Questionnaires

Questionnaires are used extensively in research, as a series of pre-set questions that are designed to address the research aims as well as for participant screening and consent. Hence all researchers need to have an understanding of the issues associated with their design and implementation. Questionnaires can offer an objective means of collecting information about participants' knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour. However, there can often be a misconception that questionnaires are easy to design and use without a strong rationale. This chapter presents the potential uses of questionnaires and the principles involved in developing an effective and valid questionnaire. It will consider some of the issues involved with the effective development and use of questionnaires as a research tool, their administration in health and physical activity, and the ethical considerations. The information provided in this chapter is not set out to be definitive, but rather, it is presented as an introduction in the development and use of questionnaires in health and physical activity research.