Deck 15: Conducting Surveys and Questionnaires

Question 1

The difference between a survey and a questionnaire is the

A)scope of investigation
B)size of the study
C)delivery of the findings
D)data collection methods

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Questionnaires are easy to administer because

A)they are generally paper-based
B)they are usually consistent
C)distribution,collection and delivery can be flexible and adapted
D)data is easier to code than if other tools had been used

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A survey is reliable if

A)it enables researchers to formulate theories,make claims,and generalise findings from a sample to a larger population
B)it consistently gives the same result when the survey is repeated under the same conditions over different periods
C)it relies on a number of questions to assess an attitude,an issue or a problem
D)it yields varying results when repeated under the same conditions over different periods

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Bias in sampling can be avoided if

A)the sampling is random
B)the questions are objective
C)the researchers consider the data collection carefully
D)the sampling is stratified

Question 5

An effective hypothesis

A)considers the bias of any stakeholder
B)includes the bias of any stakeholder
C)is designed to promote subjectivity
D)is designed to reveal subjectivity

Question 6

Distinctions between respondents in a survey can be identified through

A)variables
B)demographic details
C)personal information
D)biased responses

Question 7

Surveys are useful to

A)inform social and economic policy
B)influence future planning
C)identify key issues
D)all of the above

Question 8

The order of questions in a survey

A)isn't important
B)can affect the respondent's motivation to complete it
C)can promote subjectivity
D)can motivate respondents

Question 9

Questions that start from a broad perspective and become more focused are found in

A)a funnel sequence
B)an inverted funnel sequence
C)targeted questionnaires
D)general surveys

Question 10

A plan to identify how instruments will be used in a survey,and how collected data will be tabulated and analysed is referred to as

A)a survey plan
B)a data-mapping plan
C)a data analysis plan
D)an evaluation plan

Question 11

Which of the following is not an advantage of conducting interviews?

A)It is suited to most of the population
B)It offers respondents the opportunity to talk freely
C)It is easy to administer
D)Its structure is not as rigid as a questionnaire

Question 12

In a random sample

A)everyone has the same chance of being selected for the sample
B)a variable is the basis on which a group of people are randomly selected
C)a sample is chosen from a selected group of people
D)characteristics of the total population are represented

Question 13

One significant disadvantage of interviews is that

A)it can be difficult to coordinate a time to meet
B)respondents can be reluctant to provide personal information or opinions
C)data is not consistent
D)respondents take advantage of the opportunity to complain

Question 14

Which type of questions should be asked first?

A)About personal details
B)The most important ones
C)About demographic details
D)About opinions on an issue

Question 15

A survey is feasible if it

A)can be conducted
B)is realistic in scope
C)is better than the alternatives available
D)is reliable

Question 16

Validity refers to

A)the reliability of the survey
B)the extent to which the survey findings may be generalised
C)the design and survey method
D)the objectivity of the researcher

Question 17

In a cluster sample

A)everyone has the same chance of being selected for the sample
B)a variable is the basis on which a group of people are randomly selected
C)a sample is chosen from a selected group of people
D)characteristics of the total population are represented

Question 18

Routine questions are those that

A)establish basic details about the respondent
B)are usually the same in all surveys
C)are placed at the end of the survey
D)are designed to help identify the respondent

Question 19

In a stratified sample

A)everyone has the same chance of being selected for the sample
B)a variable is the basis on which a group of people are randomly selected
C)a sample is chosen from a selected group of people
D)characteristics of the total population are represented

Question 20

Research into a specific issue to identify key influencing factors is best conducted via an

A)survey
B)questionnaire
C)independent researcher
D)interview

Question 21

Bias can be avoided in the evaluation stage by

A)confirming that the methodology doesn't promote or foster bias
B)avoiding assumptions about causal relationships
C)examining responses for validity
D)all of the above

Question 22

A respondent who answers questions based on their responses to earlier questions in a survey is conforming to which theory?

A)Self-validity
B)Primacy
C)Recency
D)Reliability

Question 23

Which five areas are considered when designing a questionnaire?

A)Style,instructions,question sequence,writing,pre-test
B)Format,instructions,question sequence,question type,pre-test
C)Format,introductions,question sequence,question styles,writing style
D)Function,instructions,question sequence,question type,pre-test

Question 24

Question design that considers the potential for the centralist tendency will

A)use a scale that promotes the choice of extreme options
B)use a scale that promotes the choice of safe options
C)avoid the use of a scale that promotes the choice of extreme options
D)avoid the use of a scale that promotes the choice of safe options

Question 25

The format of a questionnaire is important because

A)data will be more accurate if respondents find it easy to read and understand
B)respondents might give up if they don't understand what is required of them
C)respondents are more likely to complete the questionnaire if it is easy and quick to complete
D)respondents prefer a questionnaire that is appealing to read

Question 26

In a written report,a detailed explanation of the hypothesis is contained in the

A)introduction
B)methods section
C)results section
D)conclusion

Question 27

Questions that focus on an issue first and then become general are found in

A)a funnel sequence
B)an inverted funnel sequence
C)targeted questionnaires
D)general surveys

Question 28

Questions that ask respondents to give one answer to two questions asked as one are

A)potentially confusing
B)open-barrelled questions
C)dichotomous questions
D)projective questions

Question 29

Writing style is particularly important in research report writing because

A)discussing research findings can be complex
B)alignment between the research intent,method and findings demonstrates the report's credibility
C)research is usually accountable
D)a research report needs to be transparent

Question 30

A questionnaire that requires respondents to consider aspects of the topic prior to providing more specific responses would order questions as per

A)a funnel sequence
B)an inverted funnel sequence
C)a ranked structure
D)an open-ended structure

Question 31

'What do you think about the colour yellow?' is an example of

A)a projective question
B)an open-ended question
C)a contingency question
D)a word association question

Question 32

The primacy effect theory posits that

A)the options at the beginning of a list will have a higher likelihood of being selected
B)the last few items on the list will have a higher likelihood of being selected
C)the first questions in a survey are the most important
D)the last questions in a survey are the most important

Question 33

A large survey conducted on behalf of an organisation should be

A)conducted online to save costs
B)delivered by a team and coordinated by a project leader
C)outsourced to a research organisation
D)administered by a project manager

Question 34

Leading questions are

A)questions that pre-dispose the respondent to a particular response
B)the first questions on a questionnaire
C)biased questions
D)those that provide useful guidance to a respondent

Question 35

Probing questions are used in an interview when

A)the interviewer is dissatisfied with the response
B)the interviewer is seeking a specific response
C)the interviewer wants to know more about the respondent
D)the interviewer is seeking more information from a response

Question 36

A question that asks respondents to select from two options is referred to as

A)a fixed-alternative question
B)a multichotomous question
C)a choice question
D)a dichotomous question

Question 37

Which type of question would you include if you wish to encourage open expression?

A)Fixed-alternative question
B)Open-ended question
C)Ranked question
D)Matrix question

Question 38

The purpose of pre-testing a questionnaire is to

A)identify the ease of use for respondents
B)identify any problems for respondents or interviewers
C)test the hypothesis on a sample
D)test the likely response rate

Question 39

'What do you not want to think about if you are not successful in a job interview?' is an example of

A)a dichotomous question
B)a double negative question
C)a ranked question
D)a biased question

Question 40

Which type of question would you include if you wish to identify a respondent's preference between two options?

A)Fixed-alternative question
B)Open-ended question
C)Ranked question
D)Word association

Question 41

Valid research measures what it hopes to measure.

Question 42

A questionnaire is a type of survey.

Question 43

The different approaches of interviewers are unlikely to influence the responses of the respondent.

Question 44

Focus groups are the most widely used information-gathering method when conducting surveys.

Question 45

Sensitive questions should be placed at the end of the survey.

Question 46

The effectiveness of a survey is enhanced by clear questions.

Question 47

The length of a questionnaire has an impact on the quality of the data it will collect.

Question 48

A stratified sample ensures every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Question 49

An effective hypothesis considers the potential bias of stakeholders.

Question 50

Open-ended questions are more difficult to categorise,analyse and code.

Question 51

The options that appear at the end of a long list are more likely to be selected in a questionnaire.

Question 52

Double-barrelled questions are useful for extracting two sets of information from the one question.

Question 53

Visual formatting can be distracting and discourage respondents from completing a questionnaire.

Question 54

Questions should be aligned with topic headings so participants are clear about each question's intent.

Question 55

Well-written questions should not need instructions.

Question 56

Once written,the first step in conducting a questionnaire is to pre-test or pilot the questionnaire to identify problems.

Question 57

Surveys can be designed to establish general trends.

Question 58

A survey's findings need to be analysed statistically for verification before they can be considered reliable.

Question 59

A good rule of thumb is to use four fonts in a questionnaire.

Question 60

Surveys with fewer questions are more reliable than those with many questions.

Question 61

Discuss the differences between random,stratified and cluster sampling.Give examples of when each type of sampling may be most useful.

Question 62

Research analysis and findings can be defended by ensuring the methods of research are clearly defined and reported.

Question 63

Writing style impacts on the ability of readers to understand the research findings and their implications.

Question 64

What areas of a questionnaire are put under the microscope during the pre-test phase? Discuss the benefits of pre-testing,and explain why it is necessary to conduct a pre-test on a large questionnaire.

Question 65

Discuss the factors that need to be considered when planning a questionnaire.

Question 66

An abstract contains a statement of the research objective and an overview of the literature.

Question 67

Survey analysis should not consider factors outside the scope of the survey.

Question 68

What elements are required in a formal written report that presents findings of large survey?

Question 69

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of interviews and questionnaires.Discuss examples of when each type of method may be most appropriate.

Question 70

Discuss the impact of formatting and writing style on the success of a questionnaire.What are the factors that increase the chances of a high response rate?

Question 71

What are the steps a researcher needs to go through to establish the goals of the survey?

Question 72

Data triangulation involves analysing the same data multiple times to ensure understanding and accurate analysis.

Question 73

What can impact on the reliability and validity of survey or questionnaire results? How can a researcher prevent this from occurring?