Questionnaires

• What is a strength of questionnaires?

  Produce large amounts of data, cheaply
• What is a reliability characteristic of questionnaires?

  High in reliability
• Why are questionnaires often anonymous?

  To reduce worries about revealing identity
• How quickly can questionnaires be completed?

  Quick to complete
• What type of data do questionnaires produce?

  Representative data for generalisations
• What is a major weakness of questionnaires regarding response rates?

  Low response rate
• Why might questionnaires be low in validity?

  People may not take them seriously
• Who cannot effectively use questionnaires?

  Illiterate groups and children
• What is a limitation of questionnaires regarding depth of responses?

  Lack deeper meaning in responses
• What is a potential issue if respondents do not understand questions?

  No one is there to explain questions
• What is a questionnaire?

  A standardised set of written questions
• How can questionnaires be distributed?

  Postal or issued online
• Who favors the use of questionnaires?

  Favoured by positivists
• What type of data do questionnaires primarily produce?

  Quantitative data
• What does operationalisation mean in the context of questionnaires?

  Making the concept measurable
• How can a sociological term be made understandable for non-sociologists?

  By operationalising the concept
• What does standardised research ensure in questionnaires?

  Each respondent gets the same questions
• What is the purpose of a pilot study in questionnaire research?

  To test if questions make sense
• What type of questions do questionnaires mainly use?

  Closed questions and multiple choice answers
• Why do positivists prefer closed questions in questionnaires?

  They provide quantitative data
• What type of questions can provide insight into meanings and motives?

  Open-ended questions
• What should questionnaires use to ensure clarity?

  Clear, simple questions
• What should questionnaires provide to help respondents?

  Clear instructions and easy layout
• What is important for multiple choice questions in questionnaires?

  Give a range of options
• What should questionnaires measure?

  What you want to measure
• What should questionnaires avoid asking?

  Embarrassing or complex questions
• What is a common mistake in questionnaire design?

  Asking two questions instead of one
• What should questionnaires not be in terms of length?

  Too long
• What type of terms should questionnaires avoid using?

  Sociological terms few understand
• What should questionnaires not lead respondents to do?

  Answer in a particular way
• How many people does the Crime Survey for England and Wales survey annually?

  About 38,000 people
• Who conducted a study using questionnaires in 1979?

  Michael Rutter
• What was the focus of Michael Rutter's study?

  Class size, number of staff, school size
• What did Rutter find using questionnaires?

  Correlations between various factors
• Why would it have been difficult for Rutter to find correlations using other methods?

  Questionnaires collected large quantities of data