dissertation research questionnaires

Dissertation Questionnaire

Questionnaire generator.

A dissertation is a document usually a requirement for a doctoral degree especially in the field of philosophy. This long essay discusses a particular subject matter uses questionnaires   and other sources of data and is used to validate its content. The  questionnaire’s importance is evident in the processes of data gathering as it can make the dissertation factual, effective and usable.

Having a well-curated and formatted document to follow when making a dissertation can be very beneficial to an individual who is currently immersed in the data gathering stage of the specific research study. We have gathered downloadable samples and templates of questionnaires so it will be easier for you to curate your own.

Dissertation Timeline Gantt Chart Template

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Dissertation Research Gantt Chart Template

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Dissertation Project Gantt Chart Template

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Dissertation Plan Gantt Chart Template

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Dissertation Research Questionnaire

Size: 18 KB

Dissertation Proposal Questionnaire

Size: 131 KB

Sample Dissertation Questionnaire

Size: 10 KB

What Is a Dissertation Questionnaire?

A dissertation questionnaire can be defined as follows:

• It is a document used in the processes of data gathering.
• Questionnaires in PDF used for a dissertation contain questions that can help assess the current condition of the community which is the subject of study within the dissertation.
• It specifies the questions that are needed to be answered to assure that there is a basis in terms of the results that will be presented in a dissertation.

How to Write a Dissertation Questionnaire

Writing an efficient and comprehensive dissertation questionnaire can greatly affect the entire dissertation. You can make one by following these steps:

• Be specific with the kind of dissertation that you are creating and align the purposes of the dissertation questionnaire that you need to make to your study.
• List down the information needed from the community who will provide the answers to your questions.
• Open a software where you can create a questionnaire template. You may also download  survey questionnaire examples   and templates to have a faster time in formatting the document.
• The purpose of the dissertation questionnaire.
• The guidelines and instructions in answering the dissertation questions.
• The name of the person to who will use the questionnaire results to his/her dissertation.
• The institution to whom the dissertation will be passed.
• List down the questions based on your needs.

Undergraduate Dissertation Questionnaire

Size: 12 KB

Project Management Dissertation

Size: 54 KB

Guidelines for Writing a Dissertation Questionnaire

There are no strict rules in writing a dissertation questionnaire. However, there are some tips that can help you to create a dissertation questionnaire that is relevant to the study that you are currently doing. Some guidelines:

• Make sure that you are well aware of the data that is needed in your dissertation so you can properly curate questions that can supply your information needs.
• It will be best to use a dissertation questionnaire format that is organized, easy to understand, and properly structured. This will help the people who will answer the dissertation questionnaire quickly know how they can provide the items that you would like to know.
• Always make sure that your instructions in answering the questions are precise and directly stated.
• You may look at  questionnaires in Word   for comparisons. Doing this will help you assess whether there are still areas of improvement that you may tap with the content and format of the dissertation questionnaire that you have created.

Keeping this guidelines in mind and implementing them accordingly will allow you to create a dissertation questionnaire that is beneficial to the processes that you need to have an outstanding dissertation.

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How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Questionnaire?

Published by Alvin Nicolas at August 7th, 2024 , Revised On October 24, 2024

Do you know the first questionnaire was developed in 1838? It was designed to collect responses from individuals to understand their behaviour towards various stimuli. Since then, scientists have been using questionnaires to collect statistical data. The invention of the questionnaire gave birth to subjects like Sociology and Statistics .

Nowadays, sociology or psychology students also collect statistical data and information using questionnaires to understand individuals’ behaviour. Excellent questionnaires help produce high-quality research results.

This blog comprehensively discusses what a thesis or dissertation questionnaire is and the steps involved in writing one. Learn how to write a questionnaire and optimise your research process .

What is a Thesis or Dissertation Questionnaire?

A questionnaire is a set of specific questions that are particularly designed to assess the preferences, intentions, experiences, opinions, and behaviour of the individuals. In a thesis or dissertation, students use questionnaires to collect qualitative or quantitative data relevant to their subjects.

However, using questionnaires to collect data and information is a very tiresome and hectic task because researchers have to wait for the respondents to answer all the questions.

Importance of Thesis & Dissertation Questionnaire

Imagine you want to ask one or two questions from an individual. You can easily ask him/her those questions. What would you do when you have to record their thorough response to multiple questions? In that case, the questionnaire is the best option for collecting individual responses.

A thesis or dissertation questionnaire does not specify precisely whether it is used for simple research or a survey. In the case of a survey, there would always be a questionnaire. Here are the reasons why a thesis or dissertation questionnaire is important during the research process:

• Questionnaires help researchers collect data in an organised and systematic manner.
• With questionnaires, data can be efficiently analysed and quick conclusions can be drawn.
• There are no extensive costs involved in to design research questionnaires. It is a cost-effective method to collect data.
• Researchers can ask multiple questions to record the response about a specific topic thoroughly.

Several formalities are involved in collecting data through a questionnaire. One basic consideration is the dissertation questionnaire consent form.

Dissertation Questionnaire Consent Form

The questionnaire consent form is the document the participants sign to indicate their consent to participate in the research process. It is crucial to ask for their consent because data and information are used for research purposes. Also, inform them about the topic so they can decide efficiently.

The questionnaire consent form is usually presented on the first page of the thesis or dissertation questionnaire. It contains the participant’s personal and contact information.

Online Dissertation Questionnaire

As you know, in this digital age, everything is shifting to digital platforms. There was a time when researchers had to wait for the individuals to fill out the questionnaire paper. No doubt, it was a tiresome task. Now, researchers send the thesis or dissertation questionnaires to digital platforms such as email, inbox, and social media.

Online dissertation questionnaire tools such as Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, and SurveyPlanet have made data analysis and collection much more convenient and reliable.

Components of an Excellent Dissertation Questionnaire

These are the components of an excellent thesis or dissertation questionnaire:

It has a Structured Design

The best property of a good dissertation questionnaire is its structured design. When questions and their categories are efficiently structured in a questionnaire, it provides an eye-catching look. This helps the participants to fill out the questionnaire more proficiently.

It Contains Unique and Exploratory Questions

An outstanding questionnaire always has unique and well-researched questions rather than overly used typical ones. Every question can provide a sufficient response. It contains exploratory questions to explore even minor information about the participants thoroughly.

It has Likert Scales

Likert scales are a measurement method in research to assess attitudes, opinions, and perceptions. They are widely used in the questionnaires to generate responses accurately. When a questionnaire has Likert scales, it makes it easy for the researchers to derive results from that.

It has Consistency of Questions

Another sign of an excellent question is its consistency. It contains perfectly categorised questions that make sense to the participants from start to end. Every question follows an appropriate question systematically.

Difference Between Questionnaire and Survey

Steps involved in writing a dissertation questionnaire.

Writing a thesis or dissertation questionnaire requires different methods. These methods can be modified accordingly to make your questionnaire relevant to your research objectives. However, the essential steps involved in writing a dissertation questionnaire are given as follows:

Step 1: Establish Your Research Objectives To Ese Your Research Process

The first step in writing a thesis or dissertation question is establishing the research objectives. You have to be clear about your research goals. The research is usually done to fill an already-present gap in the data. It is done to find significant solutions to specific problems. It is crucial to have the goals to solve a problem.

Step 2: Assess the Requirements to Ensure They Are Achievable

It is also important to assess the research requirements. Requirements will help you know what you need and what you don’t need to write your research questionnaire. It is easy to start a research process when all the requirements are easily achievable. Also, the time and money spent on the questionnaire should be considered.

Step 3: Choose the Right Data Collection Method To Derive Authentic Results

There are many data collection methods , such as in-person, telephone, email, direct mail, and online platforms. It is essential to choose the proper data collection method that can be easily used to deliver authentic results. You should also design your questionnaire according to the collection method.

Methodology

Methodology is the collection of particular techniques for collecting and processing data. Create an efficient research methodology to collect data accurately. It will help you optimise and streamline your research process.

Step 4: Develop the Unique and Logical Questions for Data Collection

After selecting an appropriate data collection method, it is time to develop unique questionnaire questions. The questions should be logical and follow a series of numbers. Close-ended questions are used in the writing of dissertation or thesis questionnaires.

Step 5: Set the Perfect Scaling According to Your Questions

Scaling is used to calculate the response of the participants. Researchers should set the perfect scaling according to the nature of the questions. The Likert scale is the most widely used in questionnaires. It allows researchers to generate responses of participants from the right extreme to the left extreme.

Step 6: Creatively Design the Questionnaire to Enhance Its Visual Appeal

The next step is designing the layout of the questionnaire. It is crucial to enhance the visual appeal of the questionnaire. The design and colour of the questionnaire should be selected according to the theme of the topic. Moreover, a graphically appealing questionnaire also enhances the engagement of readers.

Step 7: Analysing & Evaluation the Questionnaire To Remove Discrepancies

The most important step after designing is analysing and evaluating. This step will allow you to fill gaps if there are any. Check the alignment of the questions and scaling. The numbering should be perfect. The colouring and design should also be on point. This step proceeds with the testing.

Step 8: Pretest With a Small Population and Collect Necessary Feedback

After completing the questionnaire, prepare to pretest it with a small population. Check the responses of the participants thoroughly. Be open to feedback and criticism. It will help you consider revisions and alterations and improve your questionnaire.

Step 9: Revise to Make Changes To Enhance the Quality

If there are any changes required in the questionnaire, make them immediately. Revise your questionnaire again and again to illuminate even a minor mistake. Also, take feedback from your peers to further enhance the quality of your questionnaire.

Step 10: Finalising the Questionnaire and Launching it for the Research

When all the required changes and revisions are made, it’s time to finalise the questionnaire. Again, go through all its important obligations and ensure everything is in perfect shape. When everything is done from your side, it’s time to finalise and launch it for the actual research.

Dissertation Questionnaire Examples

Here, we’ll discuss the sample and template of the dissertation questionnaire to understand how it looks. This will significantly help us create our dissertation questionnaire.

Dissertation Questionnaire Template

Here is a template of the dissertation questionnaire:

[Introduction of the Researcher with all the key objectives briefly explained.]

[Questionnaire consent Form]

Dissertation Questionnaire Example

Introduction: Hello. My name is ……….. I am currently studying at………………. and doing my …………………………. I am conducting this research to [agenda of the study].This research will help me to provide solutions to all these problems:

[Problems and solutions]

This questionnaire contains XX questions. It will just take 15 minutes to complete it. All your personal information and responses will be kept anonymous from other participants. There are both open-ended and close-ended questions. Answer them honestly. Thank you.

Part 1: Multiple Choice Questions

• Are you a male or a female?
• Have you completed your bachelor’s degree?
• Did you study your major according to your passion?
• Are you doing a job related to your degree?
• Are you satisfied with your current job?

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a dissertation questionnaire be.

The length of your questionnaire should be according to your objectives. There is no fixed number of questions in a questionnaire. Some questionnaires are basic, some are exploratory, and some are in-depth. However, an ideal questionnaire should be completed in 25 to 30 minutes without losing the participant’s interest. 

How many questions should a dissertation questionnaire have?

It’s entirely up to you to add as many questions as you want. Remember that you should add enough questions to complete your research objectives. Avoid adding excessive questions, as they can be boring for participants.

How to analyse a questionnaire for a dissertation?

These are the necessary tips to analyse a questionnaire for a dissertation: 

• Pile up all the responses 
• Analyse all the questions
• Visualise the collected data
• Interpretation of results

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Dissertation surveys: Questions, examples, and best practices

Collect data for your dissertation with little effort and great results.

Dissertation surveys are one of the most powerful tools to get valuable insights and data for the culmination of your research. However, it’s one of the most stressful and time-consuming tasks you need to do. You want useful data from a representative sample that you can analyze and present as part of your dissertation. At SurveyPlanet, we’re committed to making it as easy and stress-free as possible to get the most out of your study.

With an intuitive and user-friendly design, our templates and premade questions can be your allies while creating a survey for your dissertation. Explore all the options we offer by simply signing up for an account—and leave the stress behind.

How to write dissertation survey questions

The first thing to do is to figure out which group of people is relevant for your study. When you know that, you’ll also be able to adjust the survey and write questions that will get the best results.

The next step is to write down the goal of your research and define it properly. Online surveys are one of the best and most inexpensive ways to reach respondents and achieve your goal.

Before writing any questions, think about how you’ll analyze the results. You don’t want to write and distribute a survey without keeping how to report your findings in mind. When your thesis questionnaire is out in the real world, it’s too late to conclude that the data you’re collecting might not be any good for assessment. Because of that, you need to create questions with analysis in mind.

You may find our five survey analysis tips for better insights helpful. We recommend reading it before analyzing your results.

Once you understand the parameters of your representative sample, goals, and analysis methodology, then it’s time to think about distribution. Survey distribution may feel like a headache, but you’ll find that many people will gladly participate.

Find communities where your targeted group hangs out and share the link to your survey with them. If you’re not sure how large your research sample should be, gauge it easily with the survey sample size calculator.

Need help with writing survey questions? Read our guide on well-written examples of good survey questions .

Dissertation survey examples

Whatever field you’re studying, we’re sure the following questions will prove useful when crafting your own.

At the beginning of every questionnaire, inform respondents of your topic and provide a consent form. After that, start with questions like:

• Please select your gender:
• What is the highest educational level you’ve completed?
• High school
• Bachelor degree
• Master’s degree
• On a scale of 1-7, how satisfied are you with your current job?
• Please rate the following statements:
• I always wait for people to text me first.
• Strongly Disagree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Strongly agree
• My friends always complain that I never invite them anywhere.
• I prefer spending time alone.
• Rank which personality traits are most important when choosing a partner. Rank 1 - 7, where 1 is the most and 7 is the least important.
• Flexibility
• Independence
• How openly do you share feelings with your partner?
• Almost never
• Almost always
• In the last two weeks, how often did you experience headaches?

Dissertation survey best practices

There are a lot of DOs and DON’Ts you should keep in mind when conducting any survey, especially for your dissertation. To get valuable data from your targeted sample, follow these best practices:

Use the consent form.

The consent form is a must when distributing a research questionnaire. A respondent has to know how you’ll use their answers and that the survey is anonymous.

Avoid leading and double-barreled questions

Leading and double-barreled questions will produce inconclusive results—and you don’t want that. A question such as: “Do you like to watch TV and play video games?” is double-barreled because it has two variables.

On the other hand, leading questions such as “On a scale from 1-10 how would you rate the amazing experience with our customer support?” influence respondents to answer in a certain way, which produces biased results.

Use easy and straightforward language and questions

Don’t use terms and professional jargon that respondents won’t understand. Take into consideration their educational level and demographic traits and use easy-to-understand language when writing questions.

Mix close-ended and open-ended questions

Too many open-ended questions will annoy respondents. Also, analyzing the responses is harder. Use more close-ended questions for the best results and only a few open-ended ones.

Strategically use different types of responses

Likert scale, multiple-choice, and ranking are all types of responses you can use to collect data. But some response types suit some questions better. Make sure to strategically fit questions with response types.

Ensure that data privacy is a priority

Make sure to use an online survey tool that has SSL encryption and secure data processing. You don’t want to risk all your hard work going to waste because of poorly managed data security. Ensure that you only collect data that’s relevant to your dissertation survey and leave out any questions (such as name) that can identify the respondents.

Create dissertation questionnaires with SurveyPlanet

Overall, survey methodology is a great way to find research participants for your research study. You have all the tools required for creating a survey for a dissertation with SurveyPlanet—you only need to sign up . With powerful features like question branching, custom formatting, multiple languages, image choice questions, and easy export you will find everything needed to create, distribute, and analyze a dissertation survey.

Happy data gathering!

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Free unlimited surveys, questions and responses.

Questionnaires

Questionnaires can be classified as both, quantitative and qualitative method depending on the nature of questions. Specifically, answers obtained through closed-ended questions (also called restricted questions) with multiple choice answer options are analyzed using quantitative methods. Research findings in this case can be illustrated using tabulations, pie-charts, bar-charts and percentages.

Answers obtained to open-ended questionnaire questions (also known as unrestricted questions), on the other hand, are analyzed using qualitative methods. Primary data collected using open-ended questionnaires involve discussions and critical analyses without use of numbers and calculations.

There are following types of questionnaires:

Computer questionnaire . Respondents are asked to answer the questionnaire which is sent by mail. The advantages of the computer questionnaires include their inexpensive price, time-efficiency, and respondents do not feel pressured, therefore can answer when they have time, giving more accurate answers. However, the main shortcoming of the mail questionnaires is that sometimes respondents do not bother answering them and they can just ignore the questionnaire.

Telephone questionnaire .  Researcher may choose to call potential respondents with the aim of getting them to answer the questionnaire. The advantage of the telephone questionnaire is that, it can be completed during the short amount of time. The main disadvantage of the phone questionnaire is that it is expensive most of the time. Moreover, most people do not feel comfortable to answer many questions asked through the phone and it is difficult to get sample group to answer questionnaire over the phone.

In-house survey .  This type of questionnaire involves the researcher visiting respondents in their houses or workplaces. The advantage of in-house survey is that more focus towards the questions can be gained from respondents. However, in-house surveys also have a range of disadvantages which include being time consuming, more expensive and respondents may not wish to have the researcher in their houses or workplaces for various reasons.

Mail Questionnaire . This sort of questionnaires involve the researcher to send the questionnaire list to respondents through post, often attaching pre-paid envelope. Mail questionnaires have an advantage of providing more accurate answer, because respondents can answer the questionnaire in their spare time. The disadvantages associated with mail questionnaires include them being expensive, time consuming and sometimes they end up in the bin put by respondents.

Questionnaires can include the following types of questions:

Open question questionnaires . Open questions differ from other types of questions used in questionnaires in a way that open questions may produce unexpected results, which can make the research more original and valuable. However, it is difficult to analyze the results of the findings when the data is obtained through the questionnaire with open questions.

Multiple choice question s. Respondents are offered a set of answers they have to choose from. The downsize of questionnaire with multiple choice questions is that, if there are too many answers to choose from, it makes the questionnaire, confusing and boring, and discourages the respondent to answer the questionnaire.

Dichotomous Questions .  Thes type of questions gives two options to respondents – yes or no, to choose from. It is the easiest form of questionnaire for the respondent in terms of responding it.

Scaling Questions . Also referred to as ranking questions, they present an option for respondents to rank the available answers to questions on the scale of given range of values (for example from 1 to 10).

For a standard 15,000-20,000 word business dissertation including 25-40 questions in questionnaires will usually suffice. Questions need be formulated in an unambiguous and straightforward manner and they should be presented in a logical order.

Questionnaires as primary data collection method offer the following advantages:

• Uniformity: all respondents are asked exactly the same questions
• Cost-effectiveness
• Possibility to collect the primary data in shorter period of time
• Minimum or no bias from the researcher during the data collection process
• Usually enough time for respondents to think before answering questions, as opposed to interviews
• Possibility to reach respondents in distant areas through online questionnaire

At the same time, the use of questionnaires as primary data collection method is associated with the following shortcomings:

• Random answer choices by respondents without properly reading the question.
• In closed-ended questionnaires no possibility for respondents to express their additional thoughts about the matter due to the absence of a relevant question.
• Collecting incomplete or inaccurate information because respondents may not be able to understand questions correctly.
• High rate of non-response

Survey Monkey represents one of the most popular online platforms for facilitating data collection through questionnaires. Substantial benefits offered by Survey Monkey include its ease to use, presentation of questions in many different formats and advanced data analysis capabilities.

Survey Monkey as a popular platform for primary data collection

There are other alternatives to Survey Monkey you might want to consider to use as a platform for your survey. These include but not limited to Jotform, Google Forms, Lime Survey, Crowd Signal, Survey Gizmo, Zoho Survey and many others.

My  e-book,  The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Dissertation in Business Studies: a step by step approach  contains a detailed, yet simple explanation of quantitative methods. The e-book explains all stages of the research process starting from the selection of the research area to writing personal reflection. Important elements of dissertations such as research philosophy, research approach, research design, methods of data collection and data analysis are explained in simple words.

John Dudovskiy