Questionnaires can be used to collect information for research studies. They are typically open or closed-ended questions, although some questionnaires may use an amalgam of both. Questions that are open give respondents the freedom to respond in their own words. Closed questions offer a set of answers that the respondents can choose from. Questionnaires can also be accessed by phone, postal mail or online.
Online questionnaire surveys are becoming more popular however, it’s crucial to ensure the data collected are reliable and accurate. To ensure this, the researcher should be able of accurately measuring response rates and track the amount of people who fill out the survey. The researcher must also be able to determine the possible reasons for why someone might not respond and address these issues (e.g. sampling bias).
Online questionnaires are also less expensive than traditional methods. This makes them a viable alternative to traditional questionnaire-based research. This method has its problems. Online questionnaires can be difficult to analyze in terms of their reliability and validity as well as their an impact on social desireability of the respondents.
There are several ways to overcome the limitations. This article will discuss specific strategies that researchers can apply to improve the reliability and quality of their online questionnaires. These include: (i), paying participants immediately after they complete the survey results in the lowest response rate than waiting for all the responses or a middleman procedure; (iii), asking participants to fill in their names so that receipt preparation does not reduce or enhance social appeal and (iv), framing the fixed portion of a participant’s payment as “for complete the survey” and providing feedback on progress improves the quality of the answers
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