• Brief introduction to your research.

• General guideline/instruction.

• Information about confidentiality, due date, & how to return the questionnaire. 

• Appreciation expression.

• Your contact address.

Example of Cover Letter

What are the information needed? 

Given the opportunity to collect meaningful data from respondents, it may be tempting to ask many demographic questions. However, asking too many questions can backfire. Some respondents may become concerned or aggravated by having to answer a large number of demographic questions. Additionally, they may feel that they will compromise their confidentiality, and others may perceive the questions as an invasion of privacy. 

Thoroughly review all survey questions during the design process.  Decide which guest demographics are the most critical to your study.  

The information needed depends on the research problem, RQs, and unit of analysis. If the unit of analysis is individual, we need to collect details information about respondents such as gender, ethnic groups, religion, etc.  If the unit of analysis is organization, the information about the companies are needed, such as nature of business, age of company, company ownership, type of manufacturing process, etc. 

This section can be put at the beginning or the end of the questionnaire, depending on the needs of the researcher. 

All variables must be measured precisely. Wrong measurement leads to wrong data, conclusion, and decision making. Therefore, the measurement items should be designed to ensure the accuracy of data being collected.  

Writing Questions: Dos

• Each variable must be measured precisely. 

• Provide instruction in each section. 

• Develop based on conceptual & operational definitions. 

• Short as possible.

• Simplify language to ease for understanding.

• Use terms familiar to the respondent. For studies within a specific organization, use the terms used in that organization. 

• Use different scales in each variable. 

• Make sure it is absolutely clear what you are asking & how you want it to be answered. 

Writing Questions: Don'ts

• Ask questions beyond respondent’s abilities.

• Use terms that are familiar to you but might not be to respondents. 

• Unnecessary abbreviations.

• Ambiguity, confusion, and vagueness. Make sure it is absolutely clear what you are asking & how you want it to be answered.

• Long questionnaire as it causes fatigue. 

• False premises (proposition, or assumption). Since the premises are not correct, the conclusion drawn may be in error.

• Invite respondents to breach confidentiality.

• Double negative & double barrel, & leading questions.