Getting An MBA Dissertation Questionnaire Sample Online: Basic Guidelines


Survey instruments such as questionnaires can make or break an MBA dissertation. They allow researchers to collect data from subjects in one of the fastest ways possible but if they are poorly phrased, they may lead to worthless data being taken as gospel truth. Here are some basic rules you can follow if want to find the right samples from which to construct your survey instruments:

Don't be too trusting

There have been many cases of bored individuals taking out their frustrations on others by flooding educational sites with false information. To very good students these may be a simple nuisance that they ignore and continue onto the facts they seek. For those who are less savvy, these poor resources can taint homework assignments and even dissertations. Be on the look out.

Don’t give up too quickly

Research has shown that many people only look into the first few pages of results when they conduct an online search. This is not a good idea. While search engines may aim to bring you the most relevant results first, they also allow companies to pay for the privilege of having their sites placed in front of others. The better advertised site is not necessarily the one that contains the things you need.

Refer to other people’s experiences

If you know several people with good judgment who will vouch for a particular site, have them send you the link so you can try it yourself. It helps to learn from their experiences rather than have to go through them on your own. You also may be able to learn in the easiest way possible if an otherwise perfect sample has a few strange quirks that you may need to deal with in a particular way in order to get the best results.

Bonus: Consider seeking offline resources as well

A library for instance, may be able provide you with resources that have never been put online. You may also be able to ask a close friend to provide you with their own questionnaire to use as a sample. This might not require you to go online at all or even near a computer but could still give you an instrument you could work with.

Try as many samples as you can find until you locate one that can best be adapted to suit your dissertation. You will be glad you made the extra effort.