Always run a pilot

[Bell: Doing your research project (p128)]

Run a pilot exercise - to get the bugs out of the instrument so that the subjects in your main study will epxerience no difficulties in completing it - and so that you can carry out a preliminary analysis to see whether the wordign and format of questions will present any difficulties when the main data are analysed.

Ask the following questions:

1. How long did it take you to complete?
2. Were the instructions clear?
3. Were any of the questions unclear or ambiguous? If so, will you say which and why?
4. Did you object to answering any of the questions?
5. In your opinion, has any major topic been omitted?
6. Was the layout of the questionnaire clear/attractive?
7. Any comments?