Designing Questionnaires for Language Studies

Designing Questionnaires for Language Studies is a guide to the design and use of questionnaires for empirical linguistic research, particularly in the areas of dialectology, sociolinguistics, and linguistic anthropology. Whether completed via written correspondence or through interviewing, questionnaires play an essential role in linguistic research. Yet, the design of questionnaires is rarely taught formally, leaving researchers to learn effective design in practice. This practical and accessible text offers structured, step-by-step guidance to provide researchers with the skills they need to make the most of questionnaire-based research. It also provides a history of the use of questionnaires in linguistic research and critically examines the assumptions and motivations inherent in their creation and administration, as well as that of the questions that populate them, and discusses how biases can negatively affect the outcome of the research itself. Experience using these tools in the field has led to their refinement over time. Armed with this knowledge, readers can make informed decisions about how to structure their own questionnaires as they embark on linguistic investigations or use it to better understand the results of previous research that has relied on questionnaires for data collection.

Table of Contents:
List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction Linguistics Questionnaires for empirical linguistic research Major projects implementing questionnaires Intended audience of the book Organization of the book Key terms Discussion questions Exercises Note References Chapter 2 Basic Principles and Terminology Surveys and questionnaires Linguistic questionnaires Interviewing styles Question types Summary Key terms and people Discussion questions Exercises Notes References Chapter 3 Questionnaires Used for Linguistic Interviewing Dialectology Europe United States Canada Dictionary of American Regional English Sociolinguistics Linguistic anthropology Summary Key terms and people Discussion questions Exercises Note References Chapter 4 Written Questionnaires Used for Linguistic Data Collection (Linguistic) Anthropology Dialectology Europe United States Canada Sociolinguistics Summary Key terms and people Discussion questions Exercises Notes References Chapter 5 Questionnaires Used in Alternative Modes Telephone interviews Pictorial interviews Online surveys Mixed modes Mixed methods Summary Key terms and people Discussion questions Exercises Note References Chapter 6 Comparison of Elicitation Modes and Choosing the Right One(s) Modes in linguistic research Face-to-face interviewing Written correspondence Telephone interviewing Online questionnaires Comparison of face-to-face interviews and checklists in dialectology Comparison of LAPC fieldwork and checklists Fieldwork data and checklist data from different populations Fieldwork data and checklist data from same participant pool Checklist data from different populations Comparison of old and new forms Overview of LAPC analyses Choosing elicitation mode(s) Summary Key terms Discussion questions Exercises Notes References Chapter 7 Constructing and Assessing the Questionnaire Preparation Constructing the questionnaire Compiling the item pool Drafting the questions (and responses) Trialing questions Ordering the questions Personal histories Instructions Adopting and adapting questionnaires Physical layout Proofreading the questionnaire Assessing the questionnaire Summary Key terms Discussion questions Exercises Notes References Chapter 8 Administering the Questionnaire Finding participants Face-to-face interviews Telephone interviews Written correspondence Online questionnaires Preparing for interviews Conducting interviews The language of linguistic interviewing Assisted completion After the engagement Assessing the fieldworker Summary Key terms Discussion questions Exercises Note References Chapter 9 Processing the Data Processing data from different modes Processing data from interviews Processing data from written questionnaires Processing data from online questionnaires Coding Summary Key terms Discussion questions Exercises Notes References Chapter 10 Conclusion Discussion questions Exercises References Index

About the Author :
Lamont Antieau is a linguistic researcher at the University of Kentucky, USA, and the author of Language and Linguistic Diversity in the US: An Introduction with Susan Tamasi.