Distinguish between a 'Questionnaire' and a 'Schedule'. Design a questionnaire keeping in view any research objective you want to formulate. State which questions fulfil which research objectives of your study.

Question: Distinguish between a 'Questionnaire' and a 'Schedule'. Design a questionnaire keeping in view any research objective you want to formulate. State which questions fulfil which research objectives of your study.

Find the question and answer of the Research Methodology only on Legal Bites. [Distinguish between a 'Questionnaire' and a 'Schedule'. Design a questionnaire keeping in view any research objective you want to formulate. State which questions fulfil which research objectives of your study.]

Answer

A Questionnaire and a Schedule are both tools used to gather information in research, but they differ in structure, purpose, and timing. A Questionnaire is a written set of questions that are designed to gather information from a large group of people. It is a standardized tool that is used to collect data on a wide range of topics such as attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, and demographics. It is usually administered to a sample of respondents who are asked to complete it independently. Questionnaires can be either open-ended or close-ended, with the latter consisting of pre-determined response options.

On the other hand, a schedule is a structured interview that is conducted face-to-face or over the phone. The interviewer asks a set of standardized questions in a particular order but also has the flexibility to ask follow-up questions or clarify any ambiguity. Schedules are more detailed than questionnaires, as they allow for more in-depth responses and can capture contextual information that may not be captured by questionnaires.

To design a questionnaire, the following steps should be followed:

Define the Research Objectives: The first step is to clearly define the research objectives and the information that needs to be collected.

Develop the Questions: Develop questions that are clear, concise, and unambiguous. The questions should be designed to elicit the required information and avoid any leading or biased questions.

Organize the Questions: Group similar questions together, and ensure that the flow of questions is logical and easy to follow.

Pre-test the Questionnaire: Pre-test the questionnaire with a small sample of respondents to identify any issues with the questions, response options, or the overall structure.

Administer the Questionnaire: Administer the questionnaire to the sample of respondents and collect the responses.

Here is an example of a questionnaire designed for a research study on the factors that influence customer satisfaction in a retail store:

1. What is your age?
2. What is your gender?
3. How frequently do you shop at this store?
4. What factors influence your decision to shop at this store?
5. How satisfied are you with the quality of products available at this store?
6. How satisfied are you with the pricing of products at this store?
7. How satisfied are you with the customer service at this store?
8. Have you ever had a negative experience at this store? If yes, please explain.
9. How likely are you to recommend this store to others?
10. Do you have any suggestions for improving the shopping experience at this store?

The first two questions are demographic questions that will help in the analysis of the data. Questions 3 and 4 aim to capture the shopping behaviour of the respondents and the factors that influence their decision to shop at the store. Questions 5, 6, and 7 are satisfaction questions, and their responses will help to identify the factors that are most important in determining customer satisfaction. Question 8 is an open-ended question that will allow the respondents to provide detailed feedback on any negative experiences they may have had at the store. Question 9 is a recommendation question that will help to identify the store's net promoter score. Question 10 is an open-ended question that will allow the respondents to provide suggestions for improving the shopping experience at the store.

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