To develop questions for a questionnaire about what practitioners know about violence and learning, Kate Nonesuch (2008a) consulted with colleagues who were doing related research and she read the Canadian literature on connections between violence and learning.

Testing questionnaires

• Ask some potential participants to respond to the questionnaire and identify questions or words that are not clear.
• Assess how long it will take to complete the questionnaire. When you test the questionnaire, ask participants to time how long it takes them to respond. Then you can let participants know approximately how much time it will take to complete the questionnaire.

Other suggestions

• Lay out the questionnaire so that it looks clear and inviting to read.
• Provide information and request consent to use the responses for your research.
• Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope as needed.
• Remember to include a Thank You at the end of the questionnaire.

Using software

As introduced earlier, there are software packages to use for online questionnaires. As one example, SurveyMonkey software (http://www.surveymonkey.com/) provides options for different types of questions (e.g., multiple choice, rating scales).