As the researcher sits down to prepare a questionnaire, what are the things must he keep in mind? The poll should not involve too many questions. People do not have the patience to answer them. The questions themselves should be short to read and simple to understand. They should elicit direct responses. If possible they can be in the form of a multiple choice format or a simple yes or no option. Giving the respondent limited answer options means that it is easier for the respondent to make up his mind and it is also easier for the researcher to collate and analyze the data afterwards.
It is a must to use technically correct language, simple grammar and active voice. The questionnaire should not ask the respondent to recall an event which happened very far back in time. The respondents would find it difficult to answer and the response would also be unreliable. The questionnaire should also have a title that is meaningful so that the respondents understand what the survey is about. It is a good idea to send the poll to a limited target audience as a test. This allows the researcher to judge the quality of the poll and also make changes to it before releasing it in the field for the final survey.