Questionnaires

• Types of Questionnaires

  • There are two formats for questionnaires, free-format and fixed-format.
  • Free-format questionnaires:
    • Free-format questionnaires offer the respondent greater latitude in the answer. A question is asked, and the respondent records the answer in the space provided after the question.
    • The analyst should phrase the questions in simple sentences and not use words -- such as good -- that can be interpreted differently by different respondents.
    • The analyst should ask questions that can be answered with three or fewer sentences.
      • Otherwise, the questionnaire may take up more time than the respondent is willing to sacrifice.

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Here are two examples of free-format questions:
• What reports do you currently receive and how are they used?
• Are there any problems with these reports (e.g., are they inaccurate, is there insufficient information, or are they difficult to read and/or use)? If so, please explain.

Obviously, such responses may be difficult to tabulate. It is also possible that the respondents' answers may not match the questions asked.