The Routing Structure of Questionnaires

Abstract

Increasingly, survey data are collected by means of computer-assisted interviewing (CAI) systems. The expanding capacities of computer hardware and software have made it possible to develop very large and complex electronic questionnaires. Unfortunately, it has also become more and more difficult for developers, interviewers, supervisors and managers to keep control of the content and structure of CAI instruments. Therefore, tools are needed for producing a readable and understandable presentation of an electronic questionnaire. One aspect of such documentation is the routing structure of questionnaires. This paper discusses a number of ways to document the routing structure.