The document discusses best practices for designing effective questionnaires for surveys. It covers determining goals and sample selection, choosing an interview method, creating question types, balancing question wording, offering don't know responses as an option, using scales, question order effects, and the importance of pre-testing questionnaires before full implementation. Key aspects emphasized include avoiding biased or leading wording, allowing for neutral answers, and testing the questionnaire's design, flow and comprehension.

1. Q UESTIONNAIRE D ESIGN

8. To have a hotline For government to set up a hotline The Effect of One Word Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University National Survey of Americans’ Views on Consumer Protections in managed Care, January 1998 How important do you think it is to have a hotline telephone number people can call to get help when they have problems with their health plan? How important do you think it is for the GOVERNMENT to set up a hotline telephone number people can call to get help when they have problems with their health plan? Very Important Somewhat Important Not too important Not at all important

11. Don’t Know Answers – offered or volunteered? NPR/Kaiser Family Foundation/Kennedy School of Government Education Survey, June 1999 (conducted June 25 – July 19, 1999) Do you favor or oppose the government offering parents money or "vouchers" to send their children to private or religious schools, or public schools outside their district? Do you favor or oppose the government offering parents money or "vouchers" to send their children to private or religious schools, or public schools outside their district, or haven’t you heard enough about that to have an opinion? Favor Oppose No opinion Favor Oppose No opinion

12. Using scales – getting to “the most” Now, I’m going to read you some different health care issues. As I read each one, please tell me how important you think it is for the President and Congress to deal with this issue – very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Poll Report Making Medicare more financially sound for future generations Increasing the number of Americans covered by health insurance Helping states with the cost of Medicaid Lowering the cost of medical malpractice insurance for physicians When forced to choose… Which of the following issues you say are very important do you think is most important?* Percent saying “very important” Percent saying “most important” *Also includes those who named only one issue as “very important” Helping people age 65 and over pay for prescription medicines

15. Roper Center for Public Opinion Research: iPoll http://roperweb.ropercenter.uconn.edu/iPOLL/ American Association for Public Opinion Research http://aapor.org/ National Journal: Poll Track http://nationaljournal.com/ Kaiser Family Foundation: Kaiser Health Poll Report http://www.kff.org/healthpollreport Strategos Institute at http://www.stategos.com/survey/ Zikmund G. William, Business Research Methods 7E, Chapter 15, Pg: 329 – 331, 344 – 347. References