For an academic research project that is based on field work (that is conducting surveys and getting feedback from a group or demography of people) it is imperative to have the right questionnaire developed.
If the researcher is looking to test and quantify hypotheses and the data is to be analysed statistically, a formal standardised questionnaire is designed. Such questionnaires are generally characterised by:
· prescribed wording and order of questions, to ensure that each respondent receives the same stimuli
· prescribed definitions or explanations for each question, to ensure interviewers handle questions consistently and can answer respondents’ requests for clarification if they occur
· prescribed response format, to enable rapid completion of the questionnaire during the interviewing process.
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