Survey Techniques and Constructing Questionnaires Essay Example

not all individuals are chosen entirely at random. As such, the primary means of data collection remains the questionnaire for this quantitative research.

The study's questionnaire will consist of two types of questions: close-structured and Likert-type 5-point style. These questions are derived from prior research. According to the Colorado State University Writing Guides (2008), close-ended questions, which provide numerical values for statistical interpretation and easier analysis, are favored by researchers. They also offer specificity and convey comparable meanings. The questionnaire in this investigation will not be conducted face-to-face.

Instead of traditional methods, the researcher will utilize email and post to distribute the data collection tool to study participants. Email questionnaires allow for a modern approach to reaching respondents and engaging them in the study. The questionnaires are sent directly via email and should be returned via the same method once completed (Questionnaires by post and Email, 2008). In some cases, researchers may also ask respondents to print out the questionnaire and send it back via post (Questionnaires by Post and Email, 2008; Dillman, 1999).

For an upcoming study, researchers require feedback from respondents via email instead of postal mail. The article "Questionnaires by Post and Email" (2008) highlights the benefits of using email, such as cost-effectiveness, quick sending through compiling a list of emails, and higher response rates compared to postal mail. However, it also notes potential drawbacks like questionnaires being wrongly classified as spam, unclear questions leading to misunderstandings, and incomplete responses. Alternatively, some participants will receive questionnaires through postal mail which has advantages like wider coverage of respondents, affordability, ample time for considering answers and increased honesty due to not being interviewed face-to-face. Therefore, while

both methods offer ways to reach difficult-to-contact participants in person or remotely respectively; there are limitations associated with mailing questionnaires including low response rates because individuals may consider them unsolicited mail; inability for clarification on unclear questions; and incomplete returns.