It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my
             reasons for them!
             Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)
             Without a doubt, one of the most useful and common research tools is
             the questionnaire. The reason for its popularity is undoubtedly its
             perceived simplicityâ€"just write up a questionnaire on anything from
             shopping preferences to health care, and presto, you have your information.
             Unfortunately, the actual science of questionnaire research is quite
             complex. In fact, there are several pitfalls that one can fall into when
             composing and administering questionnaires that can adversely affect the
             quality of the data gathered. These pitfalls can include "double-barreled"
             questions, issues of response and non-response, problems in questionnaire
             length (either too limited, or too lengthy), the influence of perceived
             anonymity, researcher objectivity (or lack thereof), and sampling errors.
             To illustrate the pitfalls mentioned above, The following survey was
             conducted on January 20th, 2004. Ten people were questioned upon exiting
             Survey Regarding Opinions on Issues within the Penal System
             1. Should the three strike law be repealed'
             2. Is there racial profiling by the police in America'
             3. How do you feel about the death penalty in America'
             4. Do you think there are people on death row that have been wrongfully
             5. Do you think that people who are wrongfully convicted should be
             compensated for their time in jail'
             Results:
            
• 1â€"Yes. 2â€"No. 3â€""I think it is fair, and it works overall."
             4â€"Maybe. 5â€"Yes.
            
• 1â€"Yes 2â€"Yes. 3â€""It is sim...