Questionnaire administration

EHES Training material

Modes of questionnaire administration

• Similar basic principles applied for• Checking self-

administered questionnaires

• Interviewing

Basic principles• Don’ t comment the responses or express

any criticism (e.g. regarding participant’s lifestyles)

• If needed, the question and the answer alternatives can be clarified by giving additional information in a standardized and non-directive way• Always check the interviewer instructions and, if

needed, contact your supervisor• Do not try to interpret the question yourself and

develop additional explanation• Record ‘refusal’ or ‘Don’t know’ if needed,

but try to avoid these

Subjective items

• Questions that measure the person’s own assessment (e.g. self perceived health) should not be interpreted or assessed by anyone else

• You or any other person who is present during the interview or while filling in and checking the questionnaires (e.g. a family member), should not affect the participant’s choice of the answer categories

Objective items

• Questions on facts, e.g. having diseases diagnosed by a doctor, using medicines, can be asked from a proxy (e.g. a family member or care taker), especially when the participant him/herself in unable to answer due to cognitive impairment

Starting the interview

• Explain the possibility to stop the interview at any time and right to refuse answering any question

• Explain that all information is strictly confidential and all answers are valuable to obtain reliable and valid results from the survey

• Read all questions and response categories exactly as they are written

• If needed, repeat the question first, before giving additional information

Interviewing process • Follow the order of

the questions in the questionnaire

• Record answers carefully and so that the participant doesn’t focus on observing what you are writing

• Keep active contact with the participant

Pausing or stopping the interview

• Stop the interview if• the participant loses the ability to

concentrate (e.g. is very tired or intoxicated)

• there are severe problems in the participant’s cognitive or communication skills

• Explore the possibility to continue later, e.g. with proxy assistance

Checking self-administered

questionnaires• Empty, unanswered questions:

help the participant when needed

• If the participant has marked several answer categories, when one should be chosen, ask which option applies most or corresponds best in his/her situation

• Correct if jump rules have not been followed: check the correct answers with the participant

Closing• Give positive feedback to the participant: ”Thank

you for this valuable information…”• Record if proxy (or proxy assistance) was used • Record and report to your supervisor any

problems encountered during the interview or when checking the questionnaires, e.g. problems in communication, disturbing presence of other persons

Acknowledgements• Slides

• Päivikki Koponen• Photographs

• Hanna Tolonen• Demonstration

• Saara Vallivaara, Marjut Kajosaari, Shadia Rask, William Garbrah