TWO KINDS OF QUESTIONS: Open vs.

Closed Open-ended > respondents answer in their own words and using their own frame of reference > do not influence answers by giving fixed categories > respondents tend to tell you what is most important to them BUT > You get a lot of answers that may not be useful > Skill of the interviewer is important in drawing out responses Example: What is the most important problem facing the country today? Possible responses: > unemployment too many people out of work > environment we are ruining the planet > the worlds population is out of control > we should implement the RH bill > my parents think families need more discpline Closed > alternatives are considered by the respondent > responses are uniform > less demand is placed on respondents > Respondents make their own judgements BUT > Questions might be suggest to respondents what they are not thinking about EXAMPLE OF CLOSED QUESTION What is the most important problem facing the country today? Choices: ___ Crime ___ Political leadership ___ Debt ___Unemployment ___ Education ___ Pollution ___ Street children ___ Inflation ___ Overpopulation ___ Health care ___ Other/s, specify: __________ > Response categories must be EXHAUSTIVE > Categories must be MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE (neutral categories might be problematic) > 5-point scales are best (SA A U D SD)

PRINCIPLES IN QUESTION WRITING 1. Keep vocabulary simple 2. Avoid lengthy questions 3. Specify alternatives instead of presenting only one side of the issue (or not)

WORDING QUESTIONS 1. Questions/statements must have a single, specific focus > How much literature do you read? > Do you exercise regularly to avoid heart trouble? > Do you agree/disagree with new health program? 2. Make questions short and specific > How many children do you have and in what year were each of them born? > Considering the books you have this year, where exactly did you buy them? 3. It helps to define even the simplest words > Have you had wine to drink in the past month? > Cyclists should not be disallowed from following rules of the road. > Do you know any leftists? > Marijuana should not be decriminalized. 4. Avoid biased, leading, and threatening questions > Have you ever struck a child? > Do you agree or disagree that students who cheat should be expelled? > Are you a drunk driver? 5. Specify a time frame (if necessary) > How often do you eat fast food? > How many people live in this household? > How often do you go to the dentist? COMMON ERRORS IN QUESTION WRITING 1. Double-barreled > How satisfied are you with wages and work hours? 2. False premise > In order to build more housing for the poor, should government raise taxes or cut back on other spending? 3. Vague, ambiguous words > Do you read the Sunday paper? 4. Overlapping alternatives > Do you normally take the jeepney to school or drive a car? 5. Double negatives > Would you favor or oppose a law that would not allow free contraception? 6. Intentions to act > On election day, who would you vote for?