Question

Address the question below by writing a paragraph or more on each of the 3 items:

Compare and contrast the characteristics of open-ended, and fixed alternative questions. Identify the advantages and limitations of each.

Answer 1

An open ended question is the opposite of a 'yes' or 'no' question and here the respondent has to revert or answer the question by finishing the sentence or writing a description to complete the sentence. The advantage is that it helps to gain an in-depth and descriptive answer and data rather than limited responses which are confined to agreements or disagreements. However, the disadvantage is that it can be time consuming in the case of statistical analysis.

Fixed alternative questions in contrast to the above provides multiple choice answers where the respondent has to select any one of the options to express his or her views on the question asked. This is useful in clear cut answers such as age or income and is easy to administer and can be answered by most if the people. It makes statistical analysis easier . However, any opinion outside that of the options cannot be voiced and can lead to limitation in providing information.