When carrying out a questionnaire or interview, which step is essential?

When carrying out a questionnaire or interview, which step is essential?

• A. Decide on your questions
• B. Ignore sampling
• C. Record responses in a random fashion
• D. Only use written form

Answer: (A)

Deciding on the questions is essential because it defines what you want to find out and shapes every other part of the data collection. Clear, relevant questions turn aims into actual data, determine whether you’ll collect numbers or descriptions, and guide how you structure and test the questionnaire or interview. With well-chosen questions, you can gather information that you can analyze to answer your objective and compare responses consistently. Without this planning step, you might end up collecting irrelevant data or missing the information you need. Other aspects matter too—sampling needs a plan to ensure the results represent the group, responses should be recorded systematically rather than randomly, and you can use written or verbal formats depending on the situation—but the starting point is deciding what questions to ask.

Deciding on the questions is essential because it defines what you want to find out and shapes every other part of the data collection. Clear, relevant questions turn aims into actual data, determine whether you’ll collect numbers or descriptions, and guide how you structure and test the questionnaire or interview. With well-chosen questions, you can gather information that you can analyze to answer your objective and compare responses consistently. Without this planning step, you might end up collecting irrelevant data or missing the information you need. Other aspects matter too—sampling needs a plan to ensure the results represent the group, responses should be recorded systematically rather than randomly, and you can use written or verbal formats depending on the situation—but the starting point is deciding what questions to ask.