Research Instruments

INSTRUMENTS OF PARTICIPANT COMMUNICATION

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Instrument Design Process  Phase

1: Developing the instrument design strategy

 Phase

2: Constructing and refining the measurement questions

 Phase

3: Drafting and refining the instrument

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Developing the Instrument Design Strategy  Management-Research

Question

Hierarchy: • The management problem/question • Research question(s) • Investigative questions • Measurement questions

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Strategic Concerns of Instrument Design  What

type of data is needed to answer the management question?  What communication approach will be used?  Should the questions be structured, unstructured, or some combination?  Should the questions be disguised or undisguised? 4

Ways to Interact with the Participant  Personal

interview  Telephone  Mail  Computer

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Types of Measurement Questions?

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•

Target

•

Classification

•

Administrative

Appropriate Question Content  Should

this question be asked?  Is the question of proper scope and coverage?  Can the participant adequately answer this question, as asked?  Will the participant willingly answer this question, as asked?

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How to Test a Respondent’s Appropriateness  Filter

questions

 Screen

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questions

Question Wording Criteria  Is

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the question stated in terms of a shared vocabulary?  Does the question contain vocabulary with a single meaning?  Does the question contain unsupported assumptions?  Is the question correctly personalized?  Are adequate alternatives presented within the question?

What Dictates Your Response Strategy?  Characteristics

of participants  Nature of the topic(s) being studied  Type of data needed  Your analysis plan

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Types of Response Questions  Free-response  Dichotomous  Multiple-choice  Checklist  Rating  Ranking

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Guidelines to Refining the Instrument  Awaken

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the participant's interest

•

Use buffer questions as a guide to request sensitive information

•

Use the funnel approach to move to more specific questions

Improving Survey Results •

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Pretesting is an established practice for discovering errors and useful for training the research team