Questioning is the key to gaining more information and without it interpersonal communications can fail. Questioning is fundamental to successful communication – we all ask and are asked questions when engaged in conversation. Although questions are usually verbal in nature, they can also be non-verbal.

Below are some widely used types of questions with sample examples of these question types:

• The Dichotomous Question.
• Multiple Choice Questions.
• Rank Order Scaling Question.
• Text Slider Question.
• Likert Scale Question.
• Semantic Differential Scale.
• Stapel Scale Question.
• Constant Sum Question.

Questioning in teaching and learning not only encourages students to think critically; it allows teachers to assess whether their students understand a particular concept. This type of questioning, if done consistently, will develop the critical thinking skills that students need as 21st-century learners.

Types of survey questions

• Multiple choice questions.
• Rating scale questions.
• Likert scale questions.
• Matrix questions.
• Dropdown questions.
• Open-ended questions.
• Demographic questions.
• Ranking questions.

1. Avoid asking respondents to answer questions that are difficult, that rely too much on memory or require the respondent to guess. In the same vein, avoid questions that ask respondents to make difficult estimates e.g. “how many times in the past year have you purchased toothpaste”?

There are roughly two types of questionnaires, structured and unstructured. A mixture of these both is the quasi-structured questionnaire that is used mostly in social science research. Structured questionnaires include pre-coded questions with well-defined skipping patterns to follow the sequence of questions.

How to Make a Questionnaire

1. Know your question types.
2. Keep it brief, when possible.
3. Choose a simple visual design.
4. Use a clear research process.
5. Create questions with straightforward, unbiased language.
6. Ensure every question is important.
7. Ask one question at a time.
8. Order your questions logically.

Six steps to good questionnaire design

1. #1: Identify your research aims and the goal of your questionnaire.
2. #2: Define your target respondents.
3. #3: Develop questions.
4. #4: Choose your question type.
5. #5: Design question sequence and overall layout.
6. #6: Run a pilot.

Write down the essential qualities of a good questionnaire.

• Limited number of questions:The number of questions should be limited as far as possible.
• Simplicity:The language of the questions should be simple and easily understandable.
• Logically arranged:The questions should be arranged logically.
• Related to the points:Questions should be related to the point.

Questionnaires can be administered by an interviewer or answered by the respondents themselves (self-administered). Self-administered questionnaires can be mailed or given in person to the respondents. They are feasible in a literate population if the questions are short and simple.

Simple random sampling: One of the best probability sampling techniques that helps in saving time and resources, is the Simple Random Sampling method. It is a reliable method of obtaining information where every single member of a population is chosen randomly, merely by chance.

The first step in selecting a sample is to define the population to which one wishes to generalize the results of a study. Unfortunately, one may not be able to collect data from his or her TARGET POPULATION. In this case, an ACCESSIBLE POPULATION is used.

In this case each individual is chosen entirely by chance and each member of the population has an equal chance, or probability, of being selected. One way of obtaining a random sample is to give each individual in a population a number, and then use a table of random numbers to decide which individuals to include.