Grounded Questionnaire Design

• Activity Number: 14
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 11, 2002 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods*
• Author(s): Mary Kovar*+ and David Nelson
• Affiliation(s): Consultant and National Cancer Institute
• Keywords: Questionnaire ; Design

Abstract

Good survey people work hard at designing questionnaires, conducting focus groups, cognitive research, and pretesting. But still we design the questions. We know what we want answers to, and we ask questions we design to get those answers.

As a result, we often don't get the answers we want. I once asked, "Do you use a senior center Frequently, Often, Rarely, or Never?" And the respondent answered, "I go Wednesdays and Saturdays." Was that frequently or often? The respondent didn't know and, in truth, neither did I.

We propose another approach to developing questions using qualitative research methods, such as structured or in-depth interviews. This approach would involve listening to people and letting the question format and structure (as opposed to content) emerge from what they tell you, i.e., a questionnaire based on grounded theory. Glasser (1992) argues for allowing theory to emerge from data, as opposed to forcing data into preconceived frameworks. Thus, grounded theory is a potentially innovative approach for developing questionnaires.

We are not arguing for unstructured interveiws. Instead, we are arguing for a new approach to questionnaire development.