copyright ©2010 pearson education, inc. publishing as prentice hall 8- 1 basic marketing research:...

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 8- 1

Basic Marketing Research: Using Microsoft Excel Data Analysis, 3rd edition

Alvin C. Burns Louisiana State UniversityRonald F. Bush University of West Florida

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Types of Data Collection Forms

• There are two types of data collection forms:• Survey Questionnaires: used when collecting

responses to surveys• Observation Forms: used to collect data in

observation studies

8- 2


6 Functions of a Questionnaire

• It translates research objectives into specific questions.

• It standardizes those questions and response categories.

• It fosters cooperation and keeps respondents motivated.

8- 3


6 Functions of a Questionnaire, Continued...

• They serve as permanent records of the research.

• A questionnaire may speed up the process of data analysis.

• They may be used in reliability assessments and respondent participation validation.

8- 4


Questionnaire Design Process

• Questionnaire design is a systematic process in which the researcher contemplates various question formats, considers a number of factors characterizing the survey at hand, ultimately words the various questions very carefully, and organizes the questionnaire’s layout.

8- 5


Steps in the Questionnaire Development Process– See page 177

8- 6


Developing Questions

• Question development is the practice of selecting appropriate response formats and wording questions so that they are understandable, unambiguous, and unbiased.

8- 7


How Wording Affects Answers

8- 8

Did you see…

A broken headlight?

The broken headlight?

Which generates more agreement?


Words to Avoid in Question Development

8- 9


Words to Avoid in Question Development, Continued…

8- 10


Question Evaluation

• Question evaluation refers to scrutinizing the wording of a question to ensure the question is not biased and is worded such that respondents understand it and can respond to it with relative ease.

8- 11


Four “Do’s” of Question Wording

1. The question should be focused on a single issue or topic.• The researcher must stay focused on the specific

issue or topic• “What type of hotel do you usually stay in when

on a trip?”, “Is it a business or pleasure trip?”, “Is the hotel at a place en route or at the final destination?”

8- 12


Four “Do’s” of Question Wording, Cont.

2. The question should be brief.• Brevity will help the respondent to comprehend

the central question and reduce the distraction or wordiness

3. The question should be grammatically simple, if possible.• The more complex the sentence, the greater the

potential for respondent error

8- 13


Four “Do’s” of Question Wording, Cont.

4. The question should be crystal clear.• All respondents should see the question

identically• “How many children do you have?” is unclear

because it can be interpreted in various ways. One respondent might think of only those children living at home, whereas another might include children from a previous marriage. A better question is “How many children under the age of 18 live with you in your home?”

8- 14


Four “Do Not’s” of Questionnaire Wording

• Questions should not be:• Leading• Loaded• Double-barreled• Overstated

8- 15



1. Do not “lead” the respondent to a particular answer• A leading question gives the respondent a strong

cue or expectation as to how to answer, therefore biasing responses

• Questions can be leading based on structure, content, and/or delivery. See MRA 8.2

8- 16


Don’t you think fast foods have too many calories? is a leading question. Why?

8- 17



2. Do not have “loaded” wording or phrasing.• Loaded questions are biased but they differ from

leading questions in that they contain wording elements that make reference to universal beliefs or rules of behavior

• “Since our founding fathers gave us the right to own guns, are you in favor of proposed laws restricting gun ownership?”

8- 18



3. Do not use “double-barreled” questions• A double-barreled question is really two

questions posed in one question• “Were you satisfied with the restaurant’s food and

service?”

• Sometimes, double-barreled questions are not obvious• How can someone who is retired and a full-time

student answer if they can only choose one? See p. 184.

8- 19



4. Do not use words to overstate the condition.• An overstated question is one that places undue

emphasis on some aspect of the topic. It uses what might be considered “dramatics” to describe the topic

• “How much do you think you would pay for a pair of sunglasses that will protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, which are known to cause blindness?”

8- 20


Do or Do Not Examples

8- 21


Do or Do Not Examples, Continued...

8- 22


Questionnaire Organization

• Questionnaire organization is the sequence of statements and questions that make up the questionnaire.

• It is important because the questionnaire appearance and ease of flow affect the quality of the information gathered.

8- 23


Questionnaire Organization- The Introduction

• If the introduction is written to accompany a mail survey or online survey, it is normally referred to as a cover letter

• If the introduction is to be verbally presented, as in the case of a personal interview, it may be referred to as the “opening comments”

8- 24


Functions of the Questionnaire Introduction

8- 25


Screening Questions

• Screening questions are used to ferret out respondents who do not meet research study qualifications.

• Research objectives should specify who should and should not be included in the research study.

8- 26


Question Flow

• Question flow pertains to the sequencing of questions or blocks of questions, including any instructions, on the questionnaire.

8- 27


Question Location on a Questionnaire is Logical

8- 28


Skip Questions

• A skip question is one whose answer affects which question will be asked next• If the researcher has a great number of transition

and skip questions, it may be a good idea to create a flow chart of the questions to ensure that there are no errors in the instructions. Online questionnaires typically have a skip logic function that handles these transitions automatically

8- 29


Classification Questions

• Classification questions, which almost always include demographic questions, are used to classify respondents into various groups for purposes of analysis• The placement of classification questions such as

these at the end of the questionnaire is useful because some respondents will consider certain demographic questions “personal”

8- 30


Computer-Assisted Questionnaire Design

• Computer-assisted questionnaire design: refers to software programs that allow researchers to use computer technology to develop and disseminate questionnaires and, in some cases, to retrieve and analyze data gathered by the questionnaire.

• Functions include:• Questionnaire creation• Data collection and creation of data files• Data analysis and graphs

8- 31


Coding the Questionnaire

• Coding questions refers to the use of numbers associated with question response options to facilitate data analysis after the survey has been conducted

8- 32


Basic Rules of Question Coding

• Every closed-ended question should have a code number associated with every possible response

• Use single-digit code numbers, beginning with 1, incrementing them by one and using the logical direction of the response scale

8- 33


Basic Rules of Question Coding, Continued...

• Use the same coding system for questions with identical response options regardless of where these questions are positioned in the questionnaire

• When possible, set up the coding system before the questionnaire is finalized

8- 34


Basic Rules of Question Coding, Continued...

• Remember that a “check all that apply” question is simply a special case of “yes” or “no” question, so use a 1 (yes) and 0 (no) coding system. You will want to consider each concept being tested as a separate question

8- 35


Examples of Coding on the Final Questionnaire

8- 36


Examples of Coding on the Final Questionnaire, Continued...

8- 37


Performing the Pretest of the Questionnaire

• A pretest involves conducting a dry run of the survey on a small, representative set of respondents in order to reveal questionnaire errors before the survey is launched.

• It is important to pretest on respondents that are representative of the target population to be studied.

8- 38


Copyright Protected

8- 39

copyright ©2010 pearson education, inc. publishing as prentice hall 8- 1 basic marketing research:...

Documents