Questionnaire Design: How To Plan, Structure And Write Survey Material For Effective Market Research (Market Research In Practice Series)

Questionnaire Design: How to Plan, Structure and Write Survey Material for Effective Market Research (Market Research in Practice Series)

* A guide that focuses on core skills * Written by one of the most experienced market researchers in the field of questionnaire design * Includes a free CD-ROM containing questionnaire-writing software Questionnaires are a vital tool for the market researcher: they draw accurate information from respondents, give structure to interviews, facilitate data processing and provide a standard form on which facts, comments and attitudes can be recorded. ""Questionnaire Design"" explains the role of questionnaires in market research, and looks at different types of questions and questionnaires and when and how they should be used. The book also explains how to plan, structure and write the right questionnaire for the research you are running. Contents are as follows: * Objectives in writing questionnaires * Differences between data collection media * Planning your questionnaire * Writing the questions * types of questions * Using prompt material * Laying it out * Piloting * Ethical issues * Social desirability bias and how to avoid it * Issues in multi-national surveys Review ""Brace, a market researcher, provides the framework and general principles all survey writers should apply when creating any type of market research questionnaire. He begins by identifying the various characteristics, types, and purposes of solid questionanaires. The book effectively illustrates the importance of the questionnaire as a decision-making tool. The introduction describes researchers' objectives when using questionnaires, while later chapters examine how these objectives are achieved. All phases, from planning through pilot-testing and data collection, are covered thoroughly. Brace also tackles the ethical issues surrounding survey writing, and even devotes a chapter to international surveys, catering to the needs of an increasingly global economic arena. Most helpful are the appendixes, which include flow charts and step-by-step guidance in exploring a sample questionnaire. Questionnaire Design will be a useful reference for those in the market research industry and a comprehensive introduction for those interested in mastering the intricascies of questionnaire development. This highly informative volume would also serve as a valuable compnaion for advnced undergraduate and graduate students alike. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections""--S.D. Clark, St. John's University (NY) in CHOICE About the Author Ian Brace is UK Group Research Director for NFO WorldGroup. He has been a market researcher for over 30 years, during which time he worked for MAS Survey Research, NOP, Esso Petroleum and BJM Research. Professor Brace is a Visiting Fellow in market research at Bristol Business School, and currently vice chairman of the council of the Market Research Society and deputy chair of the Professional Standards Committee.