Questionnaires can be an inexpensive way of gathering data from a potentially large number of respondents. Often they are the only feasible way to reach a large enough number of respondants to allow statistically analysis of the results. A well-designed questionnaire that is used effectively can gather information on both the overall and specific components of the subject being studied. If the questionnaire includes demographic questions on the participants, they can be used to correlate performance and satisfaction with the subject among different groups of users.

It is important to remember that a questionnaire should be viewed as a multi-stage process beginning with definition of the aspects to be examined and ending with interpretation of the results. Every step needs to be designed carefully because the final results are only as good as the weakest link in the questionnaire process. Although questionnaires may be cheap to administer compared to other data collection methods, they are every bit as expensive in terms of design time and interpretation.

The steps required to design and administer a questionnaire include: Defining the Objectives of the survey, determining the sampling stratgey, writing the Questionnaire, administering the Questionnaire and interpretation of the results.

Questionnaires is an area which often seems shrouded in mystery, so if you are interested and want an informal chat about how we can help, contact us.