Constructing a Questionnaire

The general format of the questionnaire is easy to overlook, yet it is something that is just as important as the wording of the questions asked. A questionnaire that is poorly formatted can lead respondents to miss questions, confuse respondents, or even cause them to throw the questionnaire away. First, the questionnaire should be spread out and uncluttered. Oftentimes researchers fear that their questionnaire looks too long and therefore they try to fit too much onto each page. Instead, each question should be given it’s own line. Researchers should not try to fit more than one question on a line because that could cause the respondent to miss the second question or get confused. Second, words should never be abbreviated in an attempt to save space or make a questionnaire shorter. Abbreviating words can be confusing to the respondent and not all abbreviations will be interpreted correctly. This could cause the respondent to answer the question a different way or skip it entirely. Lastly, ample space should be left between questions on each page. Questions should not be too close together on the page or the respondent might be confused as to when one question ends and another begins. Leaving a double space between each question is ideal. Formatting Individual Questions In many questionnaires, respondents are expected to check one response from a series of responses. There may be a square or circle next to each response for the respondent to check or fill in, or the respondent might be instructed to circle their response. Whatever method is used, instructions should be made clear and displayed prominently next to the question. If a respondent indicates their response in a way that is not intended, this could hold up data entry or cause data to be miss-entered. Response choices also need to be equally spaced. For example, if you’re response categories are yes, no, and maybe, all three words should be equally spaced from each other on the page. You do not want yes and no to be right next to each other while â€Å"maybe† is three inches away. This could mislead respondents and cause them to choose a different answer than intended. It could also be confusing to the respondent. Question-Wording The wording of questions and response options in a questionnaire is very important. Asking a question with the slightest difference in wording could result in a different answer or could cause the respondent to misinterpret the question. Oftentimes researchers make the mistake of making questions unclear and ambiguous. Making each question clear and unambiguous seems like an obvious guideline for constructing a questionnaire, however, it is commonly overlooked. Often researchers are so deeply involved in the topic being studied and have been studying it for so long that opinions and perspectives seem clear to them when they might not be to an outsider. Conversely, it might be a new topic and one that the researcher has only a superficial understanding of, so the question might not be specific enough. Questionnaire items (both the question and the response categories) should be so precise that the respondent knows exactly what the researcher is asking. Researchers should be cautious about asking respondents for a single answer to a question that actually has multiple parts. This is called a double-barreled question. For example, let’s say you ask respondents whether they agree or disagree with this statement: The United States should abandon its space program and spend the money on health care reform. While many people might agree or disagree with this statement, many would not be able to provide an answer. Some might think the U.S. should abandon its space program, but spend the money elsewhere (not on health care reform). Others might want the U.S. to continue the space program, but also put more money into the health care reform. Therefore, if either of these respondents answered the question, they would be misleading the researcher. As a general rule, whenever the word and appears in a question or response category, the researcher is likely asking a double-barreled question and measures should be taken to correct it and ask multiple questions instead. Ordering Items In A Questionnaire The order in which questions are asked can affect responses. First, the appearance of one question can affect the answers given to later questions. For instance, if there are several questions at the beginning of a survey that asks about the respondents’ views on terrorism in the United States and then following those questions is an open-ended question asking the respondent what they believe to be dangers to the United States, terrorism is likely to be cited more than it otherwise would be. It would be better to ask the open-ended question first before the topic of terrorism is put into the respondents’ head. Efforts should be made to order the questions in the questionnaire so they do not affect subsequent questions. This can be hard and nearly impossible to do with each question, however, the researcher can try to estimate what the various effects of different question orders would be and choose the ordering with the smallest effect. Questionnaire Instructions Every questionnaire, no matter how it is administered, should contain very clear instructions as well as introductory comments when appropriate. Short instructions help the respondent make sense of the questionnaire and make the questionnaire seem less chaotic. They also help put the respondent in the proper frame of mind for answering the questions. At the very beginning of the survey, basic instructions for completing it should be provided. The respondent should be told exactly what is wanted: that they are to indicate their answers to each question by placing a checkmark or X in the box beside the appropriate answer or by writing their answer in the space provided when asked to do so. If there is one section on the questionnaire with closed-ended questions and another section with open-ended questions, for example, instructions should be included at the beginning of each section. That is, leave instructions for the closed-ended questions just above those questions and leave the instructions for the open-ended questions just above those questions rather than writing them all at the beginning of the questionnaire. References Babbie, E. (2001). The Practice of Social Research: 9th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

The Heretic s Daughter By Kathleen Kent - 1430 Words

The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent is an evocative tale which tells a fictional story about the first hangings in the Salem witch trials. The book is written through the eyes of Sarah Carrier who was a child during the time of the Salem witch trials. The story begins introducing Sarah’s family as they are traveling under the cover of night in the cold winter months to her grandmother’s house in Andover, a town near Salem. In the late 1680’s smallpox was spreading quickly and the Puritans of Billerica thought the Carrier family to be spreading the virus and forced them to leave the town. The Puritans were not wrong as one of Sarah’s brothers, Andrew, fell sick of smallpox soon after their arrival in Andover. The family was to be†¦show more content†¦For farm assistance, the Carrier family made a mistake in purchasing Mercy Lewis. Mercy was trouble from the moment she entered the house. Mercy was guilty of stealing from the family , spreading rumors of Mrs. Carrier, and attempting to start an intimate relationship with Sarah’s brother, Richard. After lying about being with child, Mercy is denied in her plea to marry Richard and subsequently kicked out of the house. This fight over Mercy’s fake child resulted in a hail storm for the Carrier family. Mercy began to spread rumors of some sort of â€Å"witchery† that must be present in the household. These accusations came at a horrible time due to the incredible success that the Carrier farm was having. Although all of their crop surpluses came from hard work, witchcraft became the more popular explanation for their success in a time of hardship. The Toothakers were quick to jump on the anti-Carrier bandwagon, thinking that the Carrier’s land truly belonged to them. Martha Carrier, Sarah’s mother, was already not favored by the church for her vocal opinions contradicting the church. When new cries of witchcraft came from young girls in the area, Martha Carrier was alerted of her impending arrest for being a witch. Martha is adamant about not pleading guilty for anything to do with witchcraft, stating that there must be someone to stand up for all of those wrongly persecuted. Before

Data Exercise free essay sample

Data exercise #1 Name: Part 1: Expenditures Approach to Calculating GDP Nominal GDP- the market value of all final goods and services from the nation in a given period of time. Table 1. Gross Domestic Product or nominal GDP (in Billions of dollars) 2012 2013 III quarter IV quarter I quarter II quarter 1 Gross domestic product 16,356.0 16,420.3 16,535.3 16,661.0 2 Personal consumption expenditures 11,193.6 11,285.5 11,379.2 11,427.1 3 Gross private domestic investment 2,493.3 2,499.9 2,555.1 2,621.0 4 Net exports of goods and services -524.4 -515.8 -523.1 -509.0 5 Government consumption expenditures and gross investment 3,193.5 3,150.7 3,124.1 3,121.9 Table 2. Real Gross Domestic Product (in Billions of chained dollars) Real Gross Domestic Product (real GDP) is a macroeconomic measure of the value of economic output adjusted for price changes. 2012 2013 III quarter IV quarter I quarter II quarter 1 Gross domestic product 15,534.0 15,539.6 15,583.9 15,679.7 2 Personal consumption expenditures 10,541.0 10,584.8 10,644.0 10,691.9 3 Gross private domestic investment 2,456.5 2,441.8 2,470.1 2,524.9 4 Net exports of goods and services -436.5 -412.1 -422.3 -424.4 5 Government consumption expenditures and gross investment 2,988.8 2,938.8 2,907.4 2,904.5 During the inflation the nominal GDP is higher than real GDP, because real values are adjusted for inflation, while nominal values are not. The real GDP is adjusted by dividing the nominal GDP by a price deflator, which we can find by dividing the nominal GDP by the real. According to results I received, the nominal GDP was greater than nominal GDP in each four quarters, because there was an inflation factor that influenced the real GDP. I counted the Implicit Price Deflator and found that it equals 1,05% in the third quarter of 2012, 1,06% in the fourth quarter of 2012, 1,06% in the first of 2013, 1,06% in the second of 2013. The nominal GDP was increasing during these for quarters. This caused by changing of real output and price level. The USA import exceeds export, so U.S. imported more goods and services than exported during this period of time. I think that United States will increase export of the country or increase import because according to the III quarter of 2012 and the II of 2013 we can see that the difference between export and import was going in both nominal and real GDP to the positive side. Part 2: Income Approach to Calculating GDP 2012 2013 III quarter IV quarter I quarter II quarter 1 Gross domestic product 16,356.0 16,420.3 16,535.3 16,661.0 2 Gross National Product 16,603.7 16,677.3 16,772.7 16,907.9 3 Net National Product 14,048.5 14,102.3 14,168.9 14,276.0 4 National Income 13,962.1 14,204.0 14,324.5 14,438.5 5 Personal Income 13,701.6 14,073.1 13,925.9 14,065.0 The difference between GNP (Gross National Product) and GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is that GNP includes net foreign income rather than net export and imports. GNP adds net foreign investment income. GDP measures the nation’s economy’s performance because it is determined by the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of the nation. GDP is focused on output rather than who produced it, GDP measures all domestic production. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) = C + I + G + (X – M) GNP is focused on who owns the production regardless of where the production takes place. GNP calculates the value of output produced by the people of the region. GNP is basically the GDP of the country plus income earned from overseas investments by residents, minus income earned within the domestic economy by overseas residents. National income measures the money value of the flow of output of goods and services produced within an economy over a period of time. It also includes income acquired from business done abroad. The national income is used to determine the overall economic health of the country, trends in economic growth, various production sector contributions, future growth and standard of living. National income is used to measure level and economic growth of a country. This year the Gross National Product is higher than National Income. The GNP has made 16,907.9 and NI has 14,438.5. The main component of national income was compensation of employees. It is estimated tha t compensation of employees takes up about 55% of national income and includes salaries and fringe benefits. National Income = G.D.P. + Net Domestic Income from Abroad. National income from GNP = Wages + Interest + Rent + Profit + Proprietors Income Part 3: GDP in Different Countries Country GDP (in millions of U.S. dollars) Population (in thousands) Per Capita GDP (in thousands of U.S. dollars) 1 2 3 4 = 2/3 United States 15,684,800 313,910 49,965 Japan 5,959,720 127,560 46,72 China 8,358,360 1,350,700 6,188 Mexico 1,177,960 120,850 9,747 Russian Federation 2,014,780 143,530 14,037 Switzerland 632,190 8,000 79,023 Sweden 525,740 9,520 55,224 Luxembourg 57,120 0,530 107,773 Looking at this table we can see that the highest per capita GDP is in Luxembourg. Although the country has the lowest population and GDP, it’s actually one of the richest countries in the world. China has the lowest Per Capita and it’s not because of low GDP, it is because of high population. List of the countries by highest per capita GDP to lowest: Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, United States, Japan, Russian Federation, Mexico, China. Order by highest GDP to lowest is US, China, Japan, Russia, Mexico, Switzerland, Sweden, Luxembourg. These lists are not the same because population is defining indicator. The more people live in a country, the higher GDP should be, but this rule is not observed by all countries. Part 4: Index of Economic Freedom Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every human to control his or her own labor and property. In an economically free society, individuals are free to work, produce, consume, and invest in any way they please, with that freedom both protected by the state and unconstrained by the state. In economically free societies, governments allow labor, capital and goods to move freely, and refrain from coercion or constraint of liberty beyond the extent necessary to protect and maintain liberty itself. 1. Find the rank in economic freedom (overall) of the countries listed on the table in part III of the assignment. Country Economic freedom (overall) United states 76.0 Japan 71.8 China 51.9 Mexico 67.0 Russian federation 51.1 Switzerland 81.0 Sweden 72.9 Luxembourg 74.2 2. Find the rank in business, trade, financial freedom, and property rights of the countries listed on Country Business freedom Trade freedom Financial freedom Property rights United states 90.5 86.4 70.0 85.0 Japan 81.3 81.8 50.0 80.0 China 48.0 72.0 30.0 20.0 Mexico 81.4 80.6 60.0 50.0 Russian federation 69.2 77.4 30.0 25.0 Switzerland 75.8 90.0 80.0 90.0 Sweden 93.2 86.8 80.0 90.0 Luxembourg 74.8 86.8 80.0 90.0 3. Compare the rank in economic freedom (overall) and other indicators with the order of the countries using the per capita GDP in the table in part III of the assignment. Country Per capita GDP Economic freedom(overall) Business freedom Trade freedom Financial freedom Property freedom Luxembourg 107,773 74.2 74.8 86.8 80.0 90.0 Switzerland 79,023 81.0 75.8 90.0 80.0 90.0 Sweden 55,224 72.9 93.2 86.8 80.0 90.0 United States 49,965 76.0 90.5 86.4 70.0 85.0 Japan 46,72 71.8 81.3 81.8 50.0 80.0 Russian Federation 14,037 51.1 69.2 77.4 30.0 25.0 Mexico 9,747 67.0 81.4 80.6 60.0 50.0 China 6,188 48.0 48.0 72.0 30.0 20.0 On the basis of received results we can make conclusion that the most economic freest country listed here is Switzerland, its economic freedom score is 81% and world rank is 5. Switzerland economy is modern and varied. They are open to global trade and as a result Switzerland becomes to be one of the world’s most competitive and flexible economies. Russian Federation has the lowest score 51.9. To compare in terms of continents we can say that North America is the world’s economically freest region in 2013, U.S. is â€Å"mostly free† economy. Compared to last year North America has improved trade freedom and declines business freedom. But U.S. has the highest rank  in business freedom. Europe has the second level in economic freedom. The most financially free countries are Switzerland, Sweden and Luxembourg, the same situation on property rights. The most opened trade country is Switzerland (90.0). China has the lowest ranks on almost all indexes except Trade freedom (72) China has one of the biggest export (after U.S.). Japan’s economic freedom score is 71.8 and free in Business and Trade freedom sectors. In Asia-Pacific region (41 countries) Japan takes 6th place. I found significant relationship between economic freedom and per capita GDP. Countries with high level in economic freedom have higher standard of living.

Project Management Technology Lab Setup

Question: Discuss about the Project Management for Technology Lab Setup. Answer: Introduction Cost Estimation for Developing Technology Lab In this section the estimated cost are presented to develop Technology Lab for a Music Academy. The estimation of Reliable costs are required for responsible fiscal management at every other point of a project. The estimation of Unreliable costs often causes significant problems in terms of budgeting as well as planning (Burke 2013). The inconsistent cost evaluations may likewise prompt staffing and planning choices that utilize assets maybe incorrectly or even ineffectually. The expression Project Cost Estimation is frequently utilized amid the procedure for task advancement and it incorporates all capital expense costs, including right-of-way, equipments; however does not ordinarily incorporate expenses for Capital support (Turner 2016). In this project to develop Technology Lab for a Music Academy it is assumed that five personal computers will be purchased that can connect to the Internet and run several popular music creation and editing programs. The cost estimation for this pr oject also includes the costs of desks, chairs, microphones, keyboards, soundproofing the room, set-up, testing, etc. The costs for this project to develop Technology Lab for a Music Academy are estimated to be: Component Quantity Price Total Price (in $) Personal Computers 05 $ 450 (Per Quantity) 2250 Internet Connectivity 01 $ 70 per month 70 Desks 04 $ 230 (Per Quantity) 920 Chairs 06 $ 80 (Per Quantity) 480 Microphones 04 $ 165 (Per Quantity) 660 Keyboards 03 $ 450 (Per Quantity) 1350 Room Soundproofing 01 $ 1080 (One Time Cost) 1080 Set-up 01 $ 250 (One Time Cost) 250 Testing 01 $ 120 (One Time Cost) 120 Total 7,180 Quality Checklist There are certain factors that needs to be considered as Quality Checklist for startup of the Musical Academy as below: Criteria Y/N? Experienced and professional teachers Private (one-on-one) lessons customized to the student's learning style and pace All lesson plans posted to Academy Website so students and parents can review lessons from any computer or mobile device, with video, audio, and pdf attached Ability to schedule 2 or more students in different lessons at the same time saving valuable driving time Low pressure, optional performances, showcases, and recitals offered throughout year Desk staff available for assistance during all teaching hours Wide variety of styles offered including rock, blues, classical, jazz, more Musical Theatre starting at 4 yrs. Sound-proofed rooms minimizing distraction during lessons Music Fun Time classes for 18 mo. to 7 yrs. Computer furnished lesson studios In-house discount supply store saving students money, plus the time of going to the music store for small items like strings, books, tuners, and more. All instructors background checked through Live Scan. More than one instructor for most instruments allowing for best fit. Group instruction available for beginning guitar, drums, and piano. Quality Metrics for the Project Quality metrics are a key part of a successful quality administration plan and are the estimations utilized as a part of guaranteeing that clients get worthy items or deliverables. Quality measurements are utilized straightforwardly to make an interpretation of client needs into satisfactory execution measures in both items and procedures (Heagney 2012). The managers in a Project must have the capacity to survey the advancement, productivity, and execution of their tasks and measurements are the methods, which permit project managers. Nonetheless, a note of those measurements must be built up with an end goal to enhance the item or procedures required in the project (Mir and Pinnington 2014). This section illustrates the quality metrics chosen for this project and a description of each as below: ID Critical Success Criteria Potential Quality Metric Priority Metric Target Action Plan 1 All lesson plans posted to Academy Website The lesson plans must be posted in the Academy website so that it is available for the students as well as parents. High To be achieved prior to the setup of Technology Lab Development of a robust Website for the Academy so that it is accessible by various users. 2 Desk staff available for assistance during all teaching hours Availability of desk staff for assisting the students as well as teaching faculties. High This must be treated as a High priority Quality metric for this project. Recruitment of desk staffs and allocation of duties prior to opening the Music Academy. Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Technology Lab Purpose of RFP This project is to develop Technology Lab for a Music Academy that will foster creativity and promotes fun in learning. The Music Academy will synthesize knowledge from the fields of business, education, creativity and music. In an expansive sense, this task was about changing over a thought into a workable arrangement (Marchewka 2014). Each smart thought stays just that without centered exertion, assessment, inventiveness, and maybe measurements of favorable luck. The chances are in the support of the individuals, who perform intensive examination, continue in spite of obstacles, and saddle the force of imaginative considering. Background Information An underlying examination uncovered that my initial step ought to be to compose a strategy for success. This would offer shape to my crude thoughts and uncover zones of quality and shortcoming. Hence, figuring out how to compose an arrangement that suited my needs turned into the center of this task (Reich, Gemino and Sauer 2012). Changing the thoughts into solid numbers is a standout amongst the most difficult tasks. Basic Requirements Conceptual ideas must be explained and afterward refined until particular criteria were met. New thoughts developed and some were thrown away (Reiss 2013). The different ideas experienced rehashed refinement until a convincing archive was made that spelled out my vision and arrangement for accomplishing it. Purchasing of technical equipment. Procurement of Hardware. Installation of Software. Soundproofing the room. Testing and maintenance of the technical equipment along with Hardware and Software. Procurement Issues for the Project ID Issue Impact Plan of Action 1 Budget estimation for hardware and Technical equipment (Shields and Rangarajan 2013). High Determine the budget for the Hardware according to market value. 2 Version mismatch due to budget for Software procurement. Medium The Software version may not match according to the requirements hence there is a need to analyze the features provided by each version of a software. References Burke, R., 2013. Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA. Heagney, J., 2012. Fundamentals of project management. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Marchewka, J.T., 2014. Information technology project management. John Wiley Sons. Mir, F.A. and Pinnington, A.H., 2014. Exploring the value of project management: linking project management performance and project success. International Journal of Project Management, 32(2), pp.202-217. Reich, B.H., Gemino, A. and Sauer, C., 2012. Knowledge management and project-based knowledge in it projects: A model and preliminary empirical results. International Journal of Project Management, 30(6), pp.663-674. Reiss, G., 2013. Project management demystified: Today's tools and techniques. Routledge. Shields, P.M. and Rangarajan, N., 2013. A playbook for research methods: Integrating conceptual frameworks and project management. New Forums Press. Turner, R., 2016. Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.