INQUIRY FORMS

Questionnaire
A questionnaire is simply a tool for collecting and recording information about a
particular issue of interest. It is a device for securing answers to questions by using
form which the respondent fills by himself. It is a systematic compilation of questions
that are submitted to a sampling of population from which information is desired.
The information from
Questionnaires tend to fall into two broad categories facts and opinions.
Purpose :
The purpose of the questionnaire is to gather information from widely scattered
sources. It is mostly used in uses in cases where one can not readily see personally
all of the people from whom he desires responses. It is also used where there is no
particular reason to see them personality.
Types :
-STRUCTURED V/S NON STRUCTURED

The structured questionnaire contains definite, concrete and directed questions, where as
non-structured questionnaire is often used in interview and guide. It may consist of partially
completed questions.
-CLOSED V/S OPEN

The question that call for short check responses are known as restricted or closed form type.
For Example, they provide for marking a yes or no, a short response or checking an item
from a list of responses. Here the respondent is not free to wrote of his own, he was to select
from the selected from the supplied responses. On the other hand, increase of open ended
questionnaire, the respondent is free to response in his own words. Many questionnaire also
included both close and open type questions. The researcher selects the type of
questionnaire according to his need of the study.
-FACT V/S OPINION

Incase of fact questionnaire, the respondent is expected to give information of facts without
any reference to his opinion or attitude about them. But in case of opinion questionnaire the
respondent gives the information about the facts with his own opinion and attitude.

Characteristics of A Good Questionnaire :

Questionnaire should deal with important or significant topic to create interest among
respondents.
It should be as short as possible but should be comprehensive.
It should be attractive.
Directions should be clear and complete.

 It should be represented in good Psychological order proceeding from general to more

specific responses.
Double negatives in questions should be avoided.
Putting two questions in one question also should be avoided.
It should avoid annoying or embarrassing questions.
It should be designed to collect information which can be used subsequently as data for
analysis.
It should consist of a written list of questions.
Advantages of Questionnaire:
Questionnaires are economical. In terms of materials, money and time it can supply a
considerable amount of research data.
It is easier to arrange.
It supplies standardized answers
It encourages pre-coded answers
. It permits wide coverage.
It helps in conducting depth study.
Disadvantages:
It is reliable and valid, but slow.
Pre-coding questions can deter them from answering.
Pre-coded questions can bias the findings towards the researcher.
Postal questionnaire offer little opportunities to check the truthfulness of the answers.
It cannot be used with illiterate and small children.
When is it appropriate to use a questionnaire for research?
Questionnaire are used at their most productive:
When used with large numbers of respondents.
When what is required tends to be fairly straight forward information.
When there is a need for standardize data from identical information.
When time is allows for delays.
When resources allow for the cast of printing and postage.
When respondents can be expected
Designs of Questionnaire :
After construction of questions on the basis of its characteristics it should be designed with
some essential routines
Background information about the questionnaire.
Instructions to the respondent.
The allocation of serial numbers and
Coding Boxes.

Opinionnaire
An opinionnaire is defined as a special form of inquiry. It is used by the researcher to
collect the opinions of a sample of population on certain facts or factors the problem
under investigation.
Opinionnaire are usually used in researches of the descriptive type which demands
survey of opinions of the concerned individuals.

Characteristics :

The opinionnaire makes use of statements or questions on different aspects of the problem
under investigation.
Responses are expected either on three point or five point scales.
It uses favourable or unfavourable statements.
It may be sub-divided into sections.
The public opinion polls generally rely on personal contacts rather than mail ballots.

Checklist
The checklist consists of a list of items with a place to check, or to mark yes or no. It helps to
ensure consisting and completeness in carrying out a task. A basic example is to do list. A
more advanced checklist which lays out tasks to be done according to time of a day or other
factors.

Purpose :
The main purpose of checklist is to call attention to various aspects of an object or situation,
to see that nothing of importance is overlooked. For Example, if you have to go for outing for
a week, you have to list what things you have to take with you. Before leaving home, if you
will check your baggage with the list there will be less chance of forgetting to take any
important things, like toothbrush etc. It ensures the completeness of details of the data.
Responses to the checklist items are largely a matter of fact, not of judgment. It is an
important tool in gathering facts for educational surveys.

Uses :
Checklists are used for various purposes. In every case, it we will check before doing
the work, then there is less chance of overlooking any, important things.
As it is useful in over daily life, it is also useful in educational fieldin the following
way.
To collect acts for educational surveys.
To record behaviour in observational studies.
To use in educational appraisal, studies of school buildings,property, plan,
textbooks, instructional procedures and outcomes etc.
To rate the personality.
To know the interest of the subjects also.
How to make checklist :

 Items in the checklist may be continuous or divided into groups of related items.
Items should be arranged in categories and the categories in logical or psychological order.
Terms used in the items should be clearly defined.
Checklist should be continuous and comprehensive in nature.
A pilot study should be taken to make it standardized.
Checklist can be constructed in four different ways by arranging items differently.

Advantages :

Students can measure their own behaviour with the help of checklist.
Easy and simple to use and frame the tools.
Wanted and unwanted behaviours can be included.
Personal - Social development can be checked.

Limitations :
Only the presence or absence of the ability can be tested.
Yes or no type judgement can only be given.
How much cannot be tested through checklist.
When we want to check yes or no of any ability, checklist is used.

Rating scale
Rating scale is one of the enquiry form. Form is a term applied to expression or judgment
regarding some situation, objector character. Opinions are usually expressed on a scale of
values.
Rating techniques are devices by which such judgments may be quantified. Rating scale is a
very useful device in assessing quality, especially when quality is difficult to measure
objectively. Rating scales record judgment or opinions and indicates the degree or amount
of different degrees of quality which are arranged a long a line is the scale.
This is the most commonly used instrument for making appraisals. It has a large variety of
forms and uses. Typically, they direct attention to a number of aspects or traits of the thing to
berated and provide a scale for assigning values to each of the aspects selected. They try to
measure the nature or degree of certain aspects or characteristics of a person or
phenomenon through the use of a series of numbers, qualitative terms or verbal
descriptions.
Ratings can be obtained through one of three major approaches:
Paired comparison
Ranking and
Rating scales
Purpose of Rating Scale:
Rating scales have been successfully utilized for measuring the following:
Teacher Performance/Effectiveness
Personality, anxiety, stress, emotional intelligence etc.
School appraisal including appraisal of courses, practices and
programmes.
How to make rating scale
A rating scale includes three factors like:

i)
ii)
iii)

The subjects or the phenomena to be rated.

The continuum along which they will be rated and
The judges who will do the rating

Use of Rating Scale :

Rating scales are used for testing the validity of many
objective instruments like paper pencil inventories of personality.
They are also advantages in the following fields like :
Helpful in writing reports to parents
Helpful in filling out admission blanks for colleges
Helpful in finding out student needs
Making recommendations to employers.
Supplementing other sources of understanding about the child
Stimulating effect upon the individuals who are rated.
Limitations of Rating Scale :
The rating scales suffer from many errors and limitations like the following:
As you know that the raters would not like to run down their own people by giving them low
ratings. So in that case they give high ratings to almost all cases. Sometimes also the raters
are included to be unduly generous in rating aspects which they had to opportunity to
observe. It the raters rate in higher side due to those factors, then it is called as the
generosity error of rating..