
lost substantial territory to advancement and contamination, including preferred breeding grounds along mud flats
and seagrass beds. Their Gulf home is also heating up due to global warming, which scientists think further puts
pressure on the creatures, predicated upon the harmful effects extra warmth has on other large mollusks (Barnett,
2022).
This attempt at paraphrasing doesn’t change the sentence structure or order of information, only some of the word
choices. And the synonyms chosen are poor:

• “Advancement and contamination” doesn’t really convey the same meaning as “development and pollution.”
• Sometimes the changes make the tone less academic: “home” for “habitat” and “sea creatures” for “marine
animals.”
• Adding phrases like “inhabiting the vicinity of” and “puts pressure on” makes the text needlessly long-winded.
• Global warming is related to climate change, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing.

Because of this, the text reads awkwardly, is longer than it needs to be, and remains too close to the original phrasing.
This means you risk being accused of plagiarism.

Correct paraphrasing

Let’s look at a more effective way of paraphrasing the same text.

Example: Correct paraphrasing

Scientists believe that temperature rises resulting from climate change are negatively impacting horse conchs
living in the Gulf of Mexico. Development and pollution have also deprived them of important breeding grounds
(Barnett, 2022).
Here, we’ve:

• Only included the information that’s relevant to our argument (note that the paraphrase is shorter than the
original)
• Introduced the information with the signal phrase “Scientists believe that …”
• Retained key terms like “development and pollution,” since changing them could alter the meaning
• Structured sentences in our own way instead of copying the structure of the original
• Started from a different point, presenting information in a different order

Because of this, we’re able to clearly convey the relevant information from the source without sticking too close to the
original phrasing.

Source text Paraphrase

“The current research extends the previous work by revealing The research of Brouwer (2019, p. 874) suggests
that listening to moral dilemmas could elicit a FLE [foreign-language that the foreign-language effect can occur even
effect] in highly proficient bilinguals. … Here, it has been demonstrated among highly proficient bilinguals, influencing
that hearing a foreign language can even influence moral decision
Source text Paraphrase

making, and namely promote more utilitarian-type decisions” (Brouwer, their moral decision making, when auditory
2019, p. 874). (rather than written) prompting is given.

Summarization
Summarization helps you to determine essential ideas and consolidate important details that support them. It
also enables you to focus on key words and phrases of an assigned text that are worth noting and remembering. Thus,
it teaches you how to take a large selection of text and reduce it to the main points for more concise understanding.
Summary is a shortened version of a text that highlights its key points. To summarize is to retell a story in
your own words. Writing a summary requires you to make use of your own words, make the original composition
shorter, and tell only the important points in the beginning, middle and end.
Don’t forget also the who (who are the characters), what (what did the characters want), where (where did the
story happen), when (when did the story happen), why (state the conflict) and how (how did the story end).

WRITING A REACTION PAPER, REVIEW AND CRITIQUE

What are Reaction Papers, Reviews, and Critiques?

A reaction paper, a review, and a critique are specialized forms of writing in which a reviewer or reader evaluates any of the
following:
✓ A scholarly work (e.g., academic books and articles)
✓ A work of art (e.g., performance art, play, dance, sports, film, exhibits)
✓ Designs (e.g., industrial designs, furniture, fashion design)
✓ Graphic designs (e.g., posters, billboards, commercials, and digital media)
Reaction papers, reviews, critiques usually range in length from 250-750 words. They are not simply summaries but are
critical assessments, analyses, or evaluation of different works. As advanced forms of writing, they involve your skills in critical
thinking and recognizing arguments. However, you should connect the word critique to cynicism and pessimism.

CRITICAL APPROACHES IN WRITING A CRITIQUE

There are various ways or standpoints by which you can analyze and critique a certain material. You can critique a material
based on its technical aspects, its approach to gender, your reaction as the audience, or through its portrayal of class struggle and
social structure.

1. Formalism- claims that literary works contain intrinsic properties and treats each work as a distinct work of art. In short, it
posits that the key to understanding a text is through the text itself; the historical context, the author, or any other external
contexts are not necessary in interpreting the meaning.

Following are the common aspects looked into formalism:

✓ Author’s techniques in resolving contradictions within the work
✓ Central passage that sums up the entirety of the work
✓ Contribution of parts and the work as a whole to its aesthetic quality
✓ Relationship of the form and the content
✓ Use of imagery to develop the symbols in the work
✓ Interconnectedness of various parts of the work
✓ Paradox, ambiguity, and irony in the work
✓ Unity in the work

2. Feminist Criticism-also called feminism, it focuses on how literature presents women as subjects of socio-political,
psychological, and economic oppression. It also reveals how aspects of our culture are patriarchal, i.e., how our culture views
men as superior and women as inferior. The common aspects looked into when using feminism are as follows:
✓ How culture determines gender
✓ How gender equality (or lack of it) is presented in the text
✓ How gender issues are presented in literary works and other aspects of human production and daily life
✓ How women are socially, politically, psychologically, and economically oppressed by patriarchy
✓ How patriarchal ideology is an overpowering presence

3. Reader-Response Criticism- is concerned with the reviewer’s reaction as an audience of a work. This approach claims
that the reader’s role cannot be separated from the understanding of the work; a text does not have meaning until the reader
 reads it and interprets it. Readers are therefore not passive and distant, but are active consumers of the material presented to
them. The common aspects looked into when using reader response criticism are as follows:
✓ Interaction between the reader and the text in creating meaning
✓ The impact of the reader’s delivery of sounds and visuals on enhancing and changing meaning

4. Marxist Criticism- is concerned with differences between economic classes and implications of a capitalist system, such
as the continuing conflicts between the working class and the elite. Hence, it attempts to reveal that the ultimate source of
people’s experience is the socioeconomic system. The common aspects looked into when using Marxist criticism are as follows:
✓ Social class as represented in the work
✓ Social class of the writer/creator
✓ Social class of the characters
✓ Conflicts and interactions between economic classes

Note that these are not the only critical approaches you can use. Other approaches in writing a critique include postmodern
criticism, post-colonial criticism, structuralism, psychological criticism, gender criticism, ecocriticism, biographical criticism,
historical criticism, mythological criticism, and deconstructionist criticism.

STRUCTURE OF A REACTION PAPER, REVIEW, OR CRITIQUE

You have to follow a logical organization and structure for your reaction paper or review to be able to present your critical
evaluation effectively.

Structure for Critiques of Academic Researches and Articles

Introduction (around 5% of the paper)
o Title of the book/article/work
o Writer’s name
o Thesis Statement
Summary (Around 10% of the paper)
o Objective or purpose
o Methods used (if applicable)
o Major findings, claims, ideas, or messages
Review/Critique (in no particular order and around 75% of the paper)
o Appropriateness of methodology to support the arguments (for books and articles) or appropriateness of mode of
presentation (other works)
o Theoretical soundness, coherence of ideas
o Sufficiency and soundness of explanation in relation to other available information and experts
o Other perspectives in explaining the concepts and ideas
o It is best to ask the following questions during this part:
• Does the writer explicitly state his/her thesis statement?
• What are the assumptions (i.e., scientific/logical/literary explanation without evidence) mentioned in the
work? Are they explicitly discussed?
• What are the contributions of the work to the field where it belongs?
• What problems and issues are discussed or presented in the work?
• What kinds of information (e.g., observation, survey, statistics, historical accounts) are presented in the
work? How are they used to support the arguments or thesis?
• Are there other ways of supporting the arguments or thesis aside from the information used in the work? Is
the author or creator silent about these alternative ways of explanation?
Conclusion (around 10% of the paper)
o Overall impression of the work
o Scholarly or literary value of the reviewed article, book, or work
o Benefits for the intended audience or field
o Suggestion for future direction of research

For other types of reviews, there is no prescribed structure, but the following sections are almost always present.
Introduction
o Basic details about the material, such as its title, director or artist, name of exhibition/event, and the like
o Main assessment of the material (for films and performances)
Plot Summary/Description
o Gist of the plot
o Simple description of the artwork
Analysis/Interpretation
Discussion and analysis of the work (you may employ the critical approach here)
It is best to ask the following questions during this part.
o What aspects of the work make you think it is a success or failure?
o Were there unanswered questions or plot lines? If yes, how did they affect the story?
o Does the work remind you of other things you have experienced through analogies, metaphors, or other figurative
devices? How does this contribute to the meaning?
o How does the work relate to other ideas or events in the world and/or in your other studies?
o What stood out while you were watching the film or the performance?
Conclusion/Evaluation
o Reinforcement of main assessment
o Comparison to a similar work
o Recommendation of the material (if you liked it)

GUIDELINES IN WRITING A REACTION PAPER, REVIEW, OR CRITIQUE

1. For articles or journals
a. Read, view or listen to the work to be reviewed carefully to get the main topic or the concepts presented. Then
revisit the work to further identify its arguments or message.
b. Relate the content of the work to what you already know about the topic. This will make you more engaged in the
article or book.
c. Focus on discussing how the book treats the topic and not the topic itself. Use phrases such as this book/work
presents and the author argues.
d. Situate your review. This means that your analysis should be anchored on the theories presented by the writer or
creator.
e. Report the type of analysis or mode of presentation the writer/creator used and how this type of analysis supports
the arguments and claims.
f. Examine whether the findings are adequately supported and how the connections between ideas affect the
conclusion and findings.
g. Suggest points for improvement of the reasoning, explanation, presentation of ideas, as we as alternative methods
and processes of reasoning.
h. Compare the writer’s or creator’s explanation of the topic to that of another expert from the same field of study.
i. Point out other conclusions or interpretations that the writer/creator missed out. Present other ideas that need to be
examined.
j. Show your agreement with the writer’s or creator’s ideas and present an explanation for this agreement.
2. For artworks and other media
a. When critiquing artworks or posters, make sure to use speculative verbs such as evoke, create, appear, and
suggest to show that your interpretation of the artist’s work is just that- an interpretation.
b. Presume that the reader has not yet seen the material you are reviewing, so make sure to describe it to them. For
reviews of films or plays, make sure not to spoil key events unless they figure in your review, in which case always
add a disclaimer.
c. For artworks, describe the material in simple terms to help your audience visualize it; refrain from being vague or
abstract.
3. On a general note, your reaction paper’s conclusion may focus on the following ideas.
a. Did the work hold your interest?
b. Did the work excite or annoy you?
c. Did the work prompt you to raise questions to the author?
d. Did the work lead you to some realizations?
e. Did the work remind you of other materials that you have read, viewed or listened to in the past?

POSITION PAPER

Writing a Position Paper

A position paper presents an arguable opinion about an issue. The goal of a position paper is to convince the
audience that your opinion is valid and worth listening to. Ideas that you are considering need to be carefully examined in choosing
a topic, developing your argument, and organizing your paper. It is very important to ensure that you are addressing all sides of
the issue and presenting it in a manner that is easy for your audience to understand. Your job is to take one side of the argument
and persuade your audience that you have well-founded knowledge of the topic being presented. It is important to support your
argument with evidence to ensure the validity of your claims, as well as to address the counterclaims to show that you are well
informed about both sides.

Issue Criteria

To take a side on a subject, you should first establish the plausibility of a topic that interests you. Ask yourself the
following questions to ensure that you will be able to present a strong argument:

Is it a real issue, with genuine controversy and uncertainty?

Can you distinctly identify two positions?
Are you personally interested in advocating one of these positions?
Is the issue narrow enough to be manageable?

Analyzing an Issue and Developing an Argument

Once your topic is selected, you should do some research on the subject matter. While you may already have an
opinion on your topic and an idea about which side of the argument you want to take, you need to ensure that your position is well
supported. Listing out the pro and con sides of the topic will help you examine your ability to support your counterclaims,
along with a list of supporting evidence for both sides. Supporting evidence includes the following:
Factual Knowledge - Information that is verifiable and agreed upon by almost everyone.
 Statistical Inferences - Interpretation and examples of an accumulation of facts.
Informed Opinion - Opinion developed through research and/or expertise of the claim.
Personal Testimony - Personal experience related by a knowledgeable party.

Once you have made your pro and con lists, compare the information side by side. Considering your audience, as
well as your own viewpoint, choose the position you will take.

The Reports, Survey Questionnaire and Methods

of Administering It

The Various Kinds of Reports

Reports are more likely needed for business, scientific and technical subjects, and in the workplace.
They are of different types and they differ in their aims and structures.

TYPES DEFINITION/ OBJECTIVES

DESCRIPTION
1. Survey Report It is written after getting To collect people’s
data from a survey. responses or answers
about a particular issue or
topic
2. Laboratory or It is commonly called lab To present results or
Scientific report. It is written in a findings from experiments.
Technical Report formal and organized
manner.
3. Field Report It is sometimes called trip To describe and analyze a
report. systematic observation.

Among these types of reports, survey is the most popularly and widely used as it is the easiest way
to gather information about any topic or issue from a big number of people or groups.

Survey Questionnaire
It is a data gathering tool having set of questions used in a survey and is utilized in various fields
such as politics, research, marketing, media and so on. It is intended to gather data, views, opinions and
others from individuals or a particular group of people.

It is an important method used in order to collect the necessary information that will benefit the people
and the community.

Methods of Administering a Survey

Administering a survey calls for a more systematic way in order to achieve the aims of a certain survey
conducted. The following methods are introduced by Sarah Mae Sincero.
1. Personal Approach

This involves the person himself/ herself conducting the survey.

a. Face-to-face Structured Interview

The interview is set personally and the people involved face
each other in order to gather the
 necessary information. Questions on the survey are asked directly to the respondent by the researcher.

b. Telephone Survey

The survey is done using telephone or cellular phones.

The calls are made to ask individuals on particular
questions. This method can be used for asking
consequential questions. https://www.google.com/search?
q=telephone+survey&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0vvOpuPHfAhV
ygUsFHURGDP4Q_AUIDigB&biw=1345&bih=648#imgrc=S3ggm17raBFcGM:

2. Self- administered Approach

In this type, the survey is administered by the researcher himself/herself.

a. Paper- and - pencil Survey

This is a traditional method wherein the
respondents who usually preferred the manual
method must be present in the administration of
the survey.

https://www.google.com/search?
q=paper+and+pencil+survey&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj44bS4uf
HfAhUZVH0KHX0aABEQ_AUIDigB&biw=1345&bih=648#imgrc=J1qfTeY4I458oM:

b. Online Survey

Also called internet survey, is one of the most famous

sources of data collection, where a set
of survey questions is sent out to respondents and the members
of this sample can respond to the questions over the internet.
Respondents receive online surveys in various ways such as
email, embedded over website, social media or forms.\ https://www.google.com/search?
q=online+survey&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3z_jKuvHfAhUbXn0
KHaCyCVcQ_AUIDigB&biw=1345&bih=648#imgrc=19bxSQSCKB0

c. Mail Survey
This popular tool requires an easy-administering of the survey
where survey
questionnaires are mailed to individuals who are given
enough
time to read and ponder on the information asked.
 Should and Not Should of a Survey Questionnaire

Concise and easy to understand questions lead to a successful survey. Thus, a well -designed survey
questionnaire will ensure an effective data and information gathering.

A survey questionnaire should be well – constructed so that the respondents could read carefully and
understand thoroughly and be motivated to complete it. Therefore, a questionnaire…

1. Should use words that have clear meaning.

The questions should not be vague and difficult to comprehend so that the questionnaire will not be left
unanswered.

2. Should cover all possible options.

The respondents should just be given at most five ranking options and should cover all so that they will not
be tired of choosing a lot of options which do not give the choices they look for. If this will not be observed, this will
lead to an abandoned questionnaire.

3. Should not ask two or more questions in one sentence.

The question should focus on one topic or item at a time so that the respondents will not be confused which
to answer and what to choose.

4. Should provide an out- option.

The survey should give the respondents the option to choose “Does not apply “ or “None” for questions they
do not feel answering.
5. Should consider appropriate time reference.

Respondents could not easily recall past long experiences and be doubtful as to the exact measurement or
time they spent.

6. Should have a clear question structure.

Survey questionnaire should follow the three parts: the question stem, additional instructions and response
options so that the respondents will not be confused what to answer or choose. This will result to unreliable gathered
data.

7. Should have open specific response options.

The respondents should be guided on what to choose. So the survey should provide specific options to
choose from so that respondents will not be confused in answering.

8. Should not have any bias or prejudice.

Questions should be objective and lead to an honest answer. The respondents should not be lead to a
biased option that they may fail to give their truthful response.

9.Should not include too personal or too embarrassing questions.

Questions should be gender and culture sensitive so that the respondents may not feel awkward or
embarrassed in giving their responses.

10. Should avoid double negative questions.

Double negatives may occur when respondents are asked of their agreement on a certain issue. This
should be avoided so that the respondents ‘response will be clear and precise.

11. Should outline instructions or directions clearly and understandably.

Clear instructions will lead to positive, appropriate and clear answers. If respondents are clearly asked and
told what to do, they will also foster positive attitude towards answering the questionnaire.
 Conducting a Survey

A Survey is one of the best ways we will know and understand the people’s choices, attitudes, or feelings on
certain issues. We will be able to determine the reactions of the respondents and based on the survey results, we
could design some possible actions to be best done, or a solution to a problem, or a remedy to a disease or an answer
to a question.

THREE STEPS IN CONDUCTING A SURVEY

There are three steps in conducting a survey.

1. Decide on a four or five option survey question. Then make a tally chart having its heading and
appropriate title.

The question should follow the guidelines of making an effective survey question. Formulate
questions that address to the aim and need of the research. The question should be clear, concise
and efficient. The heading and the title should reflect the focus of the survey.

2. Conduct a survey then tally all the answers.

In conducting a survey, ethics should be observed. You should be polite and show respect to the
respondents. You should maintain a friendly atmosphere so that respondents may not feel so
intimidated. Make sure all answers are noted. Plan for a more systematic way of tallying.

3. Count the answers marking the item having the least to the greatest tallies. Then make a graphic
representation of the results.

Be careful in tallying so you should observe accuracy and honesty. Results can be presented using
any graphics. Most commonly used are charts and organizers. Choose the most appropriate
graphics that best represent the result of the survey.

NOTE: When you will conduct a survey, you should write a letter of consent. In the letter you should also emphasize
that the information given by the respondents/ participants will be held with utmost confidentiality. If the respondent is
a minor, prepare an assent Informed consent" is the voluntary agreement of a person, or the representative, who
has the capacity to give consent, and who practices free power of choice to involve in research. "Assent" is a term
used to show willingness to participate in survey by persons who are too young to give informed consent but who are
old enough to understand the proposed survey in general. Assent by itself is not enough, however. If assent is given,
informed consent must still be acquired from the parents or guardian.

A Survey is one of the best ways we will know and understand the people’s choices, attitudes, or feelings on
certain issues. We will be able to determine the reactions of the respondents and based on the survey results, we
could design some possible actions to be best done, or a solution to a problem, or a remedy to a disease or an answer
to a question.

THREE STEPS IN CONDUCTING A SURVEY

There are three steps in conducting a survey.

2. Decide on a four or five option survey question. Then make a tally chart having its heading and appropriate title.

The question should follow the guidelines of making an effective survey question. Formulate
questions that address to the aim and need of the research. The question should be clear, concise
and efficient. The heading and the title should reflect the focus of the survey.

2. Conduct a survey then tally all the answers.

 In conducting a survey, ethics should be observed. You should be polite and show respect to the
respondents. You should maintain a friendly atmosphere so that respondents may not feel so
intimidated. Make sure all answers are noted. Plan for a more systematic way of tallying.

4. Count the answers marking the item having the least to the greatest tallies. Then make a graphic representation of
the results.

Be careful in tallying so you should observe accuracy and honesty. Results can be presented using
any graphics. Most commonly used are charts and organizers. Choose the most appropriate
graphics that best represent the result of the survey.

NOTE: When you will conduct a survey, you should write a letter of consent. In the letter you should also emphasize
that the information given by the respondents/ participants will be held with utmost confidentiality. If the respondent is
a minor, prepare an assent Informed consent" is the voluntary agreement of a person, or the representative, who
has the capacity to give consent, and who practices free power of choice to involve in research. "Assent" is a term
used to show willingness to participate in survey by persons who are too young to give informed consent but who are
old enough to understand the proposed survey in general. Assent by itself is not enough, however. If assent is given,
informed consent must still be acquired from the parents or guardian.

GATHERING INFORMATION FROM SURVEYS

The task of gathering or collecting information or data from surveys requires a high level of
knowledge and skill. You need to be familiar with the different types of survey questions and learn the art of
formulating them before you can conduct the survey and actually gather primary data. Primary data is data
you as a researcher collect from first –hand sources using methods like surveys, interviews, or experiments.
https://www.statisticshowto.datasciencecentral.com/primary-data-secondary/

Types of Survey Questions

1. Open-ended questions
These types of questions do not have predetermined options or answers. The respondents are
allowed to answer the questions freely. Responses must be recorded verbatim-especially because coding
and analysis will rely on the subject’s exact responses. Open-ended questions often need probing or follow-
up questions to clarify certain items in the subject’s response. These question typically ask the “how” and
“why” of something.
Example: Why did you choose to vote for candidate X? Kindly explain.

2. Dichotomous Questions
Dichotomous questions have two possible answers, often either yes/no, true/false, or agree/
disagree. These questions are used when the researcher wants to clearly distinguish the respondent’s
opinion, preference, experience or behavior.
Example: HIV/AIDS is transmitted through saliva:
True False

3. Multiple–response questions
 There are certain questions that necessitate the respondents to provide more than one answer. For
example, a typical advertising survey would ask the question, “How did you find about the particular service
or item”? A respondent may have encountered more than one of the probable ways.
Example: How were you able to know about the graduate program of Development Policy offered
in De La Salle University? Check all that applies.
Print Advertisement By word of mouth (friends, families, etc.)

DSLU Website Telephone inquiry

DSLU Social Networking Physical appearance/ inquiry page

Others, please specify:

4. Matrix questions
There are instances where a number of questions you intend to ask have the same set of possible
answers. Thus, it is possible to construct a matrix of items and answers for the sake of streamlining the
survey.
Example: Qualities of a Good Leader
Beside each of the qualities of a good leader, kindly indicate how well the person in inquiry
manifests the said quality with 1 being the lowest and 5 as the highest.

Sample Matrix Question Set

Qualities/ Rating 1 2 3 4 5
Integrity
Inclusiveness
Information-Driven
Innovative

Shown above is a numerical scale (matrix).The respondents are required to choose from a number
of categories that determine their preferences.
Another common scale is the Likert Scale which tries to assess the subject’s
agreement/disagreement or approval/ disapproval on a five point scale-with one end being the most positive
answer, and the other end being the most negative answer. The categories correspond to the numerical
values 5,4,3,2,1, and are encoded as their numerical equivalent (Singh 2007,75). The total score per item is
determined. From here, you formulate your inference.

Example: Performance-Based Incentive System

The new performance-based incentive system encouraged me to work over-time.

(5) Strongly Agree

(4) Agree
(3) Undecided
2) Disagree
(1) Strongly
Disagree

5. Contingency Questions
 Contingency questions are intended for certain respondents only, depending on the provided
answers. A familiar example would be a follow-up question provided after a respondent agrees to a certain
item. A respondent is asked whether they used any illegal drugs or substances. Only those who answered
yes are required to answer the succeeding items.

Example:
4. Have you ever tried any illegal drugs and/or substances?

Yes No
4.1 If yes, what illegal drugs and/or substances have you used? Check all that apply.
Crystal Meth
Cocaine
Heroine
Marijuana
Ecstasy
Others, please specify:__________________

Points to remember in crafting survey questions

1. Keep the questionnaire as short as possible.

2. Ask short, simple, and clearly worded questions.
3. Start with demographic questions to help respondents get started comfortably.
4. Use dichotomous (yes/no) and multiple choice questions.
5. Use open-ended questions cautiously.
6. Avoid using leading-questions. Make your question ask for the other person’s opinion.

Do not make it clear what your own opinion is. (this would be called a biased question or a leading
question).
A bad example would be: Fishing is a very cruel pastime. Do you agree?
A better question might be: Do you think that fishing is a cruel pastime?
A) strongly agree B) agree C) neutral D) disagree E) strongly disagree

7. Pre-test a questionnaire on a small number of people.

8. Think about the way you intend to use the collected data when preparing the questionnaire.

--------------------------------------------GOODLUCK AND GOD BLESS!!!-----------------------------------------------------

You Can Do That! Believe In Yourself.

DON’T STOP UNTIL YOURE PROUD.

Don’t PRESSURE yourself, doing your best is already enough.

-Sir Ven