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Survey Instrument Design is the systematic process of creating the questionnaire used to collect research data. It focuses on much more than just writing a list of questions
Learning Objectives
- Apply Principles of Question Construction: Apply core principles of questionnaire construction, such as ensuring clarity and neutrality while avoiding leading, loaded, and double-barreled questions
- Select Appropriate Question Types: Distinguish between open-ended and closed-ended questions, and identify appropriate uses for various closed-ended formats (dichotomous, multiple-choice, and rating scales like Likert)
- Ensure Measurement Quality: Define reliability (consistency) and validity (accuracy) and explain their critical importance when designing measurement scales to ensure the data is trustworthy and measures the intended construct
- Design an Effective Questionnaire Flow: Structure a questionnaire using the “funnel” approach, thematic grouping, and logical skip patterns to create an intuitive and engaging experience for the respondent that improves data quality
- Justify the Need for Pre-testing: Explain the critical importance and function of pre-testing and piloting a survey instrument to identify and correct flaws in wording, flow, and technology before full-scale deployment