REASEARCH INSTRUMENTS When a researcher reaches the data collection stage of the research process, there are several key items that the researcher should identify. These items include who will collect the data, when will the data be collected, at what setting will the data be collected, what data will be collected, and how will the data be collected. (Nieświadomy & Bailey, 2018) The terms research instrument and data collection tool are synonyms. The data collection tool, or instrument, is the mean by which the researcher will collect data relevant to the variable of inquiry. There are several types of data collection tools that a researcher would choose from. The suitable data collection tool varies depending on the variable of inquiry, the research question or hypothesis, and the study design. Different types of data collection tools include questionnaires and surveys, observation methods, interviews, etc. (Nieświadomy & Bailey, 2018).
Questionnaires A questionnaire is simply a sum of questions that a researcher formulates to gather data about a certain variable. A questionnaire is considered a self-report data collection tool. Questionnaires have a variety of formats which makes them very versatile. And this versatility is perhaps the reason it is the most common data collection tool (Phillips & Stawarski, 2016). Questionnaires can be used to collect different types of data: opinions, knowledge levels, attitudes, beliefs, feelings, ideas, and perceptions as well as factual information about the respondents (Nieświadomy & Bailey, 2018).
Types of Questions The questions in a questionnaire are the most essential part. Utilizing the appropriate question type is the main step in formulating an effective questionnaire. There are several types of questions used in questionnaires: demographic, closed-ended, open-ended, contingency, and filler questions. These types are not exclusive though. For instance, a demographic question can be either open-ended or close-ended. (Nieświadomy & Bailey, 2018).
43