Self-Report Techniques - Questionnaires:
Self completion questionnaire –
Administered in an indirect way eg. via internet, by post, survey
Advantages: inexpensive, large sample, easy analysis, no interviewer bias
Disadvantages: lower response rate than researcher administered
questionnaires
Interview questionnaire –
A form of structured interview, questionnaire administered in a direct way
Advantages: high response rate, fuller/more accurate information, higher
validity (researcher can help with ambiguous questions)
Disadvantages: costly, time consuming, danger of interviewer bias
Open-ended questions –
Researcher does not restrict the range of available answers, produces
qualitative data
Advantages: data is rich and high in validity
Disadvantages: difficult and time consuming to code and analyse, not all
responses fit into a category
Closed questions –
Researcher determines the range of possible answers (eg. ticking boxes),
produces quantitative data
Advantages: best used when factual information is required, quick, cheap and
easy to analyse
Disadvantages: questions may lack realism due to forced choice of answers
available
Advantages –
o Versatility, simplicity, speed, ease of analysis, range of data, cheap cost,
Limitations –
o Untruthful answers, researcher effects, difficulty with controls, imprecise
wording, leading questions, different interpretation of language, social
desirability bias (data may be accidentally or intentionally inaccurate),
researcher bias
Self completion questionnaire –
Administered in an indirect way eg. via internet, by post, survey
Advantages: inexpensive, large sample, easy analysis, no interviewer bias
Disadvantages: lower response rate than researcher administered
questionnaires
Interview questionnaire –
A form of structured interview, questionnaire administered in a direct way
Advantages: high response rate, fuller/more accurate information, higher
validity (researcher can help with ambiguous questions)
Disadvantages: costly, time consuming, danger of interviewer bias
Open-ended questions –
Researcher does not restrict the range of available answers, produces
qualitative data
Advantages: data is rich and high in validity
Disadvantages: difficult and time consuming to code and analyse, not all
responses fit into a category
Closed questions –
Researcher determines the range of possible answers (eg. ticking boxes),
produces quantitative data
Advantages: best used when factual information is required, quick, cheap and
easy to analyse
Disadvantages: questions may lack realism due to forced choice of answers
available
Advantages –
o Versatility, simplicity, speed, ease of analysis, range of data, cheap cost,
Limitations –
o Untruthful answers, researcher effects, difficulty with controls, imprecise
wording, leading questions, different interpretation of language, social
desirability bias (data may be accidentally or intentionally inaccurate),
researcher bias
