Mail and self Administered Questionnaires The selfadministered questionnaire

Mail and self- Administered Questionnaires The self-administered questionnaire is a type of questionnaire, either in paper or electronic form. Self-administered questionnaires enable researchers to reach a large number of potential respondents in a variety of locations, especially when use mail or online questionnaires. However, the response rate for self-administered surveys is relatively low, compared to other methods such as interviews or researcheradministered questionnaires.

Researchers can give questionnaires directly respondents or mail them, then respondents who read instruction and questions then record their answers

1 -This type of survey is by far the cheapest. 2 - It can be conducted by a single researcher. 3 -A researcher can send questionnaires to a wide geographical area. 4 -The respondent can complete the questionnaire when it is convenient. 5 - It can check personal records if necessary. 6 - It is offer anonymity. 7 - It is avoid interviewer bias. 8 - It is very effective 9 - The response rates may be high for a target population that is well educated or has a strong interest in the topic or the survey organization

-The biggest problem with mail questionnaires is low response rate. Most questionnaires are returned within two weeks but other trickle in up two months later. * To solve this problem: Researchers can raise response rates by sending non respondents reminder letter. but this solve adds to the time and cost of data collection. 2 - A researcher can not control the conditions under which a mail questionnaire is completed example : - A questionnaires completed during a drinking party by dozen laughing people may be returned along with one filled out by an earnest respondent

3 - no one is present to clarify questions or to probe for more information when respondents give incomplete answers 4 - someone other than the sampled respondent for example ( spouse , new resident ) may open the mail and complete the questionnaire without the researcher's knowledge. 5 - Different respondents can complete the questionnaire weeks a part or answer questions in different order than that intended by researchers 6 - incomplete questionnaires can also be a serious problem 7 - Researchers can not visually observe the respondent's reactions to questions physical characteristics or the setting.

for example , an impoverished 70 years old white woman living alone on a farm could falsely state that she is a prosperous 40 years old Asian male doctor living in a nearby town with three children such extreme intentional lies are rare but serious errors can go undetected 8 - The mail questionnaire format limits the kinds of questions that a researcher can use Questions requiring visual aids for example : - look at this picture and tell me what you see ? (open - ended) questions

9 -many contingency questions and complex questions do poorly in mail questionnaire. 10 -likewise mail questionnaire are ill suited for the illiterate or near illiterate in English. 11 -Questionnaires mailed to illiterate respondents are not likely to be returned ; if they are completed and returned , the questions were probably misunderstood so the answer are meaningless