Multiple Indicator Cluster SurveysRegional Training WorkshopI – Survey Design

General Characteristics of MICS3 Questionnaires

Some Features of Questionnaires and Modules• Standardized format as much as possible• Makes training, data processing easier

• All questions = CAPITAL LETTERS• All response categories = lowercase• All instructions to interviewers = lowercase italics.

• Words in (italics & in parentheses) = to be replaced by the appropriate word during interview

• Words in (italic-bold-in parentheses) = to be replaced before questionnaires are printed

Some Features of Questionnaires and Modules

• Question numbers begin with “1” in each module, preceded by two letters indicating the module

• e.g. HL1 or MN4.

Some Features of Questionnaires and Modules

• Any questions or filters with light grey background = will not be asked to the respondent, but completed by the interviewer, based on previous responses or observations.

Recording Responses

• All interviewers to use pens with blue ink to complete all questionnaires.

• Any editing in the field (by supervisors or field editors) to be done by using pens with red ink.

• Office editors to do all their work using pens with green or black ink – By this way, it becomes possible at every stage to

understand the changes that have been made – if necessary to go back

Type of Questions

• Questions which have precoded responses,

• Questions which do not have precoded responses,

• Filters

Questions with Precoded Responses

• For some questions, we can predict the types of responses a respondent will give.

• The responses to these questions are listed in the questionnaire, usually on the right, or below the question

• Never to be read to the respondent unless otherwise indicated (included in the question itself)

Questions with Precoded Responses

• Two types of response categories– Numeric: Only one response category can

be circled– Letter: Multiple responses can be circled

• Circle the number or letter which corresponds to the reply.

• Make sure that each circle surrounds only a single number or letter.

Questions with Precoded Responses

• In some cases, precoded responses will include an "other" category.

• Use “other” when certain that the response does not fit in any precoded category

• Always write the respondent's answer in the space provided (Specify: ______).

• Use margins, last page etc to provide more detail if necessary

Questions with Precoded Responses

• In numeric response codes– 8, 98, 998, 9998 = Don’t know– 6, 96, 996, 9996 = Other

• In alphabetical (multiple response) codes– X = Other– Y = None– Z = Don’t know

Questions with No Precoded Responses

• In entering the response for these questions the respondent's answer must be written in the space provided.

• Usually a number or a date will be recorded in the spaces provided.

• If the response has fewer digits than the number of spaces provided, leading zeroes have to be used.

Skip Instructions

• It is very important not to ask a respondent questions which are not relevant to her situation

• For example, a childless woman should not be asked about the birth weight of her last child.

• In cases where a particular response makes subsequent questions irrelevant, an instruction (usually an arrow) is shown after the particular response directing us to skip to the next appropriate question.

• It is important that skip instructions are carefully followed

Filters

• Filters require interviewer to look back to the answer to previous responses, then mark an X in the box and follow skip instructions

• They are used to prevent a respondent from being asked irrelevant questions.

• Follow the instructions and do not rely on memory• Check back and mark an "X" in the appropriate box in the

filter; then, follow the instructions.

Recording Responses

• It is very important to record answers neatly

• For precoded responses, be sure that the correct code is circled

• For open-ended responses, the reply should be written legibly

Correcting Mistakes

• If there was a mistake in recording the answer or the respondent changes her/his reply, the incorrect response is crossed out and the right answer entered

• Never erase an answer

• Two diagonal lines are put through the incorrect response, and correct response is recorded to the left or right 

Adapting / Customizing Questionnaires

Customization

• No single model questionnaire can represent all human experience around the globe

• Customization will have to be made

• However, lesson learned: Adapting too freely may cause production of low quality, incomparable data

Customize,

• But retain international comparability in data you collect

• Only to reflect country-specific categories, phenomena

Adapting / Customizing Questionnaires

• Decide on your indicators

• Identify modules which collect necessary data on numerators and denominators of your indicators

• Make sure you collect information on all indicators appropriately and that a decision to take out one module does not affect collection of data on another indicator

Adapting / Customizing Questionnaires

• Retain all core modules if possible

• Assess whether you are affected by issues in additional modules and decide to include/exclude them

• Optional modules – Assess if it is an issue, if there is interest

Adapting / Customizing Questionnaires

• Assess the length of questionnaires – do not overdo it

• Consider the flow, the rhythm of the interview, do not produce a “form”

• Remember that the inclusion/exclusion of one module might influence another module, or the rhythm of the interview

Some Rules

• Retain question numbers

• Do not assign new numbers to questions already in model questionnaire

• If new questions are included, assign them new numbers – if necessary, use A, B, C etc, such as HA15A, HA15B to be inserted between HA15 and HA16

• Retain Latin characters

Some Rules

• Understand what response categories are attempting to capture

• Country-specific response categories may be already there, under a different name

• A new category should not take up the code (number or letter) of those in the model questionnaires

Some Rules

• Be cautious about changing the ordering of modules

• If not absolutely necessary, do not change ordering of modules or questions

• Do not change the definition of the eligible group, e.g. age group

• Change can only be to capture a wider group, e.g. asking questions about age group 2-14 rather than 2-9

Suggestion

• Share your questionnaires and plans with UNICEF Regional Office, UNICEF NY

• Process to do this will be discussed during the workshop