The do's (the good) and don'ts (the pitfalls) of questionnaire design
| Questionnaires? | |
|---|---|
| The good ideas | The pitfalls |
| Well-articulated research topic | Lack of consideration of the field of scholarship when starting. |
| Comprehensive literature review | Not searching broadly enough. You may need to research journals or the grey literature outside your usual reading. |
| Considered choice of survey format | Not taking advantage of validated questionnaires already available. Not considering what is acceptable and feasible. |
| Clear visual design with signposting | Small font. Poorly organised. Difficult to navigate. Too long. |
| Questions with a single point | Complex questions, ambiguous, more than one point, unclear wording. |
| Field test or pilot your instrument appropriately | Missing out relevant stakeholder groups in the review. Inappropriate opportunistic sampling—it is too easy to think your colleagues will do! |
| For sampling, refer back to your research question, randomise or purposively sample | Insufficient consideration. Sampling can disenfranchise certain persons or groups of people. |
| Choose when, where and how to deliver the questionnaire for maximum uptake | Not answering the research question through poor sampling or poor returns. |
| Enhance quantitative questions with free text boxes | Can take many hours of analysis. Know your limits regarding expertise and time. |