Online Questionnaire Pre-testing: Using of Paradata and Online Probs

One of the common ways of pre-testing questionnaire is the method of cognitive interviewing. This method allows evaluating how respondents understand the questions and terms, process the information and come to the answer. As the main techniques used during the cognitive interviews, highlight the think-aloud and verbal probing. Despite the fact that this method allows us to identify the deeper understanding of the processes of how respondents choose the answers, we can not exclude the possibility of interviewer effect on the responses of the respondents as well as the relatively small sample size when using this method of testing questions. These limitations can be partially offset by using the technique of cognitive interviewing - online probs, and collection paradata. In the process of gathering such quantitative data using the web form, it can prevent the influence of the interviewer on responses and provide an opportunity to collect a sample of larger size. Moreover, this technique also ensures the conditions for data collection that are close to reality. Nevertheless, it may not enable the researcher detailed information about the cognitive processes of the respondent, but can be used as a good complement to the cognitive interview. Thus, the aim of the study is to describe the online questionnaire pre-testing, using the cognitive interview techniques and collecting paradata, and to develop corresponding recommendations. As the testing questionnaire was selected new question items of World Values Survey, which has not been used in previous waves and will be used in Wave 7. The findings of the study provide the recommendations for the rewording of the twelve questions and methodological recommendations on the testing of the online questionnaire.