Questionnaires

A set of questions employed to ascertain people's opinions on particular topics. The usefulness depends on asking the right questions and response choices. Responses are normally chosen from a suggested range. Questionnaires are either self-completed, e.g. postal surveys - posted directly to chosen participants, or online surveys, or administered interactively with someone asking the questions and recording the answers, e.g. face-to-face or over the telephone.

They provide a means of gathering a snapshot on the views of a large number of people. The results can be coded, analysed and summarised in the form of numbers, percentages and sample statistics, which allow responses to be expressed as quantified measures.