Questionnaires and schedules are commonly used methods for collecting primary data. Questionnaires involve sending a standardized set of questions to respondents to answer on their own and return. Schedules are similar but involve an enumerator personally collecting responses by asking questions directly and filling out the schedule. Both methods can be used for descriptive or explanatory research and involve designing valid and reliable questions, representative sampling, and defining relationships between variables. Questionnaires are cheaper but have higher non-response rates while schedules provide more complete information through personal contact but are more expensive due to field workers.
2. 1. Primary
Fresh i.e. collected 1st time,
Original in character.
2. Secondary
Already collected by someone else
Already passed through statistical process.
1. Observation method
2. Interview method
3. Questionnaire
4. Through Schedule
5. Other
A. DATA TYPES
B. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION (primary)
3. Questionnaire method
Techniques of data collection in which each person is
asked to respond to the same set of questions in a
predetermined order.
Questionnaire is sent to persons with request to
answer the question and return the questionnaire.
Questionnaire can be sent through-
1. postal, 2. over internet (e-mail, forum), 3. manual delivery
and collection
4. For explanatory or descriptive research
Linked with other methods in a multiple-methods research
design
To collect responses from a large sample prior to quantitative
analysis
When to use questionnaires
6. Designing the questionnaire
Stages that must occur if a question is to be
valid and reliable
Figure 11.2 Stages that must occur if a question is to be valid and reliable
7. Constructing the questionnaire
Main considerations
Order and flow of questions
Questionnaire layout
Key factors
• Precisely defined questions
• Representative and accurate sampling
• Relationships between variables – dependent, independent and
extraneous
• Types of variable
8. SCHEDULE METHOD
A schedule is a structure of set of questions on a given
topic which are asked by the interviewer or investigator
personally.
Like questionnaire but filled by enumerators who are
especially appointed for filling questionnaire.
Enumerator explain the aims and objectives to
respondents and fill up the answer in provided space.
It contains direct questions as well as questions in
tabular form.
9. TYPES OF SCHEDULES (examples)
Following are the different types of schedules
used by social scientists and anthropologists.
◦ Village or community schedule: It is used by census
researchers who collect general information on
populations, occupations, etc.
◦ Family or Household schedule: It gives full
demographic details of households, the status of
individuals, data on education, age, family relations
etc.
◦ Opinion or attitude schedule: To schedule the views
of population regarding an issue.
10. Questionnaire vs schedule
Schedule is generally filled
by enumerator or research
worker
Costly, requires field
workers
Non response is low
In schedule Identity of
person is known.
Information is collected well
in time.
Direct personal contact
Questionnaires generally
sent through mail and no
further assistance from
sender.
Questionnaire is cheaper
method.
Non response is high.
In questionnaire Identity of
respondent is unknown.
Very slow method.
No personal contact.
11. Questionnaire vs schedule
Information can be
collected from illiterate
also.
Sample area should not be
wider.
Relatively more complete
and correct information.
Depends on honesty and
competency of enumerator.
No necessary in schedule
method.
Q can be used only when
respondent is educated
and cooperative.
Wider distribution of
sample is possible.
Incomplete and wrong
information is more.
Depends on quality of
questionnaire.
Physical appearance of
questionnaire should be
attractive.