Q. What do you think about the following questions? Do you find any problem with these questions? Describe.
(i) How far do you live from the closest market?
(ii) If plastic bags are only 5 percent of our garbage, should it be banned?
(iii) Wouldn’t you be opposed to an increase in the price of petrol?
(iv) (a) Do you agree with the use of chemical fertilisers?
(b) Do you use fertilisers in your fields?
(c) What is the yield per hectare in your field
Ans. (i) This question is ambiguous, and people will be unable to answer it because the various units of measurement, such as metres, kilometres, yards, and so on, will complicate the analysis. It should be phrased as follows:
How far away is the nearest market from your house?
(1) less than 5 km; (2) between 5 and 10 km; (3) between 10 and 20 km; and (4) greater than 20 km
(ii) This is a leading question, which suggests how the respondent should respond by emphasising that 5% is a small percentage that can be tolerated. A better question would be, “Do you believe plastic bags should be prohibited?” (Yes)
(iii) This question contains two negatives, which confuses respondents and may lead to biassed responses. A more appropriate question would be:
Would you be opposed to a rise in the price of gasoline?
(iv) The question order or sequence is incorrect. The questions should progress from general to specific. The correct sequence would be
(a) What is your field’s yield per hectare?
(b) Do you apply fertiliser to your fields?
(c) Do you agree that chemical fertilisers should be used?