Administration of questionnaires

Questionnaires can be

• sent by post
• handed out face-to-face, either for immediate completion or for return later

Postal questionnaires have the advantage of greater anonymity and confidentiality of response, but you will need a system for recording when you receive them back, perhaps by numbering them, in order to try to get a maximum response.

Always give a deadline for responses and then send out a reminder to those who have not replied. Alternatively, write to everyone again, enclosing another copy of the questionnaire, reminding them to reply.

There will always be a question about whether you obtain a ‘representative’ sample of potential respondents if there are some who do not reply, especially if you start with small numbers.

Face-to-face questionnaires can have a higher response rate if respondents complete the questions on the spot. The researcher can also be on hand to clarify any problems with instructions or with the meaning of particular items on the questionnaire. The researcher can control the amount of time taken for completion of the questionnaire, allowing more or less time depending upon the purposes of the investigation. A certain amount of haste might be a positive advantage where the research aims to elicit ‘gut reactions’ as opposed to a more considered set of responses.