Open-Ended Questions

Which type of questions in a questionnaire allow more individualised responses but are difficult to interpret and score?

Correct Answer Explanation

Open-ended (unstructured) questions allow respondents to answer freely in their own words, providing more individualised responses, but they are difficult to interpret and hard to score.

Key Points:

• Example of open-ended question: 'What is your view about globalisation?'
• Open-ended questions are suitable when the researcher wants detailed, qualitative responses.
• The major limitation is the wide variation in responses, making analysis complex.
• Closed-ended questions are easier to analyse since all respondents choose from given options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong

• A. Closed-ended: Easy to use and score — opposite of open-ended.
• B. Two-way: These have only Yes/No options.
• D. Leading questions: These bias the respondent — a poor design flaw.