Tools of data collection 
                              Questionnaire and interview schedule, Interview guide, observation guide 
                     
                    Topic: How to construct a questionnaire 
                         I.        Introducing the topic: While selecting a tool of data collection, the demographic 
                                   characteristics  of  the  study  population  play  an  important  role.  For  example, 
                                   questionnaire cannot be used if the study population is illiterate.  There are three 
                                   ways to administer the questionnaire: 
                              1.  Mailed questionnaire – sending questionnaire through mail to the participants 
                              2.  Collective questionnaire- distributing the questionnaire and collecting it back from 
                                   the participants, e.g. in classroom setting 
                              3.  Administration in a public places     
                         II.       Key points in preparing the questionnaire 
                         1.  Covering letter: While using questionnaire, the covering letter include is must, which 
                              need to include information about the purpose and relevance of the study. It must 
                              include the following points: 
                                       Introduce yourself and the institution you are representing, 
                                       Describe in two or three sentences the main objectives of the study, 
                                       Explain the relevance of the study, 
                                       Convey any general instruction 
                                       Assure about anonymity and confidentiality 
                                       Provide your contact number, in case the respondent wants to talk to you 
                                       Give your address for return and deadline for the same 
                                       Insert the thank you line for participation 
                         2.  Formats of the questions 
                                       Simple and everyday language should be used 
                                       Do not use ambiguous questions i.e. should not carry double meaning  
                                        e.g.  Is your work being difficult because you are rearing a small child? 
                                                Are you satisfied with your canteen? 
                                        In case of first question, the work may be difficult but not necessarily because 
                                        of the small child,  
                                        In  case  of  second  question,  it  does  not  specify  which  aspect  of  canteen- 
                                        services, menu, prices, hygienic conditions etc. 
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                                Avoid double barreled questions i.e. two questions in a single question 
                                   e.g. How often and how much time do you spend on practice 
                                   Does  your  department  have  a  special  recruitment  policy  for  women  and 
                             disabled? 
                                Do not ask leading question? 
                                 e.g. Smoking is bad, isn’t it? 
                                Do not ask question that are based on presumption 
                                 e.g. How many cigarettes do you smoke in a day? 
                                 Question  was  asked  without  ascertaining  whether  or  not  respondents  were 
                                 smokers, such questions need to have relevant preceding question  
                                For personal and sensitive questions, indirect method can be used  
                                 e.g by  giving pictures, or asking to complete sentences 
                                Contingency questions 
                                 e.g Are you aware of child labour act: Yes  
                                                                            No – skip to question no 3 
                                Matrix questions – organizing a set of similar response category questions   
                              e.g. The following services are provided at my work place : 
                             Type of services               Yes       No      Level of satisfaction 
                                                                              Satisfied     Dissatisfied  Undecided  
                             Crèches  and  day  care                           
                             services 
                             Canteen                                           
                              
                 Conclusion:  Since  questionnaire  would  be  responded  by  the  respondents  themselves, 
                 questions need to be carefully designed as to avoid any misinterpretation. Unlike in interview 
                 schedule, the researcher would not be available to clarify the doubts, if any.  
                  
                 At  the  end  of  the  class,  the  students  would  be  shown  a  well-  framed  questionnaire  as 
                 demonstration exercise.  
                  
                 Planning of the next class: Difference between questionnaire and interview schedule 
                  
                  
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                                                     Interview schedule 
                Research tools where in a set of questions are listed in a particular order. These questions are 
                orally askedby an interviewer and the interviewee verbally responds. The answers are either 
                handwritten by the interviewer or audio recorded or both. 
                Interview schedule has scope of both close ended and open ended questions, but highly 
                descriptive questions are not possible. 
                Rules of framing the questions will remain the same as in questionnaire. 
                 
                Topic: Difference between interview schedule and questionnaire   
                Methodology: Brain storming exercise and discussion 
                Basis of difference             Questionnaire                    Interview schedule  
                Target                          Only literate population          Both  literate  and  illiterate 
                                                                                 population  ,  but  exclude 
                                                                                 those with language barrier 
                Approach of administration      May  be  mailed  or  handed  Filled up by the interviewer 
                                                over to respondent to respond  in interview setting 
                Geographical Coverage           Viable for large geographical  Covering  large  geographical 
                                                distribution                     population is not feasible 
                Response pattern                100% return of questionnaire  100% return can be ensured 
                                                is not possible,                 by     the     presence     of 
                                                Proxy respondents cannot be  interviewer 
                                                avoided                          Only        the       required 
                                                                                 respondents      would      be 
                                                                                 considered for data  
                Nature of data                  Not  suitable  for  generating  Qualitative    data   can    be 
                                                qualitative       data       as  gathered,       scope       of 
                                                respondents  may  leave  the  supplementary        information 
                                                descriptive questions,           through observation, 
                                                Suitable for getting sensitive  Respondents may hesitate to 
                                                data,                            share  intimate  and  sensitive 
                                                                                 information, 
                                                                                 Presence  of  the  respondents 
                                                                                 may  bring  directionality  to 
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                                                                             the data  
               Time line                      Time  consuming  process  as  Data can be collected hand-
                                              respondents   need   to   be  to-hand 
                                              reminded time and again 
               Stationary and expenses        More    stationary,  stamps,  Costly as interviewer need to 
                                              packages.                      travel or hire enumerators 
                
               Conclusion:  Interview  schedule  and  questionnaire  both  have  their  own  advantages  and 
               disadvantages. The selection of the tool depends upon the population, nature of data required 
               resources in hand and time limit to complete the task.  
                
                
               Topic : Consideration in selection of tool for data collection 
               Selection of tool depends upon following: 
                   1.  Purpose of the study: If the study is exploratory, then tools like unstructured interview 
                      guide, observation guide, case study method give scope of in-depth extensive and 
                      flexible  range  of  data.    For  descriptive  study,  interview  schedule  coupled  with 
                      interview  guide/  observation  guide,  case-study  and  FGD  may  be  used.  For 
                      experimental study scales or questionnaire are used. 
                   2.  Nature  of  the  study:  for  quantitative  study  tool  like  questionnaire  or  interview 
                      schedule  may  be  used,  while  for  qualitative  study  tools  like  interview  guide, 
                      observation guide, case study or FGD may be used. 
                   3.  Characteristics of respondents:  
                             (a) Literate: any tool but we need to take language in to consideration in case 
                                 of language barrier 
                             (b) Illiterate : questionnaire can not be used 
                             (c) Children and special groups like mentally challenged, deaf & dump….: 
                                 observation guide 
                             (d) Elderly and sick: short inventories, interview not suited if respondents are 
                                 hard of hearing 
                   4.  Geographic coverage: for large geographic coverage questionnaire is the best tool 
                   5.  Time and resources: questionnaire takes long time as repeated follow up is required  
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