Constructing questions for interviews and questionnaires : theory and practice in social research / William Foddy.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-213) and index.

Ch. 1. An initial statement of the problem -- Ch. 2. A theoretical framework -- Ch. 3. Defining topics properly -- Ch. 4. Formulating intelligible requests for information -- Ch. 5. Contextual influences on respondents' interpretations of questions -- Ch. 6. The need to provide response frameworks -- Ch. 7. The limitations of human memory -- Ch. 8. Filters: establishing the relevance of questions to respondents -- Ch. 9. Reducing question threat -- Ch. 10. The open vs. closed questions debate -- Ch. 11. Measuring attitudes -- Ch. 12. Checks to ensure that questions work as intended -- Ch. 13. Concluding comments -- The tap paradigm.

The use of verbal data dominates the social sciences: academic and government researchers as well as those in marketing make heavy use of this method of data collection. The success of any interview or questionnaire depends on good question design, yet most of the literature has devoted itself to interview techniques rather than the prior task of formulating questions for an interview or questionnaire. This is a practical book which provides a coherent, theoretical basis for the construction of more valid and reliable questions for interviews and questionnaires.

The book integrates the empirical findings on question design reported in the social science literature and further develops these insights. The theoretical framework used in the book leads to a set of principles that increase the validity and reliability of verbal data collected for social research. Dr Foddy outlines the problems that can arise when framing questions with clarity and common sense, and has written a broadly useful book for survey practitioners working in the social sciences.

The book integrates the empirical findings on question design reported in the social science literature and further develops these insights. The theoretical framework used in the book leads to a set of principles that increase the validity and reliability of verbal data collected for social research. Dr Foddy outlines the problems that can arise when framing questions with clarity and common sense, and has written a broadly useful book for survey practitioners working in the social sciences.