Page 137 - SREENARAYANAGURU OPEN UNIVERSITY

Definitely will Probably will Undecided Probably will go Definitely will go
not go not go

1 2 3 4 5

c. Contingency question
A survey question is intended for only some respondents which
are determined by their responses to some other questions. For
example- ◆ Based on another
Have you invested in Mutual Funds? question

Yes No
If yes, how many have you taken?

Points to remember in questionnaire wording
a. Define the issue: One must clearly define the issue like Who,
What, When, Where, Why, and Which (The Six W’s). Who, What,
When, and Where are particularly important.
◆ Which brand of soap do you use? (Incorrect)

◆ Which brand or brands of soap have you personally used at
home during the last month? In case of more than one brand,
please list all the brands that apply. (Correct)

b. Use simple ordinary words: Respondents may not be highly
educated and may not know some of the technical jargon that you
are used to.

◆ “Do you think the distribution of soft drinks is adequate?”
(Incorrect)

◆ “Do you think soft drinks are readily available when you
want to buy them?” (Correct)

c. Use unambiguous words: Ambiguous question contains
more than one meaning and that can be interpreted differently by
different respondents.

◆ ‘Are you satisfied with your canteen?’
Yes No
This question can be interpreted differently by each respondent

SGOU - SLM - MCom Research Methodology 131