The purpose and methods of market research: questionnaires

The idea

A questionnaire is a market research method that asks a set of written or spoken questions to gather information from respondents. It can collect quantitative data through closed questions with fixed responses, such as yes/no or rating scales, and qualitative data through open questions that invite detailed answers. Questionnaires can be administered face-to-face, by post, by telephone or online. They are relatively inexpensive for large samples and can reach many people quickly, but response rates may be low and answers may be inaccurate if questions are poorly designed or biased. For example, a business testing a new snack might ask closed questions about purchase likelihood and open questions about preferred flavours. Effective questionnaires use clear, neutral wording and a logical order to avoid leading respondents.

What earns the marks

• Defines a questionnaire as a set of questions used to collect information from respondents.
• Explains that questionnaires can produce quantitative data from closed questions and qualitative data from open questions.
• Describes common administration methods such as online, postal, telephone or face-to-face.
• Identifies advantages, such as low cost per respondent and ability to reach a large sample.
• Identifies disadvantages, such as low response rates, potential for inaccurate answers and question design bias.
• Explains how question design affects the quality and usefulness of the data collected.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Assuming questionnaires always produce quantitative data.

  Put it right: They can also produce qualitative data if open questions are used.

• Ignoring the impact of poor question design.

  Put it right: Leading or ambiguous questions can bias results and reduce validity.

• Believing that a questionnaire guarantees a representative sample.

  Put it right: The sample depends on who is asked and who responds, not just the method.

Exam tips

• When describing questionnaires, mention at least one advantage and one disadvantage to show balanced understanding.
• Link the method to the type of data it generates, using terms such as closed questions and open questions.
• Use a specific business example to illustrate how a questionnaire would be used and what it would measure.