Questionnaire questions can be classified into several types based on their format, structure, and purpose. Here are the main types:
-
Closed-Ended Questions: These questions provide specific options for the respondent to choose from.
- Multiple Choice Questions: Respondents select one or more options from a list.
- Dichotomous Questions: Typically, yes/no or true/false questions.
- Rating Scale Questions: Respondents express their opinion on a scale (e.g., 1 to 5).
- Ranking Questions: Respondents rank options in order of preference.
-
Open-Ended Questions: These questions allow respondents to answer in their own words, providing more detailed and qualitative data.
-
Demographic Questions: These typically gather background information about respondents, such as age, gender, income, education, etc.
-
Matrix Questions: These questions use a grid format to ask several questions with the same response options, often for rating.
-
Likert Scale Questions: A type of rating question where respondents indicate their level of agreement or disagreement on a symmetric scale for a series of statements.
-
Semantic Differential Questions: These ask respondents to rate a concept on a scale between two bipolar adjectives (e.g., happy-sad, satisfied-unsatisfied).
-
Contingency Questions: These questions depend on the response to a previous question (e.g., "If yes, please explain...").
Each type of question serves a different purpose and can yield different insights, so the choice should be based on the aims of the research and the type of information required.