CHAPTER 4
THE QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN /SOLUTION DESIGN
This chapter contains explanations that become a basic knowledge to create a good
questionnaire which is able to meet its objective. Just like the thesis title which is The
Evaluation of Biometrics, this thesis is heavily depends on the questionnaire itself for
gathering information from the respondents. The questionnaire was filled by the IT
background respondents and non IT background respondents from various places in
Indonesia. Later on, from those respondents we can provide conclusion to help the
readers to choose the right biometrics for certain purposes by giving a rank of biometric
devices. Before making a questionnaire it is recommended to know regarding what is
being measured in the questionnaire
4.1 Measurement Introduction
In every day realization, measurement was used when establishing index to verifies the
height, weight, or other features of physical object. The examples are: to measure how
well the respondents like certain song, a painting, or the personality of a people or
friend. To measure means discovering the extent, dimensions, quantity, or capacity of
something, especially to compare with a reference / standard. Measurement in research
consists of allocating numbers to empirical events, objects or properties or activities in
compliance with a set of rules. Measurement has three part of process [13]:
•
Choosing observable empirical events
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• Developing a set of mapping rules(will be explained later). Mapping rules is a
scheme for allocating numbers / symbols to represent aspects of the events being
measured.
•
The last is applying the mapping rule(s) to each observation of that event
At the first point there are sentence called empirical. The experts use this sentence to
describe, explain, and making predictions by relying on information get through
observation.
The objective of measurement is allocating numbers to empirical events in fulfillment
with a set of rules. Another goal of measurement is to give the highest quality, lowest
error data for testing hypotheses, estimation or prediction or description. The object of
measurement is an concept, the symbols which is attached that contains various
meaning. The experts invent higher level concepts called constructs. This is for
specialized scientific explanatory purposes that are not directly observable and for
thinking about and communicating abstraction. Concepts and constructs are used at
theoretical levels while variables are used at empirical level. Variable accepts numerals
or values for the testing and measurement purpose. Concepts, Constructs and variables
could be defined descriptively or operationally. An operational definitions describes a
variable in terms of specific measurement and testing criteria.
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4.2 Measurement Scales
For each concept or construct, several types of measurement are possible; the
appropriate choice depends on the mapping rules. Mapping rules have four
characteristics:[13]
1. Classifications: Numbers was used to group or sort responses and without order
2. Order: the numbers are ordered. One number is greater than, less than, or equal to
another number.
3. Distance: The differences between numbers are ordered.
4. Origin: The number series has unique origin showed by the number zero. This is
absolute zero point.
The combinations of the criteria above provide four widely used classifications of
measurement scales; they are nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio, the explanation as
follows:
Table 4.2Type of Scales
Type of Scales
Nominal
Characteristics
of Basic
Empirical Example
data
Operation
Classification
Determination
of Counting
(Mutually exclusive equality
gender(male,
and
female)
collectively
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exhaustive
categories.
Without
order, distance, or
natural origin
Ordinal
Classification
and Determination
order but no distance greater
or natural origin
or
of Level of Doneness
lesser of
value
meat(well-done,
medium
medium
well,
rare
and
rare)
Interval
Classification, Order Determination
of Temperatures
in
and Distance but no equality of intervals degree
natural origin
Ratio
or differences
Classification, order, Determination
of Age in years
distance, and natural equality of ratios
origin
In This thesis, the nominal and Ordinal are implemented. The nominal was used to
calculate the respondent’s answer about user acceptance in using biometric devices in
their daily purpose(s). Ordinal was used to calculate the priority level of Biometric
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device attribute. All of this result will be displayed on the chapter 6 in statistical
diagram.
4.3 The Characteristics of Good Measurement.
There are three main criteria for evaluating a measurement tool such as: Validity,
reliability, and Practicality. The explanations of this criteria as follows[13]:
• Validity is the degree to which a test measures what we actually wish to measure
• Reliability it related to the accuracy and precision of measurement procedure.
• Practicality is regarding with a wide range of factor of economy, convenience, and
interpretability.
4.4 Selecting Measurement Scales
Choosing and building a measurement scale need a consideration of some factor that
effect the reliability, validity and practicality of the scale [14]:
• Research objective
Some of examples are: studies of attitude, attitude change, persuasion, awareness,
purchase intention, cognition and action, actual and repeat purchase. Here are two
general types of scaling objective: Measuring characteristics of the participants who
participate in study and Measuring participants as judges of the objects or indicants
presented to them.
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• Response Types
Measurement scales are divided into four general types: rating, ranking,
categorization and sorting. A rating Scale is useful when respondents score an
object or indicant without making a direct comparison to another object or attitude,
for examples: a respondents asked to evaluate the styling of new automobile on 7
point rating scale. Ranking Scale related to the study the respondents to make
comparisons and determine order between two or more properties. Categorization
asks the respondents to put themselves or property indicants in groups or categories.
Sorting requires the respondents sort cards which is representing concepts or
construct into files using criteria made by the researcher. The card could contain
photo or image or verbal statement of product features.
•
Data Properties
The decisions about the choice of measurement scales are often made with regard to
the data properties generated by each scale.
• Number of dimensions
Measurement scales could be unidimensional or multidimensional. Unidimensional
scale, the researcher seeks to measure only one attribute of the respondents or
object. A multidimensional scale describes the object might be better explained with
several dimensions than on a unidimensional range.
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• Balance or unbalance
The balance rating scale contains an equal number of categories above or below
threshold. In general, rating scales should be balanced, along with an equal numbers
of favorable and unfavorable response options. While an unbalance rating scale
contains an unequal number of favorable and unfavorable respondents options.
• Forced or Unforced Choice
An unforced choice rating scales provides respondents with an opportunity to
express no option when they are unable to make a choice between the alternatives
that is displayed. A forced choice scales asked that respondents to select one of the
offered alternatives.
• Number of Scale points
A scale must be appropriate to its applications. To make scales useful, it must match
the stimulus presented and extract information proportionate to the complexity of
attitude object, construct and concept.
• Rater Errors
The value of rating scales depends on the assumption that a person can and will
create good judgment. Before accepting respondent’s ratings, the researchers should
thinking their tendencies to create errors of central tendency.
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4.5 Rating Scales
There are 10 types of rating scales: The simple category scales, this types result is
nominal. The multiple Choice(single response scale), the result is nominal. The Multiple
Choice (Multiple Response Scales) the result: nominal. Likert Scale Summated Rating,
result: interval. Semantic differential scale, result: interval. Numerical Scale, result:
ordinal or interval. Multiple rating List scale result: interval. Constant Sum scale, result:
ratio. Stapel Scale, result: ordinal or interval. And the last one is Graphic Rating Scale
result: ordinal or interval or ratio. In conclusion, this thesis is utilize Multiple Rating List
Scale for Q1 (give attribute priority to biometric devices).Simple Categories Scale for
Q2 (to know how many persons are ready to accept biometrics technology). Multiple
Choice for Q3 (to calculate the biometric application according to respondents) and Q 4
( to know respondent’s choice for biometric devices).
4.6 The research Question Hierarchy
Here are the general knowledge to design a questionnaire in order to meet its objective.
Before create a set of questions, the researchers should consider the following types of
questions [15]:
•
Management Question
• Research Question(s): a fact based translation of the question the researcher should
answer to put in to the solution of the management question
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• Investigative Questions: special questions the researcher should answer to give
enough detail and coverage of the research question.
• Measurement Questions: a question that respondents should answer if the
researchers are gathering the required information and resolve the management
questions.
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4.6.1 The Questionnaire Framework
Investigative
question
Instrument
Prepare Preliminary
Analysis Plan
Revise
Questions
Pretest Individual
Questions
Revise
Instrument
Pretest Survey
Development
Instrument
Ready for Data
collection
Diagram 4.6.1 [15]
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In making the questionnaire we follow the Research question hierarchy(diagram 4.5.1)
that contain 3 phase.Phase1: this phase contains Investigative Questions and Prepare
Preliminary Analysis Plan after that create Measurement Questions. Beginning from
investigative questions, from this part there are 3 important tasks that should fulfilled:
•
Selecting scale type: Nominal, Ordinal, interval, ratio. In this thesis we utilize
Nominal and Ordinal
•
Selecting Communication Approach: personal, phone, electronic, and mail. This
thesis use personal approach which means giving the questionnaire directly to the
respondents.
•
Selecting Process Structure: structure, unstructured, combination, disguised vs
undisguised. This thesis use: structure
After completing the entire task above go to Preliminary analysis plan part. This part
is useful to help the researchers to determine the type of scale needed for each
questions, we use this part to help collecting ordinal data for biometric attribute on
question 1. The last part of phase 2 is Measurement Questions.
Phase2: beginning from Measurement Questions then do pretest individual questions (if
the researcher thinks that the questionnaire needs some improvement then do revision in
the measurement questions) and finally go to Instrument Development part. The
measurement questions contain three aspects:
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•
Administrative questions, this questions consist of Participant/Respondent ID
(the thesis attach participants name,job position, phone number, company name,
emal), Interviewer ID ( name of interviewer and name of college= Vincent from
Bina Nusantara international), Interview location (in each of respondent
company), Interview conditions
•
Target questions, there are 2 types: structure and unstructured, this thesis use
structure because the questionnaire only provide with fixed set of choices. For
example arranging/ give priority level from 1 until 8 of biometric attribute(Q1),
yes or no questions at Q2(yes means they accept/ implement biometric device in
his/her company while no means reject/does not implement this device), Multiple
choice questions at Q3 & Q4 ( these question ask the respondents to choose the
biometric application and the biometric device which is best for their purpose).
•
Classification questions, this thesis use sociological demographic pattern so that
we can group the respondents answer and revealed the outline. Just for extra
information: our respondents was taken from various places such as central java
and west java.
After do all the task, the researcher can begin to do pretest individual questions. Upon
this part we realize that our questions need some improvement. Therefore we add ‘cost’
attribute at Q1 and do pretest again then move to Instrument Development at Phase3.
Phase 3: Moving from Measurement Questions then go to Instrument Design then do
pretest questionnaire, if the questionnaire needs some improvement the researcher can
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revise after that the questionnaire is ready for gathering information. The instrument
Design consists of:
•
Administrative questions
•
Introduction and Screen with participant instructions, in our questionnaire there
are introduction part which is useful for respondents to know the biometric
devices.
•
Make target question topic A,B,C,etc. In our questionnaire there is only 1 topic
which is focusing on the biometrics itself
•
Transition to classification Questions, from Q1 which is asked the respondents to
fill general biometric attributes. At Q2,3,4 we begin to asked the respondents to
specific problem such as determine the device, application, and so on.
After all of the tasks above met, the researcher can move to the last part which is
launching the questionnaire for collecting information.