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118 Part 2 • InformatIon requIrements analysIs

Figure 4.12 Open-Ended Closed
Trade-offs between the use of Slow Speed of Completion Fast
open-ended and closed questions
on questionnaires.
High Exploratory Nature Low

High Breadth and Depth Low

Easy Ease of Preparation Difficult

Difficult Ease of Analysis Easy

Use closed questions when you want to survey a large sample of people. The reason
becomes obvious when you start imagining how the data you are collecting will look. If you use
only open-ended questions for hundreds of people, correct analysis and interpretation of their
responses becomes impossible without the aid of a computerized content analysis program.
There are trade-offs involved in choosing either open-ended or closed questions for use on
questionnaires. Figure 4.12 summarizes these trade-offs. Notice that responses to open-ended
questions can help analysts gain rich, exploratory insights as well as breadth and depth on a
topic. Although open-ended questions can be written easily, analyzing responses to them is dif-
ficult and time-consuming.
When we refer to the writing of closed questions with either ordered or unordered answers,
we often refer to the process as scaling. The use of scales in surveys is discussed in detail in a
later section.

woRd choice. Just as with interviews, the language of questionnaires is an extremely important
aspect of their effectiveness. Even if a systems analyst has a standard set of questions concerning
systems development, it is wise to write them to reflect the business’s own terminology.
Respondents appreciate the efforts of someone who bothers to write a questionnaire reflect-
ing their own language usage. For instance, if the business uses the term supervisors instead of
managers or units rather than departments, incorporating the preferred terms into the question-
naire helps respondents relate to the meaning of the questions. Responses will be easier to inter-
pret accurately, and respondents will be more enthusiastic overall.
To check whether language used on the questionnaire is that of the respondents, try some
sample questions on a pilot (test) group. Ask them to pay particular attention to the appropriate-
ness of the wording and to change any words that do not ring true.
Here are some guidelines to use when choosing language for your questionnaire:
1. Use the language of respondents whenever possible. Keep wording simple.
2. Be specific rather than vague in your wording. Avoid overly specific questions as well.
3. Keep questions short.
4. Do not patronize respondents by talking down to them through low-level language
choices.
5. Avoid bias in wording. Avoiding bias includes avoiding objectionable questions.
6. Target questions to the correct respondents (that is, those who are capable of responding).
7. Ensure that questions are technically accurate before including them.
8. Use software to check whether the reading level is appropriate for the respondents.

Using Scales in Questionnaires
Scaling is the process of assigning numbers or other symbols to an attribute or a characteristic for
the purpose of measuring that attribute or characteristic. Scales are often arbitrary and may not
be unique. For example, temperature is measured in a number of ways; the two most common
are the Fahrenheit scale (where water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees) and the
Celsius scale (where freezing occurs at 0 degrees and boiling at 100 degrees).