Generalized Questionnaire Analysis Program

About the report:

It is apparent that a simple cookbook method for designing questionnaires of all types is not available. Researchers must realize that the questionnaire is an integral part of his research effort and as such it should be tailored to his particular needs. This tailoring process is generally an iterative one whereby the researcher pilots the following aspects of the questionnaire: A. The letter of introduction or paragraph of explanation, whichever is appropriate. B. The structure of the questions, which includes the process of converting open-ended questions into multiple-choice questions. C. The ordering of the questions within the framework of the questionnaire. Interview questionnaires provide the most complete kind of results, but in many cases are prohibitively expensive. The mail questionnaire, by contrast, provides an economical method of reaching large samples even if they are geographically dispersed, but control in terms of who responds is relinquished. Personnel at the Virginia Highway Research Council can in almost every case accomplish questionnaire-based research goals by sticking to a format that is readily analyzed. This standardization allows the researcher to receive the results of his survey with a minimum of interaction and coordination with other sections. It is hoped that the guidelines contained in this report together with the program provided to analyze the results of a researcher's surveys will serve as a valuable tool for the staff of the Research Council.

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