Questionnaires and Web Experiments
A questionnaire is a tool for research that has questions that are in the standard format that can be used to record the responses of respondents. Responses to questions (items) on an organized questionnaire can be combined into a composite scale or index for statistical analysis. Different types of research use questionnaires, including market research and academic studies.
When designing your survey it is important to think about the target audience. The questions should be simple and understandable without using jargon or technical terms which are difficult for novices. The length of the survey should also be kept to a minimum. People don’t like long surveys, and the longer a survey more lengthy, the lower its response rate will be.
Web experiments are a method for conducting online research using a browser-based interface such as a site or mobile application. This method has numerous advantages, including the ability to create interactive and customized tests, the ability to track user activity and conditional branching depending on the answers given previously by participants.
The disadvantages of web-based research include the absence of a control group which can result in accidental confusion and inadequate generalization. Due to the interactive nature of web experiments, it could be difficult to analyze the results.
Additionally, it is essential to test your questionnaire at least using a convenience sample, before administering it in the field. This will allow you to identify any ambiguity or unclear wording in the questions and eliminate them prior the survey to your target audience.
