Closed-ended question
Also called: Closed question, Structured question · Topic: Economic Data: Census, NSS, Surveys and Statistical Tools · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "Collection of Data"; Class 11, Ch 8 "Use of Statistical Tools"
Meaning
A closed-ended question, also called a structured question, gives the respondent answers to choose from. It can be two-way (yes/no) or multiple choice. Multiple-choice questions often end with "Any other (specify)". Answers are easy to score and code for analysis. But such questions are hard to write well, and they may not let the respondent give their true answer.
Example
"Do you own a mobile phone? Yes / No" is a two-way closed question. "How much do you spend on books a month? Below Rs 200 / Rs 200-300 / …" is a multiple-choice closed question.
Don't confuse with
- Open-ended question: this lets the respondent answer freely, e.g. "What is your view on globalisation?" The answers are rich but hard to interpret and score.
Related concepts
- Primary data
- Secondary data
- Survey
- Variable
- Observation
- Questionnaire
- Enumerator
- Informant
- Open-ended question
- Leading question