Measurement and Questionnaire Design

About this course

Learning objectives

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Explain the multiple steps in designing a questionnaire and the guidelines that should be followed at each step.
• Explain how the choice of data collection method and whether using an interviewer or self-administered format influences questionnaire design.
• Describe potential sources of bias in developing a questionnaire and how to minimize them.
• Describe the methods questionnaire writers use to engage participants, encourage response, and make the survey-taking experience more enjoyable.
• Describe the key issues to consider when designing questionnaires for mobile devices.
• Identify the best practices for designing observational forms of data collection.
• Discuss the primary scales of measurement and differentiate among nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales. Be able to select the most appropriate scale(s) based on analytic requirements.
• Classify scaling techniques as comparative and noncomparative, and describe the comparative techniques of paired comparison, rank order, and constant sum.
• Describe the noncomparative scaling techniques distinguishing between continuous rating scales and itemized rating scales. Identify two commonly used itemized scales: Likert and semantic differential.
• Discuss the criteria used for scale evaluation, and how to assess reliability and validity.
• Discuss the use of software for designing questionnaires.
• Discuss the considerations involved in designing questionnaires and implementing scaling techniques for global research.
• Explain the ethical issues related to questionnaire design and measurement scales.

Who should attend?

• Entry-level researchers seeking a general understanding of questionnaire design and the guidelines that should be followed.
• Market researchers in client-facing roles looking to advance their careers.
• Client-side researchers responsible for all phases of the project (including questionnaire design) to ensure that it meets the needs of the organization.
• Mid-level staff seeking to understand which questionnaire design approaches they could benefit from using.
• Experienced researchers looking to catch up with the latest developments.
• Corporations seeking professional development options for their internal training portfolio.
• Suppliers seeking courses for new-employee onboarding.
• Analysts seeking to understand the pros and cons of questionnaire design approaches and best practices.

Continuing Education Information

Students successfully completing graded components earn 1.0 University of Georgia Continuing Education Unit (Opens in a new window) (CEU) from The University of Georgia.

As a graduate of the course, become recognized by industry associations, employers, peer groups and other professionals as understanding research findings and translating them into reports and presentations that address the business needs for your client.

CAIP Canada (Opens in a new window) also recommends the course for candidates looking to fill in the gaps or gain a refresher in specific areas.