DESIGNING AND TESTING AND

REVISING SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

WEEK 4
MELC: designs, tests, and revises survey
questionnaires
Prepared by: Mrs. Jacine C. Yatco
 Designing a questionnaire requires detailed
knowledge not only of the survey topic and the
target population, but also of the technical
potential of the chosen data collection method.
Researchers need to be familiar with the existing
scientific literature in their field and with any
other surveys conducted in the same area.
Reliable knowledge of the language, the ordinary
or lay terms used to designate aspects of the
situation under investigation, as well as of the
cultural and cognitive skills needed to answer the
questions, is also indispensable.
 QUESTIONNAIRE TESTING AND
PILOT SURVEYS
Survey protocol, data collection and questionnaire
testing are fundamental components of the data
production process. Testing provides a means to check
whether the questionnaire is valid (form; question
formulation, including translation if relevant; overall
structure and transitions between questions and/or
question sets), and to validate the data collection
protocol (interviewer recruitment and training; interpreter
training where relevant; the tasks of contacting
respondents and presenting the survey to them; tools
used for follow-up in the field, etc.). This is an
 QUESTIONNAIRE RESEARCH FLOW
CHART
Questionnaire research design proceeds in an orderly and specific
manner. Each item in the flow chart depends upon the successful
completion of all the previous items. Therefore, it is important not to skip a
single step. Notice that there are two feedback loops in the flow chart to
allow revisions to the process and questionnaire.
1. Design way of Finding Out Information
2. Determine Feasibility of Doing the Survey
3. Select sample group
4. Develop questionnaire
5. Conduct Pilot Test
6. Revise questionnaire.
7. Conduct survey and tabulate results.
8. Analyze data from tables and graphs.
 CONSTRUCTION OF A
QUESTIONNAIRE/SURVEY:
GUIDELINES

1.Doing library search.

2. Talking to knowledgeable people
3. Mastering guidelines
4. Writing the questionnaire.
5. Editing the questionnaire
6. Rewriting the questionnaire.
7. Pretesting the questionnaire.
8. Writing the questionnaire in its final form.
1. Doing library search. Do
some library research among
studies similar to yours. There
may be some questionnaires
similar to what you want to use.
They may serve as guides in
constructing yours.
2. Talking to
knowledgeable people.
Talk to people who have
some knowledge about
construction of
questionnaires. You may be
3. Mastering guidelines. There
are guidelines in the construction of
a questionnaire. You learn these
from books and similar studies in
your library search and from your
interviews with knowledgeable
people. Master the guidelines.
4. Writing the
questionnaire. Write the
questionnaire following the
guidelines as closely as
possible.
5. Editing the questionnaire.
After the questionnaire has been
finished, show it for correction and
suggestions for improvement to
people who are known to possess
adequate knowledge in the
construction of questionnaires,
especially to your adviser if you
6. Rewriting the
questionnaire. Rewrite
the questionnaire
according to the
corrections and
7. Pretesting the questionnaire.
This is called a dry run. This is the
process of measuring the
effectiveness, validity, and reliability
of the questionnaire, and
determining the clarity of the items,
the difficulty of answering the
questions, the proper length of time
8. Writing the questionnaire
in its final form. After making
the proper corrections,
adjustments, and revisions
according to the results of the
dry run or pretesting, the
questionnaire should be now
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS ASKED
IN SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES

A. According to form:
1. The free-answer type.
2. The guided response type.
3. Recall type
4. Recognition types.
B. According to the kind of data asked for:
1.Descriptive (verbal) data
2. Quantified (numerical) data
3. Intensity of feeling, emotion, or attitude
4. Degree of judgment
5. Understanding
6. Reasoning
 GUIDELINES IN THE FORMULATION
OF QUESTIONS FOR A
QUESTIONNAIRE
1.Make all directions clear and unequivocal.
2. Use correct grammar
3. Make all questions unequivocal.
4. Avoid asking biased questions.
5. Objectify the responses.
6. Relate all questions to the topic under study
7. Create categories or classes for approximate
answers
8. Group the questions in logical sequence.
9. Create enough response categories.
10. Word carefully or avoid questions that deal with
confidential or embarrassing information.
11. Explain and illustrate difficult questions.
12. State all the questions affirmatively
13. Make as many questions as would supply
adequate information for the study.
14. Add a catch-all word or phrase to options of
multiple response questions.
15. Place all the spaces for replies on the left side.
16. Make the respondents anonymous.
1. Make all directions clear and
unequivocal. As much as possible make all
directions clear, definite, unequivocal and
brief. There should be a direction for every
type of questions. See to it that the
respondent knows exactly what to do.
Example: Poor direction for a multiple
response question: Answer the following
questions.
Better: Choose the items or options that
would best answer the question and write a
2. Use correct grammar.
Punctuation marks especially should
be placed properly to avoid
misinterpretation.
Example of poor grammar: Please
accomplish the questionnaire as soon
as possible return it.
Better: Please accomplish the
3. Make all questions unequivocal. As
much as possible make all question brief,
clear, and unequivocal. Avoid making
double barreled questions, questions
which can be interpreted in two ways.

Example of a vague question: Are you

a graduate?
Better: Are you a high school graduate?
(Specify the course).
4. Avoid asking biased questions. A
biased question is one in which there is a
veiled suggestion for an answer.
Example: Do you use Colgate toothpaste? If
not, what brand do you use? In this question
there is a veiled suggestion to make Colgate
as the answer. The respondent may think
that because Colgate is mentioned, it is the
best toothpaste, and he has the tendency to
say yes.
5. Objectify the responses. This is for
the standardization of responses and easier
tabulation.
Example: Why do you use Camay soap?
_____ It is fragrant.
_____ It makes my skin smoother.
_____ It is cheap.
_____ It is available all the time.
_____ It lasts long.
The replies can be checked only.
6. Relate all questions to the
topic under study. All questions
should gather data relevant to the
study. If the study is about the
teaching of science, all questions
should gather data that have
something to do with the teaching of
science. If the study is about the
teaching of mathematics, all
7. Create categories or
classes for approximate
answers. There are questions
which cannot be given exact
answers and so there is a
necessity of creating categories
or classes to accommodate the
approximate replies. Such
8. Group the questions in logical sequence. Some ways
of grouping are:

a. Questions may be grouped according to the specific

questions under the statement of the problem. All
questions that gather data to answer one specific
question under the statement of the problem should be
grouped together.

Example: Specific question: How qualified are the

teachers handling science? All questions dealing with
degrees earned, majors or specializations, eligibilities,
seminars attended, special trainings attended, teaching
B. Questions that deal with items that are logically
and usually placed together under a big category
should be grouped together.
Example: Questions about age, sex, civil status,
date of birth, place of birth, ethnic origin, native
language, etc. should be grouped under personal
data.

C. In each grouping, easier questions should be

asked first.

D. Questions should be given in successive steps if

9. Create sufficient number
of response categories. This is
to make possible the inclusion of
the correct choice of the
respondent. If the correct choice
of the respondent is not included
among the response categories
and he is required to make a
Example of limited number of response categories: Do you
agree that the presidential form of government is better than
the preliminary form?
__________ Agree
__________ Disagree

If the respondent does not know which is better, either

he does not answer the question or if he is forced to make a
response, either reply will be wrong.

It would be better to make room for a number of

responses:
_________ Strongly agree
_________ agree
_________ uncertain or no comment
10. Word carefully or avoid questions that deal with
confidential or embarrassing information.

Example: Suppose a woman becomes unfaithful to her

husband and you want to find the reasons why she
became unfaithful to her husband. This is in connection
with your study of family relations.

Poor question: Why did you become unfaithful to your

husband? (This is already telling her that she is unfaithful,
and this will surely embarrass her).

Better: What, in your own opinion, are the reasons why

wives sometimes fall in love with men other than their own
11. Explain and illustrate difficult
questions. Difficult questions such as those
employing some unfamiliar technical terms
should be made clearer by added
explanations and/or illustrations.

12. State all the questions

affirmatively. If negative statements are
unavoidable, underline the negative word to
avoid misinterpretation.
13. Make as many questions
as would supply adequate
information for the study.
The study is only as complete as
the completeness of the data
used. If some important data are
missing, the worth of the inquiry
is very much reduced
14.Add a catch-all word or phrase to
options of multiple response questions.
This is necessary for any additional information
that the respondent may want to give.

Example: Why did you stop your studies?

_______ I am too poor. I cannot afford.
_______ I married early.
_______ I lost interest.
_______ My family moved to a place too far from
school.
_______ Others, please specify.
15. Place all spaces for replies at the
left side. As much as possible, place all
spaces for replies at the left side of the
questionnaire for easy tabulation. The
spaces should be in a straight vertical
column.

16. Make the respondents anonymous.

This is to make them give information more
freely and more accurately. Respondents are
WORKSHEET TIME! 
ORAL RECITATION

DEVELOPMENT:

Learning Task 1: Getting to Know You

Direction: Answer the sample survey questionnaires
below.
1. What is your favorite movie?
2. What music genre do you like best?
3.How satisfied are you with yourself as a whole?
4. What are the things that annoy you?
5. Do you have a career in the future in mind? In what
field?
 ENGAGEMENT:

Learning Task 2:
Good or Bad
Questionnaire?
Assess whether the
questionnaire shown
below is good or bad.
Assess it based on the
given guidelines in
creating/designing
questionnaire.
 WRITTEN TASK 10 POINTS.

Is it a GOOD or a BAD QUESTIONNAIRE? (ELABORATE YOUR

ANSWER)

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 LEARNING TASK 3: DESIGNING YOUR OWN
QUESTIONNAIRE (25 POINTS)

Direction: Use the same Rubrics in Scoring:

title/topic you used on your
PR2 Research. Work with the Grammar and Structure: 5
same group mates. Craft your Question Content: 5
questions based on the given Question Types: 5
guidelines in writing and
Questionnaire Feasibility: 5
designing a feasible survey
questionnaire. Write your Objectivity of the
answer on a clean sheet of Responses: 5
paper. Total: 25 points
PERFORMANCE TASK # 2 Group Work – 25 POINTS
 U S E T H I S T E M P L A T E ( Y E L L O W P A P E R O R B O N D P A P E R )

PR2 RESEARCH TITLE: ___________________________________________

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE: