What are advantage and disadvantage of Questionnaire.

What are its advantage and disadvantage

Advantages of Questionnaire:

(1) Economical: It is an economical way of accumulating information. It is economical both for the sender and for the respondent in time, effort and cost. The cost of conducting the study with the help of questionnaire method is very low. In questionnaire the researcher has to spend for paper printing and postage only. So it does not require high cost for conduct of the research.

(2) Wide Coverage: It is probably the best method to collect information, compared to the other methods like interview or observation, when the sample population is spread over a large territory. It permits a nationwide or even international coverage.

(3) Rapidity: Replies may be received very quickly in questionnaire method. In this case there is no need to visit the respondent personally or continue the study over a long period. Thor “fore in comparison with other methods, the mailed questionnaire is the quickest method.

(4) Suitable in Special Type of Response: The information about certain personal, secret matters can be best obtained through questionnaire method. For example, information about sexual relationship, marital relationship, secret desires etc. can .be easily obtained by ‘keeping the names of the respondents anonymous.

(5) Repetitive Information: Compared to other methods like schedule, interview or observation, questionnaire method is regarded as more useful and cheap, where the repetitive information has to be collected at regular interval.

(6) An Easier Method: Questionnaire is comparatively an easier method to plan, construct and administer. It does not require much technical skill or knowledge.

(7) It Puts Less Pressure on the Respondents: It puts less pressure on the respondents for immediate response. He can answer it at his own leisure, whereas interview or observation demands specific fixation of time and situation,

(8) Uniformity: It helps in focusing the respondent’s attention on all the significant items. As it is administered, in a written form, its standardized instructions for recording responses ensure some uniformity. Questionnaire does not permit much of variation.

(9) Useful Preliminary Tool: Questionnaire may be used as a preliminary tool for conducting a depth study later on by any other method.

(10) Anonymity: Questionnaire ensures anonymity to its respondents. The respondents have a greater confidence that they will not be identified by anybody for giving a particular view or opinion. They feel more comfortable and free to express their view in this method.

(11) Most Flexible Tool for Data Collection: Questionnaire is no doubt the most flexible tool in collecting both quantitative and qualitative information.

Disadvantages of Questionnaire:

(1) Limited Response: One of the major limitations of the questionnaire is that it can be applicable only to those respondents who have a considerable amount of education. It can neither be used for illiterate nor for semi-literate persons. The questionnaire quite often fails to cover very busy and pre-occupied persons among the respondents, lazy and indifferent type of persons, the type of respondents who need to conceal a lot about themselves,

(2) Lack of Personal Contact: As in case of questionnaire the researcher does not go to the field, he is not able to establish a proper personal relationship with the respondents. If the respondent fails to understand some of the technical terms or he has any doubt, there is nobody to clarify these technical terms or doubts.

(3) Poor Response: In case of mailed questionnaire method, the proportion of return is usually low. The factors which are likely to affect the returns are: the layout of the questionnaire, its size, the organisation conducting the research work, the nature of appeal, the kind of respondents chosen for research, inducement for response etc.

(4) Unreliability: The information collected through questionnaire cannot be said to be very much reliable or valid. If the subject misinterprets a question or gives an incomplete or indefinite response very little can be done to connect such response. As against this, in an interview there is always the possibility of rephrasing questions for further clarification.

The questions can be repeated with adequate elaboration if it is so required.                       (5) Illegibility: Illegible handwriting of the respondent sometimes creates much difficulty for the researcher to understand the responses. Sometimes the respondents erase and over write too much. These create many difficulties in reading the answers.                                 (6) Incomplete Entries: Often most of the respondents fill up the questionnaire form very poorly. They sometimes leave out many questions altogether or fill in such a way that, it becomes very difficult on the part of the investigator to follow those responses. Other than this, there may be the problem of language, use of abbreviations and ambiguous terms etc. All these make a questionnaire an incomplete one.

(7) Possibility of Manipulated Entries: In case of interview the investigator directly interacts with the respondents personal’ and intensively in a face to face situation. He can judge a respondent, his attitude, understanding of the research topic and, if necessary, can ask some cross questions to correct various errors.

So usually the respondent cannot manipulate his answer. But in questionnaire it is very difficult to detect the errors of the respondents.

(8) Useless in Depth-Studies: In questionnaire method, it is not possible on the part of the researcher to conduct an intensive or in-depth study of the feelings, reactions and sentiments of the respondents. All these require a healthy interaction of the researcher with the respondents. But in questionnaire method, the investigator is not present in the field, so nothing can be done to establish rapport with the respondent

(9) Response from Improper Representative Section of People: The respondents who return the questionnaires may not constitute a representative section of the entire group. Only mere responsible, research minded or those in favour of the issue may prefer to respond. Some of the important sections of the group may totally remain silent. This vitiates the final conclusions and findings.

(10) Lack of Rapport with the Subject: There are many people who would not like to share any important information unless and until they are impressed about the rationale of the study and personality of the investigator. The questionnaire does not provide for any opportunity to the investigator to establish rapport with the subject and this cannot attract the respondent for a better response.

(11) Not Suitable for Delicate Issues: Some of the research areas are so delicate, sensitive, intricate and confidential in nature that it becomes difficult to frame questions on them. It is impossible to put down certain delicate issues in writing.