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

Ian Brace (Author)

Book Description

Series: Market Research in Practice Series | Publication Date: August 2004

* 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

Editorial Reviews

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Kogan Page Business Books (August 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074944181X
• ISBN-13: 978-0749441814
• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 6 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,315,952 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, September 5, 2005

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Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Questionnaire Design: How to Plan, Structure and Write Survey Material for Effective Market Research (Market Research in Practice Series) (Paperback)

This is a highly specialized guidebook for market researchers. Author Ian Brace goes into great detail about designing questionnaires, a process which may seem simple, but is not. Brace thoughtfully considers the variables that can arise in all aspects of planning, structuring, writing and asking survey questions, including how to avoid ambiguity and how the actual questionnaire should look. He hews tightly to the task of getting researchers to formulate the best survey tools possible, even recommending the best type sizes and layouts. This book is only for serious market researchers, who will welcome its enclosed compact disc containing sample questionnaires and designs. In a day when many researchers use time-tested canned questions, this is a craftsman's handbook on the inside art of drafting a questionnaire. We recommend using this authoritative manual to develop your market research questionnaires. And, if you hire someone to design a questionnaire for you, this will give you some background so you can monitor the content intelligently. In questionnaire design - and supervision - apparently the really dumb question is the one you didn't ask.