Questionnaire design

• Instructions must be clear.
• Layout and presentation can affect response.
• Respondents must be able to read them easily and navigate their way around the document.

Most crucial is the wording of items on the questionnaire. Bell (1993: Ch. 7) lists a number of important points to consider when writing questions:

• Imprecision/Ambiguity: Are you sure that the meaning of each item is clear and unambiguous?
• Assumption: Do any items make assumptions about the respondents? If so, is it reasonable to make these assumptions?
• Double Questions: Does any one item ask for more than one piece of information?
• Leading Questions: Are any questions worded in such a way that respondents are predisposed towards a certain answer?
• Presuming Questions: Do any items presume an orientation towards a topic (which, e.g., seems 'normal' or 'commonsensical' to the researcher) that respondents may not share (i.e., it doesn't seem 'normal' or 'commonsensical' to them)?
• Hypothetical Questions: Do any items require respondents to put themselves in imaginary situations that they may find difficult or impossible to conceptualise or which may seem completely irrelevant or unrealistic to them?
• Sensitive Questions: Do any items in the questionnaire touch upon issues which are sensitive? How likely are these items to offend?

Robson (2002) in Real World Research. London: Routledge. 2nd Edition, also gives a similar 'Checklist to help avoid problems in question wording' on p245 Box 8.4