Topic (iii) — Preparation of Questionnaires
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Part of the full combined notes. · 1 PYQ callout inside.
🔷 TOPIC (iii) — PREPARATION OF QUESTIONNAIRES
Syllabus topic (iii) of 10 · nested inside Topic (ii), because the questionnaire is a primary collection method
Covers: what a questionnaire is · merits and demerits · principles of preparation · construction steps (including the pre-test / pilot survey) · distribution · questionnaire vs schedule 🎯 Asked: 2024 · Q73 — which statements on questionnaire preparation are correct?
1. The Questionnaire
The heart of the survey operation.
A set of printed or written questions with a choice of answers, used for surveys or statistical studies — usually mailed.
Used to obtain: information · feelings · beliefs · perceptions about the research participant. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed data can all be collected through a questionnaire.
| Adequacy — use when | Merits | Demerits |
|---|---|---|
| Informants are educated | Less expensive | Only for educated respondents |
| The area of inquiry is wide | Free from the interviewer's influence | Possibility of misunderstanding |
| Information is supplied regularly | Respondents can take sufficient time to answer | Data received may not be reliable |
| Wide coverage | Lack of flexibility | |
| Less accuracy |
2. Principles for Preparing a Questionnaire
The TRUE statements: questionnaire design affects validity, reliability and response rate, and a pilot test / pre-test is essential. ⚠️ Any statement saying the pilot survey can be skipped is FALSE — see the construction flow below.
- Should be research oriented — the objective must be fulfilled
- The research participant should be kept in view
- Simple and familiar language should be used
- Questions should be clear, easy to understand and free of ambiguity
- Avoid leading and loading questions; avoid personal questions
- Avoid double-barrelled questions
- Avoid double-negative questions
- Use mutually exclusive and exhaustive response categories for closed-ended questions
- The questionnaire should be properly organised and easy to use
- Proper instructions for filling it must be provided
3. Construction of a Questionnaire
⭐ Step 10 — the Pre-test (Pilot survey) — is the step the exam asks about. It comes after checking the questions and before the final draft.
4. Questionnaire Distribution
🎯 FAA 2022 — PYQs on this topic
⭐ From the real FAA paper of 6 March 2022 — see FAA-2022-paper. Added 1 Sep 2026.
a) Structured-Undisguised · b) Unstructured-Undisguised · c) Unstructured-Disguised · d) Normal-Disguised → Ans: D There are exactly four types — Structured/Unstructured × Disguised/Undisguised. "Normal" is not an axis. The paper listed three real types and one invented one.
