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Question-Answer Sequences in Survey-Interviews

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Abstract

Interaction analysis was used to analyze a total of 14,265 question–answer sequences of (Q-A Sequences) 80 questions that originated from two face-to-face and three telephone surveys. The analysis was directed towards the causes and effects of particular interactional problems. Our results showed that problematic respondent behavior is affected by the questionnaire design, whereas inadequate interviewer behavior is affected by respondent behavior, rather than directly by the questionnaire design. Two surveys used questions for which validating information was available. It appeared that the occurrence of such irregularities of interviewer and respondent behavior was related to the validity of the eventual responses. Explanations for the occurrence of problematic respondent behavior were proposed, concerning both cognitive and conversational factors, related to the wording of questions and response alternatives.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Research Methodology, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Wil Dijkstra & Yfke Ongena

  2. Department of Social Research Methodology, FSW, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081 c, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Wil Dijkstra

Authors
  1. Wil Dijkstra
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  2. Yfke Ongena
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wil Dijkstra.

Additional information

Part of this paper was presented at the International Conference on Questionnaire Development, Evaluation and Testing Methods, 14–17 November 2002, Charleston, South Carolina.

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Dijkstra, W., Ongena, Y. Question-Answer Sequences in Survey-Interviews. Qual Quant 40, 983–1011 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-005-5076-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-005-5076-4

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