Before designing the questionnaire the sociologist needs to define words clearly, as different people may interpret the same words differently. For example, if I was doing a study of the behavioural patterns of abused children in later life, I could classify ‘child abuse’ as ‘physical or verbal abuse coming directly from a parent to the child’. This is called operationalising the term child abuse.
There are two types of question, open or closed. Open questions are more qualitative as they allow the respondent more chance to express themselves, and closed questions are easier to turn into stats and figures making them more quantitative.
Questionnaires are relatively cheap and easy to produce, when compared to the time and cost it takes to do the same amount of face to face interviews. The findings in a questionnaire are also more representative as they allow the sociologist to use a broader sample. This style is also more reliable meaning that it can be produced again by another sociologist to achieve the same results. Filling in a questionnaire is usually done anonymously which encourages more people to answer honestly.
The main problem with Questionnaires is validity. Some sociologists argue that in their hurry to complete the questionnaire, respondents may not think to carefully about their answer and may skip on details. Closed questions also cause some problems as respondents may be forced into categories they don’t fit, because they are the most applicable. This again means that questionnaires may skimp on detail.
Interviews are the second more qualitative method of collecting data about people’s behaviour. Interviews often show more detail than questionnaires but are they as valid?
There are two types of face to face interview; firstly there are structured or formal interviews. Structured interviews are ones done in a more quantitative manner. The interviewer is more of a data collecting machine than an interviewer and has a pre programmed set of questions and even prompts, the help given, is planned in advance. This style gives the data retrieved more reliability, but less validity as expression on the respondents part is still limited.
An unstructured interview is one where the respondent has the most freedom of expression. A conversation rapport or relaxed atmosphere is created and the respondents are encouraged to talk at length about the questions. The information produced is highly valid, but less reliable. Researchers such as David Morley have taken this unstructured interview style to the extreme, where for example in his study on television and family life the respondents had some control of where the interview went.
Structured interviews are obviously less quick and cheap when compared to questionnaires, but the interviewer is there to give the respondent prompts and explain certain questions. However structured interviews still maintain a high level of reliability.
Unstructured interviews benefit from not forcing the respondent into niches that they would be forced into in structured interviews or questionnaires. This means that the responses given are far more valid. It takes a long time to carry out an unstructured interview so the sample will generally be smaller, thus less representative.
Finally, the researcher must be aware that the respondent will only reveal what the respondent is aware of and wants to reveal. On top of which, people are not always aware of their own behaviour, i.e. teachers don’t necessarily know that they place a greater emphasis on girls rather than boys in the classroom. Questioning in any form therefore has its limitations.
In conclusion, both questionnaires and interviews are useful depending on whether you want more qualitative or quantitative data.
