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14.7: Appendix

  • Page ID
    13707
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    14.1 Options for recording responses on a questionnaire

    There are many ways in which the responses to a question can be recorded within a questionnaire. Three of the commonest ways are shown in Figure A14.1.

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 7.45.45 PM.png

    Figure A14.1 Three alternative options for recording the response to a single question (face-to-face interview using pen and paper).

    14.2 Pre-coded responses which are mutually exclusive

    If there are multiple potential responses to a question, but these are mutually exclusive, so only one answer is permitted, then it is possible to use a layout as in Figure A14.2.

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 7.47.16 PM.png

    Figure A14.2 Design of a question with multiple, mutually exclusive responses (face-to- face interview using pen and paper).

    14.3 Pre-coded responses which are not mutually exclusive

    If there are multiple potential answers to a question, but these are not mutually exclusive so multiple responses are permitted, then each option must have its own response (for example, Yes/No) within the questionnaire (Figure A14.3.).

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 7.49.26 PM.png

    Figure A14.3 Design of a question with multiple responses that are not mutually exclusive (face-to-face interview using pen and paper).

    14.4 Questions with a ‘skip’ instruction

    Some questions on a questionnaire may not be applicable for some respondents, based on their answers to earlier questions. Although it is possible to design the questionnaire so that a special ‘Not applicable’ code is allocated for any such questions, an alternative is to design the questionnaire to allow the respondent to skip such questions. An example is given in Figure A14.4.

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 7.51.15 PM.png

    Figure A14.4 Design of a sequence of questions which allow questions that are not applicable to be skipped by appropriate respondents (face-to-face interview using pen and paper).

    14.5 Recording of multiple items of information for direct computer entry

    Sometimes, one needs to ask a series of questions about each person in a group (for example, household). In such situations, the questions series might be structured in a table, as shown in Figure A14.5.

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 7.54.04 PM.png

    Figure A14.5 Design of a form to record a series of questions about children born to the same woman (face-to-face interview using pen and paper).

    14.6 ‘Open’ questions

    Although open questions should be avoided if possible in questionnaires, as collating and post-coding such questions can be very time consuming in large studies, occasionally it is essential to have an open question. An example is given in Figure A14.6.

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 7.55.32 PM.png

    Figure A14.6 Example of an ‘open’ question (face-to-face interview using pen and paper).

    14.7 Questions for self-completion by the respondent

    Questionnaires can be designed for the respondent to enter their responses directly, rather than this being done by an interviewer. Figure A14.7. gives two examples.

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 7.58.25 PM.png

    Figure A14.7 Example of questions for self-completion by the respondent (pen and paper).

    14.8 Questionnaires on a mobile phone

    Increasingly, questionnaires are being designed so that the responses are recorded directly into an electronic device such as a computer (desktop, laptop, tablet), PDA, or mobile phone. This can be done either by an interviewer or the respondent themselves. An example is given in Figure A14.8., which shows photographs of mobile phone screens showing data on sexual behaviour that has been entered directly into an Android phone using Open Data Kit (ODK) software by three different trial participants.

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 8.01.29 PM.png

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 8.03.21 PM.png

    Figure A14.8 Examples of questions answered directly on a mobile phone by three different study participants.

    Reproduced courtesy of Zachary Kaufman and Rebecca Hershow, GOAL Trial, South Africa. This image is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International licence (CC-BY-NC), a copy of which is available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

    14.9 Collecting geolocation data on a mobile phone

    Electronic devices can be used to collect geolocation coordinates if the device has that facility. Figure A14.9. reproduces photographs of mobile phone screens showing data on the coordinates (geolocation) where a questionnaire has been completed that have been entered directly into an Android phone, using ODK software.

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 8.07.15 PM.png

    Figure A14.9 An example of collecting geolocation data on a mobile phone.

    Reproduced courtesy of Zachary Kaufman and Rebecca Hershow, GOAL Trial, South Africa. This image is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International licence (CC-BY-NC), a copy of which is available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

    14.10 Recording a laboratory test result on a mobile phone

    Electronic devices can be used to collect photographs if the device has that facility. Figure A14.10. reproduces photographs of mobile phone screens showing a photograph of a pregnancy test result that has been taken using an Android phone which will be saved for the record.

    Screen Shot 2019-08-01 at 8.08.47 PM.png

    Figure A14.10 Example of a photograph taken with a mobile phone as part of a questionnaire.

    Reproduced courtesy of Zachary Kaufman and Rebecca Hershow, GOAL Trial, South Africa. This image is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International licence (CC-BY-NC), a copy of which is available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc/4.0/.


    This page titled 14.7: Appendix is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Drue H. Barrett, Angus Dawson, Leonard W. Ortmann (Oxford University Press) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.