How to Design a Research Questionnaire That Gets Approved and Gets Results

The Questionnaire That Changed Everything

A student from Lagos State University came to us with a problem. She had distributed 300 questionnaires, collected them all back, and was ready to analyze her data. There was just one issue: her questions were so poorly designed that the responses were meaningless.

For example, she had a question that asked: "Do you agree that social media marketing is effective and should be adopted by all businesses?" This is what we call a double-barreled question. A respondent might agree that it is effective but not agree that all businesses should adopt it. How do they answer?

She had to start over. Three hundred questionnaires wasted. Weeks of work lost.

This guide will help you avoid her mistake.

Understanding What a Questionnaire Does

Your questionnaire is a measurement instrument. Just like a thermometer measures temperature, your questionnaire measures attitudes, behaviors, perceptions, or opinions. And just like a faulty thermometer gives wrong readings, a poorly designed questionnaire gives unreliable data.

The goal is to design questions that:

Measure exactly what your research objectives require
Are understood the same way by all respondents
Produce consistent responses (reliability)
Actually measure what they claim to measure (validity)

Types of Questions You Will Use

Closed-Ended Questions

These provide predefined response options. They are easier to analyze and are most common in quantitative research.

Dichotomous Questions: Only two options

Gender: [ ] Male [ ] Female

Have you ever purchased a product based on social media advertisement? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Multiple Choice Questions: Several options, select one

What is your highest educational qualification?
[ ] SSCE/WAEC [ ] OND/NCE [ ] HND/BSc [ ] Masters [ ] PhD

Likert Scale Questions: Measure agreement or frequency on a scale

Social media advertisements influence my purchasing decisions.
[ ] Strongly Disagree [ ] Disagree [ ] Neutral [ ] Agree [ ] Strongly Agree

Rating Scale Questions: Rate something on a numerical scale

On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with our service? ___

Open-Ended Questions

These allow respondents to answer in their own words. They provide richer data but are harder to analyze.

What factors influence your decision to purchase products online?
__________________________________________

Most undergraduate questionnaires use primarily closed-ended questions with perhaps one or two open-ended questions at the end.

The Anatomy of a Good Questionnaire

Section A: Introduction and Demographics

Start with a brief introduction explaining the purpose of the study and assuring confidentiality.

"Dear Respondent,

This questionnaire is designed to collect data for a research project on the impact of social media marketing on consumer purchasing behavior. Your responses will be treated with strict confidentiality and used solely for academic purposes. The questionnaire takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your participation."

Then collect relevant demographic information:

Gender
Age range
Educational qualification
Occupation (if relevant)
Other demographics relevant to your study

Important: Only collect demographics that you will actually use in your analysis. Asking for unnecessary information wastes the respondent's time and can reduce response rates.

Section B and Beyond: Research Variables

Each subsequent section should focus on one variable from your study. Structure your items to align with your research objectives.

Example for a study on social media marketing and purchase behavior:

Section B: Social Media Usage (Independent Variable)

Section C: Exposure to Social Media Marketing (Independent Variable)

Section D: Trust in Social Media Content (Mediating Variable)

Section E: Purchase Intention/Behavior (Dependent Variable)

Writing Good Questions: The Do's and Don'ts

DO: Be Clear and Specific

Poor: Do you use social media often?

Better: How many hours per day do you spend on social media platforms?

[ ] Less than 1 hour [ ] 1-2 hours [ ] 3-4 hours [ ] 5+ hours

DON'T: Use Double-Barreled Questions

Poor: Social media marketing is effective and cost-efficient.

Better: Split into two questions:

- Social media marketing is effective for reaching customers.

- Social media marketing is cost-efficient compared to traditional marketing.

DO: Avoid Leading Questions

Poor: Do you agree that our excellent customer service makes us the best?

Better: How would you rate our customer service?

[ ] Very Poor [ ] Poor [ ] Average [ ] Good [ ] Excellent

DON'T: Use Jargon or Complex Words

Poor: The organization demonstrates corporate social responsibility through philanthropic endeavors.

Better: The organization gives back to the community through donations and social programs.

DO: Ensure Mutually Exclusive Options

Poor: Age: [ ] 18-25 [ ] 25-35 [ ] 35-45 (Where does a 25-year-old go?)

Better: Age: [ ] 18-24 [ ] 25-34 [ ] 35-44 [ ] 45 and above

DON'T: Ask About Two Time Periods at Once

Poor: Did you use our service before and after the pandemic?

Better: Ask separately about before and after.

The Likert Scale: Getting It Right

Since most of your questionnaire will likely use Likert scales, let us dive deeper:

4-Point vs 5-Point Scale

5-Point Scale: Includes a neutral midpoint

Strongly Disagree (1) - Disagree (2) - Neutral (3) - Agree (4) - Strongly Agree (5)

4-Point Scale: Forces respondents to take a position

Strongly Disagree (1) - Disagree (2) - Agree (3) - Strongly Agree (4)

The 4-point scale is useful when you want to avoid respondents defaulting to neutral. However, some researchers argue this forces artificial choices. Discuss with your supervisor which is preferred in your department.

Writing Good Likert Statements

Likert items should be statements, not questions. Respondents indicate their level of agreement.

Good Likert items:

I trust product recommendations from social media influencers.
Social media advertisements provide useful information about products.
I have purchased products that I first discovered on social media.

Include some negatively worded items to ensure respondents are reading carefully:

I rarely pay attention to advertisements on social media.
Social media marketing does not influence my purchasing decisions.

Remember to reverse-code these items during analysis.

Ensuring Validity and Reliability

Content Validity

Your questionnaire should cover all aspects of the variables you are measuring. Develop your questions based on:

Your research objectives
Definitions from your literature review
Previously validated scales from other studies

Have your supervisor and perhaps one or two other experts review the questionnaire before distribution.

Reliability

Conduct a pilot study with 20-30 respondents before main data collection. Use the pilot data to calculate Cronbach's Alpha. Each scale (group of items measuring one variable) should have an alpha of 0.7 or above.

If alpha is too low, review the items. You may need to remove or rephrase problematic questions.

Sample Questionnaire Structure

Here is a template you can adapt:

SECTION A: DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

1. Gender: [ ] Male [ ] Female

2. Age: [ ] 18-24 [ ] 25-34 [ ] 35-44 [ ] 45 and above

3. Educational Qualification: [ ] SSCE [ ] OND/NCE [ ] HND/BSc [ ] Postgraduate

4. How often do you use social media? [ ] Daily [ ] Weekly [ ] Monthly [ ] Rarely

SECTION B: SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING EXPOSURE

Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements:
(SA=Strongly Agree, A=Agree, N=Neutral, D=Disagree, SD=Strongly Disagree)

5. I frequently see advertisements on social media platforms. [SA] [A] [N] [D] [SD]

6. I follow brands and businesses on social media. [SA] [A] [N] [D] [SD]

7. I receive promotional content from businesses via social media. [SA] [A] [N] [D] [SD]

Need Help Designing Your Questionnaire?

A well-designed questionnaire sets the foundation for successful research. If you need help creating a valid, reliable questionnaire that aligns with your research objectives, AlimsWrite is here to help.

We can design your questionnaire from scratch or review and improve what you have already drafted.