ABSTRACT
Questionnaires are used to measure a wide variety of attributes and characteristics. A blueprint, sometimes known as the test specification, is a framework for developing the questionnaire. The ways in which the content areas may manifest themselves will vary according to the type of questionnaire under construction. For questionnaires that are more psychological in nature, behavioural, cognitive and affective manifestations of the content areas may be more appropriate. Several types of item are used in questionnaires, the most common of which are alternate-choice items, multiple-choice items and rating-scale items. In general, multiple-choice items are best for knowledge-based questionnaires, and rating scale items are best for person-based questionnaires unless you have good reason, such as speed or simplicity, for choosing alternate-choice items. A scoring key that fits over the questionnaire to identify which option the respondent has chosen for each item and its score can be useful for quick and easy scoring.
