Bailey.Academic_Writing

4.3 Reporting and Designing Surveys 193
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
4. What is the main tense in (a) Introduction and Findings, (b)
Conclusion?
Explain the reason for the difference.
5. Questionnaire design.
Which is the better question?
i) How old are you?
ii)
Are you (a) under 20, (b) between 21 and 30, (c)
over 30?
6. What is the main difference between the two questions?
i) What do you think of university students?
ii)
Do you think university students are (a) lazy, (b)
hardworking, (c) average?
7. How many questions should your questionnaire contain?
When designing your questionnaire:
a) Limit the number of questions so the respondent can
answer them in a minute or two. Long and complicated
questionnaires will not receive accurate replies.
b) Questions should be clear and simple, and not be too
personal.
c) Closed questions (6ii) are easier to process, but open
questions (6i) will collect a wider range of responses.
d) You should try asking the questions to a classmate before
beginning the full survey, and be ready to modify any that
were not clear.
8. You are preparing a survey on one of the following subjects.
Write a questionnaire of no more than six questions to collect the
most useful data.
a) How overseas students learn vocabulary
b) Student attitudes to the cinema
c) A comparison of undergraduate and post-graduate leisure
activities