Opinion Matters Statistics In Your World 
Student Notes
Teachers Notes

Back to School
In Section A you were asked to write questions on school rules and punishments. No help was given. By now you know a lot more about asking questions. Here are some guidelines based on your work in other sections.

General Guidelines

  1. Write down the exact purpose of the survey. What do you want to know?
  2. Decide whether it will be written or oral. (Many people can't read or write well enough to answer a questionnaire without help).
  3. Make your questionnaire look attractive.
  4. Keep the questionnaire short.
  5. Make your questions match your purpose (See guideline 1). Ask what you want to know.
  6. Don't ask unnecessary questions.
  7. Work out how you will analyse answers before writing the questions.

 

Question Guidelines

  1. Ask unbiased questions. Use neutral language.
  2. Keep questions simple.
  3. State clearly how you want the question answers. Give people a sensible choice of answers. Include a 'Don't know' or 'Other, please specify' box.
  4. Ask precise questions. Don't be vague.
  5. Avoid subjects which people know nothing about.
  a Look at each question of Questionnaire X. Say which of guidelines 8 to 12 are broken in each case.
  b Write down a purpose for the survey on 'School Rules and Punishments' of Section A. Write out a questionnaire of five questions. Pay particular attention to guidelines 5, 8 and 10.
* c A geography department wishes to survey a new shopping area. They want to know which people use it and how far they travel. They also want to know people's opinions of the shops. Write a questionnaire with eight questions that they could use.
* d Think of a survey of your own choice. Write a short questionnaire of five questions to help you with this survey.

 

Back