Learning and Evaluation/Archive/Learning modules/3Dichotomous pairs

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Part 1: Introduction

Welcome!
Why Survey?
Why Surveys Are Useful
Constructs
Operationalize
Survey instruments
Types of information
Attributes - a special case
Survey Objective and Planning

Part 2: Reliability & Validity

Reliability & Validity
Reliability
Validity
Face Validity
Content Validity
Criterion Validity
Construct Validity

Part 3: Question Construction

Writing Good Questions
Questions from Existing Surveys
Constructing your own Questions
Be Specific
Be Concise
Avoid Double Negatives
Minimize Social Desirability Bias
Avoid Double-barreled questions
Avoid abbreviations, jargon, technical terms, or slang
Avoid leading questions
Avoid loaded questions
Use appropriate wording
Ask useful questions
Rely on second-hand data sparsely
Use caution when asking personal questions

Part 4: Response Options

Question types
Fill-in-the-blank
Dichotomous pairs
Multiple choice
Check all that apply
Ranking
Scales
Choosing response options

Part 5: Questionnaire structure

Important considerations
Questions order
Additional Resources
Feedback

  Wikimedia Training Designing Effective Questions Menu

Dichotomous pairs

Dichotomous pairs have responses like:
  • Yes/No
  • True/False
  • Right/Wrong
  • Support/Oppose


These are very popular but they tend to have many problems and few good uses. The response options are very limiting and it is common to include double-barreled items, such as “Did you understand most of the workshop presentation and was it worthwhile?”


These responses are best used for directing individuals to a different part of a survey. For example, you can ask “Have you ever edited Wikipedia?” and if the respondent answers yes, they are directed to a set of questions for experienced Wikipedians.