what is a questionnaire

A questionnaire is a research instrument that consists of a set of questions or other types of prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents through survey or statistical study. Questionnaires can be used to collect both quantitative and qualitative information about attitudes, experiences, opinions, and behaviors. They are commonly used in market research as well as in the social and health sciences. A research questionnaire is typically a mix of close-ended questions and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions provide standardized answers that make it simple to compile data, while open-ended questions offer the respondent the ability to elaborate on their thoughts. Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of survey tools in that they are cheap, do not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and can be delivered in various forms such as online, in person, by email, or over the phone. However, standardized answers may frustrate users as the possible answers may not accurately represent their desired responses.