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ChaPter 4 • InformatIon GatherInG: InteraCtIve methods 121

questionnaire is to gather information on attitudes, beliefs, behavior, and characteristics whose
impact may substantially alter users’ work, respondents are not always motivated to respond.
Remember that organizational members on the whole tend to receive too many surveys, many of
which are often ill conceived and trivial.
A well-designed, relevant questionnaire can help overcome some of the resistance to
responding. Here are some rules for designing a good questionnaire:
1. Allow ample white space.
2. Allow ample space to write or type in responses.
3. Make it easy for respondents to clearly mark their answers.
4. Be consistent in style.

When you design questionnaires for the Web, apply the same rules you use when designing
paper questionnaires. Most software packages allow you to insert one of the commonly used data
entry formats shown in Figure 4.13. Following the four guidelines should help you gain a better
response rate to the questionnaire.

Question oRdeR. There is no best way to order questions on a questionnaire. Once again, as you
order questions, you must think about your objectives in using the questionnaire and then determine
the function of each question in helping you to achieve your objectives. It is also important to see
the questionnaire through the respondents’ eyes. Some guidelines for ordering questions are:
1. Place questions that are important to respondents first.
2. Cluster items of similar content together.
3. Introduce less controversial questions first.

You want respondents to feel as unthreatened by and interested in the questions being asked as
possible, without getting overwrought about a particular issue.

Administering Questionnaires
The topic of administering questionnaires centers around two main questions. These are: who in the
organization should receive the questionnaire and how should the questionnaire be administered.
Both questions are worth considering carefully before a questionnaire is sent. Doing so will help you
better visualize and anticipate the data you are trying to collect with the questionnaire, and it will also
help you to plan ahead so that appropriate timing is observed in the administering of the questionnaire.
ResPondents. Deciding who will receive the questionnaire is handled in conjunction with the
task of setting up objectives for its results. Sampling, which is covered in Chapter 5, helps a
systems analyst to determine what sort of representation is necessary and hence what kind of
respondents should receive the questionnaire.

Figure 4.13
Name Appearance Purpose
When designing a Web survey,
One-line text box Used to obtain a small amount of text and keep in mind that there are
limit the answer to a few words different ways to capture
responses.
Scrolling text box Used to obtain one or more paragraphs of text

Used to obtain a yes-no answer (e.g., Do you
Check box
wish to be included on the mailing list?)
Radio button Used to obtain a yes-no or true-false answer

Used to obtain more consistent results
(Respondent is able to choose the appropriate
Drop-down menu
answer from a predetermined list [e.g., a list of
state abbreviations])

Most often used for an action (e.g., a respondent
Push button
pushes a button marked “Submit” or “Clear”)