Questionnaire design for business surveys

This paper provides an overview of important considerations that should be taken into account when developing and designing questionnaires for business surveys. These considerations include the determination of objectives and data requirements, consultation with data users and respondents, and methods for testing questionnaires. In developing and designing business survey questionnaires, focus groups and cognitive research methods help the researcher to identify potential sources of measurement error and to understand the response process that respondents go through in completing the questionnaires. Examples of focus groups and cognitive research undertaken by Statistics Canada are provided.