Abstract:

In order to clarify our thinking about questionnaire design, it will be helpful to break down the issues associated with it into distinct groupings. A useful four way classification of these groups is as follows: a) meeting research objectives b) obtaining valid and reliable data from respondents c) facilitating the interviewer’s task and subsequent data processing d) achieving and maintaining respondent involvement. Groupings b), c) and d) are dealt with in the individual sections of this chapter. However, the first group of issues connected with meeting research objectives deserves special mention at this preliminary stage.