Design a questionnaire using a word processing package to gather information about a particular disease
BP210P Computer Applications in Pharmacy Practical
Experiment No-1
Design a questionnaire using a word processing package to gather information about a particular database.
What is a questionnaire?
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions for the purpose of gathering information from respondents
Question sequence
In general, questions should flow logically from one to the next. To achieve the best response rates, questions should flow from the least sensitive to the most sensitive, from the more general to the more specific. There typically is a flow that should be followed when constructing a questionnaire in regards to the order that the questions are asked. The order is as follows
- Screens
- Warm-ups
- Transitions
- Skips
- Difficult
- Classification
Screen:
Screens are used as a screening method to find out early whether or not someone should complete the questionnaire.
Warm-ups:
Warm-ups are simple to answer, help capture interest in the survey, and may not even pertain to research objectives.
Transition:
Transition questions are used to make different areas flow well together.
Skips:
Skips include questions similar to “if yes, then answer question 3. If no, then continue
to question 5.”
Difficult:
Difficult questions are towards the end because the respondent is in “response mode” also when completing an online questionnaire, the progress bars lets the respondent know that they are almost done so they are more willing to answer more complex questions.
Classification:
Classification or demographic questions should be at the end because they can typically feel like personal questions that will make respondents uncomfortable and unwilling to finish the survey.
Basic rules for questionnaire
- Use statements which are interpreted in the same way by members of different subpopulations of the population of interest.
- Use statements where persons that have different opinions or traits will give different answers.
- Think of having an “open” answer category after a list of possible answers.
- Use only one aspect of the construct you are interested in per item.
- Use positive statements and avoid negatives or double negatives.
- Do not make assumptions about the respondent.
- Use clear and comprehensible wording, easily understandable for all educational levels
- Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.
- Avoid items that contain more than one question per item (e.g. Do you like strawberries and potatoes?).
- The question should not be biased or even lead the participant toward an answer
Basic Background Questions
Ethnic origin (check only one)
- White not Hispanic
- Black not Hispanic
- Asian or Pacific Islander
- Filipino
- American Indian/ Alaskan Native
- Other:
What category of age do you belong to?
- Less than 12 years old
- 12 to 18 years
- 18 to 60 years
- 60 and above
Are you currently (check only one):
- Single
- Married
- Divorced
- Widowed
Clinical Investigation Questions (Diabetes)
Do you know the kind of diabetes you have?
- Yes
- No
What kind of diabetes do you have?
- Type I(juvenile diabetes-by birth)
- Type II(as adult-onset diabetes)
- Other (other than during pregnancy)
How old were you when you were first diagnosed with diabetes?
- Less than 12 years old
- 12 to 18 years
- 18 to 60 years
- 60 and above
Did you take any measures to control your glucose level within limits after your increased blood glucose level?
- Yes
- No
Clinical Investigation Questions (Cancer)
Are you aware of various types of cancer?
- Yes
- No
Are you aware of various types of treatments available for cancer?
- Yes
- No
Are you aware of the side effects this treatment has?
- Yes
- No
Are you experiencing any common symptoms of cancer?
- Lump or swelling
- A sore that doesn’t heal
- A recent change in a wart/mole
- Unusual bleeding or discharge
- Changes in bladder or bowel habits
- Nagging cough or hoarseness
- Difficulty in swallowing or dyspepsia
(Students can design a similar type of questions for HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Food poisoning, Viral hepatitis etc)
Result:
Thus we studied to design a questionnaire using a word processing package
Study Guide
This study guide is designed to help you review the core concepts related to designing questionnaires for gathering health-related information, as presented in the “Design a questionnaire using a word processing package to gather information about a particular disease” excerpt.
I. Understanding Questionnaires
- Definition and Purpose: What is a questionnaire, and why is it used in research, particularly for gathering information about diseases?
II. Questionnaire Structure and Question Sequence
- Logical Flow: Why is a logical flow of questions important for response rates and data quality?
- Question Order Categories: Understand the purpose and typical placement of each of the following question types:
- Screens: Purpose and typical placement.
- Warm-ups: Purpose and typical placement.
- Transitions: Purpose and role in questionnaire flow.
- Skips: Functionality and necessity.
- Difficult Questions: Rationale for placement at the end.
- Classification/Demographic Questions: Rationale for placement at the end.
III. Basic Rules for Questionnaire Design
- Clarity and Interpretation: Why is it crucial for statements to be interpreted uniformly across different subpopulations?
- Discrimination: How do effective questions differentiate between respondents with varying opinions or traits?
- Open-ended Options: The benefit of including an “open” answer category.
- Single-aspect Items: Why should each item focus on only one aspect of a construct?
- Positive Statements: The importance of avoiding negatives and double negatives.
- Avoiding Assumptions: Why should assumptions about the respondent be avoided?
- Language and Comprehension: The significance of clear, comprehensible wording for all educational levels.
- Grammar and Punctuation: The role of correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
- Single Question Per Item: Why should items avoid containing more than one question?
- Avoiding Bias: The importance of questions not being biased or leading participants.
IV. Types of Questions (Examples Provided)
- Basic Background Questions:Ethnic origin
- Age category
- Marital status
- Clinical Investigation Questions (Disease-Specific Examples):Diabetes:Knowledge of diabetes type.
- Specific type of diabetes.
- Age of diagnosis.
- Measures taken to control glucose levels.
- Cancer:Awareness of cancer types.
- Awareness of treatment types.
- Awareness of treatment side effects.
- Experience of common cancer symptoms (with examples).
V. Practical Application
- Word Processing Package: The overall context of using a word processing package to design these questionnaires.
- Experiment Objective: Recall the specific objective of Experiment No-1.
Quiz
Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each.
- What is the primary purpose of a questionnaire as a research instrument?
- Explain why “Screens” are typically the first type of questions asked in a questionnaire.
- Why are “Difficult” questions placed towards the end of a questionnaire, especially in an online format?
- Describe the main reason why “Classification” or demographic questions are recommended to be placed at the very end of a survey.
- What is the “single-aspect item” rule in questionnaire design, and why is it important?
- Why should questionnaire designers avoid using negative or double-negative statements?
- Provide an example of a “skip” question and explain its function within a questionnaire.
- According to the basic rules, why must questionnaire statements be interpreted in the same way by members of different subpopulations?
- Why is it crucial for a questionnaire to use clear and comprehensible wording, easily understandable for all educational levels?
- Give one example of a “Basic Background Question” and one example of a “Clinical Investigation Question” as presented in the source material.
Answer Key
- A questionnaire is a research instrument designed to gather information from respondents. Its primary purpose is to systematically collect data on a specific topic, such as a particular disease, through a series of structured questions.
- Screens are used early in a questionnaire to determine if a respondent is suitable to complete the survey. They act as a filtering mechanism, ensuring that only relevant participants proceed, thereby saving time and resources.
- Difficult questions are placed towards the end because, at that point, respondents are already in “response mode” and have invested time in the survey. For online questionnaires, progress bars indicate completion, making respondents more willing to tackle complex questions.
- Classification or demographic questions are placed at the end because they can often feel personal to respondents. Placing them later reduces the likelihood of discomfort or unwillingness to finish the survey, as respondents have already committed to completing most of the questionnaire.
- The “single-aspect item” rule dictates that each question or statement should focus on only one specific construct or piece of information. This is important to ensure clarity and prevent confusion, making it easier for respondents to provide accurate and unambiguous answers.
- Questionnaire designers should avoid using negative or double-negative statements because they can easily lead to misinterpretation and confusion for respondents. This ensures that questions are clear, straightforward, and consistently understood by everyone.
- An example of a skip question is: “If yes, then answer question 3. If no, then continue to question 5.” Its function is to direct respondents to relevant subsequent questions based on their prior answers, allowing them to bypass irrelevant sections and making the survey more efficient.
- It is crucial for statements to be interpreted uniformly by members of different subpopulations to ensure the reliability and validity of the gathered data. If interpretations vary, the collected information will not accurately reflect the target population’s true opinions or traits, compromising research findings.
- Clear and comprehensible wording, understandable for all educational levels, is crucial to ensure that all respondents can accurately understand and answer the questions. This maximizes participation and ensures the collected data is representative and free from misinterpretations due to complex language.
- An example of a “Basic Background Question” is “What category of age do you belong to?” An example of a “Clinical Investigation Question” (for Diabetes) is “How old were you when you were first diagnosed with diabetes?”
Essay Format Questions
- Discuss the importance of question sequencing in questionnaire design. Elaborate on how the specified order (screens, warm-ups, transitions, skips, difficult, classification) contributes to achieving the best response rates and data quality.
- Analyze the “Basic rules for questionnaire” as presented in the source. Select at least five rules and explain, with examples, how adhering to these rules enhances the clarity, validity, and reliability of the data collected.
- Compare and contrast the purpose and typical placement of “warm-up” questions versus “classification/demographic” questions in a questionnaire. Why is it strategic to position them at opposite ends of the survey?
- Imagine you are designing a questionnaire to gather information about a new, less common disease. Based on the provided guidelines for clinical investigation questions, what key areas would you focus on, and how would you adapt the presented examples for your specific disease?
- The source emphasizes using a “word processing package” for questionnaire design. Beyond the act of typing questions, discuss the practical advantages and potential limitations of using such software for creating research instruments, considering the design principles outlined.
Glossary of Key Terms
- Questionnaire: A research instrument consisting of a series of questions for the purpose of gathering information from respondents.
- Screens: Questions used as a screening method to determine early on whether or not someone should complete the questionnaire.
- Warm-ups: Simple-to-answer questions placed at the beginning of a questionnaire to capture interest and ease respondents into the survey.
- Transitions: Questions used to create a smooth flow between different thematic areas within a questionnaire.
- Skips: Questions that direct respondents to different parts of the questionnaire based on their previous answers (e.g., “if yes, then answer question X; if no, then continue to question Y”).
- Difficult Questions: Complex or sensitive questions typically placed towards the end of a questionnaire, when respondents are more committed to completing it.
- Classification Questions (Demographic Questions): Questions gathering personal information about the respondent, such as age, gender, ethnic origin, or marital status, usually placed at the end of a survey.
- Response Mode: The state in which a respondent is actively engaged and willing to answer questions, often achieved after they have progressed through a significant portion of a questionnaire.
- Single-Aspect Item: A rule in questionnaire design stating that each question or item should focus on only one specific concept or piece of information.
- Bias (in questions): The tendency of a question’s wording or structure to influence the respondent towards a particular answer, making the collected data less objective.
- Word Processing Package: Software, such as Microsoft Word, used to create, edit, format, and print text documents, used in this context for designing questionnaires.
BP210P Computer Applications in Pharmacy Practical
- Design a questionnaire using a word processing package to gather information about a particular disease.
- Create an HTML web page to show personal information.
- Retrieve the information of a drug and its adverse effects using online tools
- Creating mailing labels Using Label Wizard, generating labels in MS WORD
- Create a database in MS Access to store the patient information with the required fields Using access
- Design a form in MS Access to view, add, delete and modify the patient record in the database
- Generating report and printing the report from the patient database
- Creating invoice table using MS Access
- Drug information storage and retrieval using MS Access
- Creating and working with queries in MS Access
- Exporting Tables, Queries, Forms and Reports to web pages
- Exporting Tables, Queries, Forms and Reports to XML pages
First Year B Pharm Notes, Syllabus, Books, PDF Subjectwise/Topicwise
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