Inquiry forms questionnaire and opinionnaire

Research tool that becomes a means of collecting information for the study is called a research tool or a research instrument. For example, Inquiry form: questionnaires, opinionnaire, attitude scales, checklists, rating scales, scorecards and schedules.

1. Inquiry Forms:
Questionnaire
Opinionnaire
Attitude Scale
Checklist
Rating Scale
Score-card
Schedule
By
Dr G R Angadi

2. Questionnaire
Listofaresearchorsurveyquestionsaskedto
respondents,anddesignedtoextractspecific
informationfromtherespondentsiscalledas
Questionnaire.Itservesfourbasicpurposes:
•Collecttheappropriatedata
•Makedatacomparableandamenableto
analysis
•Minimizebiasinformulatingandasking
question.

3. Steps in Questionnaire Construction
1.Preparation
2.Constructing the first draft
3.Self-evaluation
4.External evaluation
5.Revision
6.Pre-test or Pilot study
7.Revision
8.Second Pre-test if necessary
9.Preparing final Copy

4. Sample Questionnaire
Questionnaire on Teacher Effectiveness
Questionnaire -Teacher training institutions

5. Advantages of Questionnaire
1.Allowsawiderrangeanddistributionofthesample
thantheinterviewmethod
2.Providesgreateraccesstomoreeducated
respondentsandtopersonsinhigherincome
brackets
3.Providesanopportunityforrespondentstogive
frank.Anonymousanswers
4.Allowsgreatereconomyofeffort(i.e..asingle
instrument.duplicatedanddistributedtonumerous
respondents.canproducealargeamountofdata)

6. Advantages of Questionnaire
5.Canbeconstructedsothatquantitativedataarerelatively
easytocollectandanalyze
6.Canbedesignedtogatherbackgroundinformationabout
respondentsaswellasoriginalhard-to-obtaindata
7.facilitatesthecollectionoflargeamountofdatainashort
periodoftime

7. 8.Allowsthecorrectionsinexploratorystudies,of
insightfulinformationaboutarelativelyunexplored
problemareaorsubject.
9.Canbecompletedattheleisureofrespondents-within
timelimitssetbythesurveyor-withoutimposingon
researchsubjects
10.Becauseofitsfixedformat,helpstoeliminate
variationinthequestioningprocess

8. Disadvantages of the Questionnaire
1.Precludespersonalcontactwithrespondents,perhaps
causingtheinvestigatortogaininsufficientknowledge
aboutparticipantsinastudy.
2.Doesnotallowrespondentstoqualifyambiguous
questions

9. Disadvantages of the Questionnaire
3.Ifthepreparedinstrumentdoesnotarouserespondent
emotions(i.e.,whenthequestionnaireistooimpersonal)
validresponsesmightnotbeelicited.
4.Poorlywordedordirectquestionsmightarouse
antagonismorinhibitionsonthepartofrespondents

10. Disadvantages of the Questionnaire
5.Difficultyinobtainingresponsesfromarepresentative
crosssectionofthetargetpopulation
6.Becauseopinionatedrespondentsmightbemorelikely
thanothersubjectstocompleteandreturnit,useofa
questionnairemightleadtononresponsebias

11. Types of Question
1.Factualquestionsnormallypertaintorespondents
ages,education,libraryexperience,memberships
inprofessionalorganizations,oranyother
pertinentpersonaldataneededinthestudy.
2.OpinionandAttitudeQuestion-Whenthe
purposeofasurveyistoobtaininformationabout
respondentsbeliefs.feelings,values,andrelated
concepts,opinionandattitudequestionscanbe
used

12. Types of Question
3.Informationquestion-Insometypesofsurvey
research,investigatorsmightattempttodetermine
howrespondentsknowaboutagiventopicandhow
orwhentheirresearchsubjectsgainedcertain
knowledge
4.Self–perceptionquestion–Thesequestionsis
abouttheself-perceptionsofrespondentsinagiven
topicorarea.

13. 5.Standardofactionquestion-Insometypesof
surveys,investigatorsmightattempttodetermine
howrespondentswillactincertaincircumstancesor
howsubjectsfeelaboutanewdevelopmentor
forthcomingevent.
6.Projectivequestions-Attimes,questionsareused
thatallowrespondentstoanswerinquiriesinan
indirectmannerbyimposingtheirpersonalfeelings,
attitudes,orbeliefsonanotherpersonorgroupof
persons.

14. Unstructured and Structured Questions
Questionscanalsobeclassified,onthebasisof
formandmethodofresponse,intotwomajor
categories:Unstructuredandstructured.
UnstructuredQuestion-allowrespondentsto
replyfreelywithouthavingtoselectoneofseveral
providedresponses
StructuredQuestion–Itspecifiestherespondents
answerinaseveralprovidedoptionsinaquestion.

15. Ways of Administering a Questionnaire
1.CollectiveAdministration-Oneofthebestwayof
administeringaquestionnaireistoobtainacaptive
audiencesuchasstudentsinclassroom,peopleattending
afunction
2.Administrationinapublicplaces-Sometimesyoucan
administeraquestionnaireinapublicplacesuchasa
shoppingCenter,healthcenter,hospital,schoolor
public,itisdependentuponthetypeofstudypopulation

16. Ways of Administering a Questionnaire
3.Themailedquestionnaire-Themostcommonapproachto
collectinginformationistosendthequestionnaireto
prospectiverespondentsbymail

17. OPINIONNAIRE
“Opinionpollingoropiniongaugingrepresents
asinglequestionapproach.Theanswersare
usuallyintheformof‘yes’or‘no’.An
undecidedcategoryisoftenincluded.
Sometimeslargenumberofresponse
alternativesifprovided.”
-Anna Anastusi

18. Thetermsopinionandattitudearenot
synonymous,throughsometimesweusedit
synonymously.Opinioniswhatapersonsays
oncertainaspectsoftheissueunder
considerations.Itisanoutwardexpressionof
anattitudeheldbyanindividual.Attitudesof
anindividualcanbeinferredorestimated
fromhisstatementsofopinions.

19. Anopinionnaireisdefinedasaspecialformof
inquiry.Itisusedbytheresearchertocollectthe
opinionsofasampleofpopulationoncertainfactsor
factorstheproblemunderinvestigation.These
opinionsondifferentfactsoftheproblemunderstudy
arefurtherquantified,analysedandinterpreted.

20. Purpose:
Opinionnaireareusuallyusedinresearchesofthe
descriptivetypewhichdemandssurveyofopinionsof
theconcernedindividuals.
Publicopinionresearchisanexampleofopinion
survey.
Opinionpollingenablestheresearchertoforecastthe
cominghappeningsinsuccessfulmanner.

21. Characteristics:
•Theopinionnairemakesuseofstatementsorquestionson
differentaspectsoftheproblemunderinvestigation.
•Responsesareexpectedeitheronthreepointorfivepoint
scales.
•Itusesfavourableorunfavourablestatements.
•Itmaybesub-dividedintosections.
•Thegallypollballotsgenerallymakeuseofquestionsinstead
ofstatements.
•Thepublicopinionpollsgenerallyrelyonpersonalcontacts
ratherthanmailballots.

22. SampleItemsinCareersOpinionnaire:
Directions:Readeachstatementanddecideifyoustronglyagree(SA),agree
(A),disagree(D),orstronglydisagree(SD).Ineachblank,markyouropinion.
1.____Ajobandacareerareverydifferentthings.
2.____Iknowhowtogetacareerinthefuture.
3.____IcurrentlyknowwhatIwanttobewhenIgrowup.
4.____Careersareeasytofind.
5.____Youhavetogotocollegetohaveacareer.
6.____Acareerisnecessaryforagoodlife.
7.____IthinkIwillkeepthesamecareerformywholelife.
8.____Iknowmyownstrengthsandweaknesses.
9.____Iknowhowtofindavailablejobs/careers.
10.____Ihavegoalsformylifebeyondschool.