Data Collection tools: Questionnaire vs Schedule

Questionnaire is one of the important method of data collection in which a researcher distributes a questionnaire to the respondents and requests them to fill up the questionnaire and return.
Same way Schedule is also a set of structured questions and the answers in questionnaire is not filled up by respondents themselves but by enumerators.

1. Data Collection Tools: Questionnaire And Schedule

2. 1. Primary Fresh i.e. collected 1 st time, Original in character. 2. Secondary Already collected by someone else Already passed through statistical process. Observation method Interview method Questionnaire Through Schedule Other A. DATA TYPES B. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION (primary)

3. Questionnaire method Techniques of data collection in which each person is asked to respond to the same set of questions in a predetermined order. Questionnaire is sent to persons with request to answer the question and return the questionnaire. Questionnaire can be sent through- 1. postal, 2. over internet (e-mail, forum), 3. manual delivery and collection

4. For explanatory or descriptive research Linked with other methods in a multiple-methods research design To collect responses from a large sample prior to quantitative analysis When to use questionnaires

5. Types of questionnaire Figure 11.1 Types of questionnaire

6. Designing the questionnaire Stages that must occur if a question is to be valid and reliable Figure 11.2 Stages that must occur if a question is to be valid and reliable

7. Constructing the questionnaire Main considerations Order and flow of questions Questionnaire layout Key factors Precisely defined questions Representative and accurate sampling Relationships between variables – dependent, independent and extraneous Types of variable

8. SCHEDULE METHOD A schedule is a structure of set of questions on a given topic which are asked by the interviewer or investigator personally. Like questionnaire but filled by enumerators who are especially appointed for filling questionnaire. Enumerator explain the aims and objectives to respondents and fill up the answer in provided space. It contains direct questions as well as questions in tabular form.

9. TYPES OF SCHEDULES (examples) Following are the different types of schedules used by social scientists and anthropologists. Village or community schedule :  It is used by census researchers who collect general information on populations, occupations, etc. Family or Household schedule:  It gives full demographic details of households, the status of individuals, data on education, age, family relations etc. Opinion or attitude schedule:  To schedule the views of population regarding an issue.

10. Questionnaire vs schedule Schedule is generally filled by enumerator or research worker Costly, requires field workers Non response is low In schedule Identity of person is known. Information is collected well in time. Direct personal contact Questionnaires generally sent through mail and no further assistance from sender. Questionnaire is cheaper method. Non response is high. In questionnaire Identity of respondent is unknown. Very slow method. No personal contact.

11. Questionnaire vs schedule Information can be collected from illiterate also. Sample area should not be wider. Relatively more complete and correct information. Depends on honesty and competency of enumerator. No necessary in schedule method. Q can be used only when respondent is educated and cooperative. Wider distribution of sample is possible. Incomplete and wrong information is more. Depends on quality of questionnaire. Physical appearance of questionnaire should be attractive.

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