AUSAID CARD project : " A BLUEPRINT FOR SUSTAINABLE SMALLHOLDER PIG PRODUCTION IN CENTRAL VIETNAM " pdf

FARM FARROWING HOUSE TREATMENT LIST FARM SOWS: Mastitis * Sulphonamide/Trimethoprim antibiotic once daily for 3 days * 0.5ml Oxytocin twice daily on the first day of treatment * If no

AUSAID CARD Project 004/05

A BLUEPRINT FOR SUSTAINABLE SMALLHOLDER PIG PRODUCTION IN

CENTRAL VIETNAM

SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

PROPOSED TIMETABLE FOR 1-WK VIETNAMESE VISIT

pm Optimising facility throughput (theory)

An ability to assess the effectiveness of facility utilisation on a pig farm (farm flow)

Thurs Throughput calculation of Usyd Farm (practical)

Assessment

Q1 Which of the following records are vital to assess the performance of the breeding herd? (select all that

apply)

number of sows mated each week

number of sows that farrow each week

the number of times each sow is tested for oestrus

the number of sows that return to oestrus each week

Q2 What other records (other than those in Q1) should be kept to assess the mating success? (list 2)

1

2 Q3 The average farrowing rate in a herd for the year is 70%

a) Is this acceptable? Yes/No

b) How would you decide if it is a conception failure problem or a pregnancy loss problem?

a) what is likely to happen to totalborn as parity of the sow increases?

it increases

Q5 If a sow is weaned on a Thursday, when is she likely to come onto heat again? (select one answer)

Training outcomes list of competencies assessed:

Herd record keeping (Theory and practical)

Mating and farrowing

Liveborn/stillbirths/lyovers/preweaning mortality/postweaning mortality

Number of pigs/sow/year

Feed conversion ratio

Farm flow and farm throughput within the farrowing cycle

Introduction to herd health checks-assessing environment, housing, health and management

All 6 students passed their theory and practical examination

Week 2 would be at farms varying from 100-1000 sows including some deep litter systems as well

The theory will address the relevant competency standards for certificates 2 & 3 in Agriculture, which we currently deliver to farm workers as an RTO We will also be looking at the economics of pig production and examining farm data from all farms we visit to determine the economic benefit of improved

performance

Sunday p.m Performance targets

Reproduction targets and trouble shooting

detecting oestrus and conducting mating

examining all sheds and performing autopsies on all dead pigs

detecting oestrus and conducting mating

Wander around the whole farm examining all sheds and performing autopsies on all dead pigs

Wednesday p.m Weaner requirements

examining all sheds and performing autopsies on all dead pigs

Monday Discuss theory on

trip to new farm

Whole of farm audit performing autopsies on all dead pigs

to improve farm

trip to new farm

Whole of farm audit performing autopsies on all dead pigs

to improve farm

trip to new farm

Whole of farm audit performing autopsies on all dead pigs

Wednesday pm Discussion on ways

to improve farm

trip to new farm

Whole of farm audit performing autopsies on all dead pigs

Thursday pm Discussion on ways

to improve farm

Core List of competencies (note: a hard copy of Pig Health and Research Unit training materials has been supplied)

Whole farm audits (large and small) and farm improvement

Care and nutrition of grower finisher pigs

Using digital thermometers and data recorders for monitoring shed and animal temperature and heat index

Performance targets

Conducting post mortems and identifying characteristic gross anatomical lesions of common endemic diseases

Correct techniques for collection of diagnostic specimens for laboratory investigation to support diagnosis

Pig health monitoring of abattoir material (respiratory and enteric diseases)

Vaccination schedules for breeding stock and grower pigs

Correct administration of medications and approved treatment checklists for the farrowing house, weaner, grower and finisher sheds and breeding stock All students passed their theory and practical component examinations

FARM

FARROWING HOUSE TREATMENT LIST

FARM

SOWS:

Mastitis * Sulphonamide/Trimethoprim antibiotic once daily for 3 days

* 0.5ml Oxytocin twice daily on the first day of treatment

* If not feeding piglets, give anti-inflammatory (Fluximine) once daily (max 3 days)

* Foster off small pigs and swap for large pigs Discharge * Antibiotic (SA Penicillin) once daily for 3 days

∗ If no response, use Sulphonamide/Trimethoprim once daily for 3 days

∗ 0.5ml Oxytocin twice daily on the first day of treatment

∗ Note this will be an extensive discharge

Manuals * SA Penicillin injection once daily for 3 days

(extensive)

Off-feed * Does she have water?

* Walk the sow

* Does she have a fever? Give SA Penicillin once daily until eating

* No fever? Give milk powder/jelly crystals in feed *Alert supervisor if she continues not to eat after 3 days

Arthritis * SA Penicillin once daily until recovery (maximum 5 days)

* Fluximine once daily until she is weight-bearing (max 3 days

* Cull if no improvement after 5 days of stopping antibiotic treatment

Prolapse * Mild-notify leading hand to suture using Lignocaine remove suture in 5 days

* Treat with SA Penicillin once daily for 3 days

* Notify manager to destroy ASAP if prolapse is severe

PIGLETS:

Arthritis * Short Acting Penicillin once daily for 3 days

* Disinfectant spray (eg Trublu) the area

Meningitis * Amoxycillin antibiotic (double dose 1ml/5kg) once daily for 3 days (Moxylan WHP = 14 days )

Or Treat with Long acting Amoxycillin once only

* Treat with anti-inflammatory once daily until recovery (max 3 days) (Fluximine)

Scours (E coli) * Give antibiotics for 3 days, based on Laboratory testing

(Moxylan ,Scourban, Excenel etc)

* Treat the rest of the litter with antibiotic if they look at-risk

* Electrolytes in a trough, 2-3 times daily

Scours (cocci) * To prevent outbreaks, give Baycox 1.5ml orally at 4 days of age

Pale pigs * Give 1-2ml of iron (Ferriade) orally

Greasy pig *Amoxycillin antibiotic once daily for 3 days,

* Or Treat with Long acting Amoxycillin once only

* Wash greasy pigs with iodine wash Dry to prevent chilling

* Fluximine once daily for three days if inflammation is severe Glassers disease

• Amoxycillin LA and Fluximine once daily for three days

• Penicillin LA at birth and 5 days of age until vaccinated pigfs come through

Meningitis * Put pig in the sick bay, supply water by hand as often as possible (40 mL/kg/day)

* Treat with Moxlan SA antibiotic ( 1ml/5kg) once daily for 3 days

* Treat with anti-inflammatory (Flunixin) once daily until recovery (max 3 days) Arthritis * Put pigs that have difficulty walking in sick bay

* Treat with SA Penicillin once a day for 3 days

* Treat with Flunixin until weight-bearing (max 3 days) Scouring * Amoxycillin daily for 3 days (Scouring should stop within 12 hrs, if not switch to Trisoprim)

* Provide access to electrolytes/glucose (Bunge-lyte 32g/L) in a trough Coughing * Treat with long acting Amoxycillin injection once

Prolapses and

/or Tail biting * Put pig in a sick bay

* Treat with Moxylan LA once

* Spray the affected area with disinfectant (eg Trublu)

* If severe prolapsed or pig fails to respond discuss with leading hand with a view to euthanasia Erysipelas * Isolate the pig (where possible) to avoid infecting pen mates

• Treat with long acting Amoxycillin and Flunixin once

Thin/ hairy pigs

• Place in recovery pens as soon as noticed to fall back

• Give one injection of long acting Amoxycillin

• Euthanase if no improvement after 7 days Discuss with leading hand

QI3.2.1.2

TREATMENT LIST FOR GROWERS

Meningitis * Put pig in the sick bay, supply water by hand as often as possible

* Treat with Amoxycillin ( 1ml/5kg) once daily for 3 days

• Treat with anti-inflammatory (Flunixin) once daily until recovery (max 3 days)

• If no improvement in 3 days euthanase Arthritis * Put pigs that have difficulty walking in sick bay

* Treat with SA Penicillin once a day for 3 days

* Treat with Flunuxin until weight-bearing (max 3 days)

* Spray any open wound the area with disinfectant (eg Trublu) Scouring * Contact vet to discuss the cause

• Commence treatment with Lincomycin injection daily for 3 days

• Treat these pens last and do not contaminate other pens

Coughing * If pig looks ill treat with Lincomycin injection daily for 3 days

• Contact vet to discuss cause Prolapses/

Tail biting * Put pig in a sick bay, euthanase if severe

* Treat with SA Penicillin

* Spray the affected area with disinfectant (eg Trublu)

* Cull ASAP if mild Erysipelas/

fever * Isolate the pig (where possible) to prevent infection of pen mates

* If pig looks very ill give Flunixin injection to lower temperature

• Treat with SA Penicillin injection once daily for 3 days

Fever/

Skin discoloration

* If pig looks very ill give Flunixin injection to lower temperature

• Treat with SA Penicillin injection once daily for 3 days

Thin/ hairy pigs

• Place in recovery pens as soon as noticed to fall back

• Give one injection of long acting Amoxycillin

• Euthanase if no improvement after 7 days Discuss with leading hand

QI3.2.2

TREATMENT LIST FOR FINISHERS

FARM

Meningitis * Put pig in the sick bay, supply water by hand as often as possible

* Treat with Amoxycillin ( 1ml/5kg) once daily for 3 days

• Treat with anti-inflammatory (Flunixin) once daily until recovery (max 3 days)

• If no improvement in 3 days euthanase Arthritis * Put pigs that have difficulty walking in sick bay

* Treat with SA Penicillin once a day for 3 days

* Spray any open wound the area with disinfectant (eg Trublu) Scouring * Contact vet to discuss the cause

• Commence treatment with Lincomycin injection daily for 3 days

• Treat these pens last and do not contaminate other pens

Coughing * If pig looks ill treat with Lincomycin injection daily for 3 days

• Contact vet to discuss cause Prolapses/

Tail biting * Put pig in a sick bay, euthanase if severe

* Treat with SA Penicillin

* Spray the affected area with disinfectant (eg Trublu)

* Cull ASAP if mild Erysipelas * Isolate the pig (where possible) to prevent infection of pen mates

* If pig looks very ill give Flunixin injection to lower temperature

* Treat with SA Penicillin injection once daily for 3 days Fever/

Skin discoloration

* If pig looks very ill give Flunixin injection to lower temperature

• Treat with SA Penicillin injection once daily for 3 day

FARM

Discharge * Isolate and cull if these occur 14-21 days post-mating

* Otherwise, treat with SA Penicillin (non-pregnant) or Sulphonamide/trimethoprim or Tetravet 10 (pregnant) once daily until recovery (max 5 days) Prolapses * Isolate

* Mild rectal or vaginal prolapse- Notify manager to replace & repair

* Remove stitches in 5 days

* Treat with SA Penicillin (non-pregnant) or Sulphonamide/trimethoprim or Tetravet 10 (pregnant) once daily once daily for 3 days

* destroy immediately if the prolapse is severe

Scours * Isolate where possible, and contact vet re possible causes

* Treat with tetravet 10 or Tylosin once daily for 3 days If scouring persists, treat with Sulphonamide/Trimethoprim

* Clean and disinfect the floor to stop transmission

* Throw sawdust on the floor to make it less slippery

* Alert manager if more pigs become infected

lameness * Isolate the pig (where possible)

* Treat with Tetravet 10 or Tylosin once daily until recovery (max 5 days)

* Treat with anti-inflammatory (Flunixin) once daily until recovery (max 3 days)

* Throw sawdust on the floor to make it less slippery

* Cull or destroy if no improvement after 7 days Erysipelas * Isolate the pig (where possible) Notify supervisor

* Clean and disinfect the floor to prevent the spread of infection

* Treat with SA Penicillin injection once daily for 3 days

* Notify your veterinarian if the infection spreads

APPROVED MEDICATIONS LIST

Drug

Trade name Dose rate With-hold period and restrictions on use

Penicillin short acting

Amoxycillin long acting Bomox LA, Moxylan LA 1mL/10 kg 28 days

not for use in growers or finishers

Weaners 12.5 mg/kg

14 days

Ceftiofur Excenel (only in scouring pigs greater than

5 days of age)

Tolfedine CS One injection lasts 48 hrs 1mL/ 20 kg 6 days

Lincomycin Lincopharm 800 10mg/kg or 10 g/ 1000 kg of pigs 48 hours

Give in water for 2 days every 14 days to growers and Finishers for Ileitis control

Suggested itinerary for 6 visiting trainee scientists from Vietnam SARDI

WEEK ONE

Mon am Introduction to Roseworthy Campus and

South Australia

Cargill / Murphy

Mon pm Outline of training programme

Pig Production in South Australia Health and production monitoring Visit to PPPI Piggery

Jackowiak Jackowiak / Moore / Cargill

Thursday Housing - monitoring and assessing

hygiene, thermal environment, and air quality within houses and problem solving

Banhazi / Murphy / Cargill

Friday Housing - monitoring and assessing

hygiene, thermal environment, and air quality within houses

Problem solving, Farm and shed audits for hygiene and thermal environment

Banhazi / Murphy / Cargill

Tuesday AI - both theory and practice Pope

Wednesday Food safety and hygiene

- research and development

Pointon et al

Thursday am Waste management

Developing and managing Biosystems

Glatz / Santhanam / Banhazi

Friday General Review

APIQ and Welfare

Cargill / Moore / Pope / Banhazi / Murphy Friday Evening FAREWELL in the “Feed Lot” Everyone

SARDI

HYGIENE AND AIR QUALITY INDEX

(Assessing sheds to predict hygiene and air quality)

TOTAL

- Length between batches (<2 wks = 1; > 2 wks = 2)

- AIAO with cleaning (1)

- AIAO without cleaning (0)

Continuous-flow farrow to finish (-1)

2

1 / 2

1

0 -1

3 phase CF (weaners/growers/finishers separated) (2)

2 phase CF (weaners separated from grower/finishers) (-1)

1 phase CF (weaners/growers/finishers housed together) (-2)

TOTAL max score ( 5 + 6 = 11)

Notes for step 1:

Record type of production system used on the farm by circling the figure in the score column

Add circled scores to calculate "Total score"

If total score is more than 6 – production system is OK

Essentially a batch-farrowing system with aged segregated rearing is regarded as best

practice Continuous farrowing with all-in/all-out weaner and growing pig housing is the

next best approach

STEP 2

Pens

Width (PW)….…… Length (PL)….……

Pen area (PA) = W……….X L….……=… …….m2

Total slats (yes/no)

Partial slats – Slatted area = (length……….X width….…… = ………

Total pigs /shed (PN) = Pi ……….X Pn……….= ………

Stocking rate = PA/Pi ………… ….=…….…….(SR)(m2/pig))

Stocking density = SV/PN………… = ………….(SD) (m3/pig)

-2 / 0 / 2

TOTAL (Max score =7)

See next page for notes to step 2

Notes for step 2:

Measure width and length of pens and shed Include aisles in shed dimensions

To obtain average height – measure height from floor to roof midway between apex and wall

In some old sheds, where sheds have been added on, it is often easier to measure the shed

in sections

If you wish you can ignore the length of the shed when scoring This mainly applies to continuous flow operations where there are mixed age groups and respiratory disease

As with step 1, circle scores that apply to the shed and add circled scores

A score of zero or more is for width and length is OK – a score of less than zero indicates problems

A score of less than 0 for either stocking rate or stocking density indicates a significant problem

Recommended stocking levels for growing pigs

**To measure the stocking density:

1 Measure the width, length and height of the shed (height is measured mid way from the wall to the centre of the shed)

2 Multiply height by width by length = volume in cubic metres

3 Count the number of pigs in the shed

Divide the number of cubic metres by the number of pigs = stocking density.

STEP 3

VENTILATION Points Side wall

Height (H)……… Length (L) ……… Shed width

Cap height (RVCH)………;RVCH/SW%………….(target 5%)

Angle of roof pitch (AR)

AR (if < 15 degrees = -2; if > 15 degrees = 2)

If side openings and ridge vent openings independent = (1 bonus)

Automated (2)

Refresh cycle (2)

-2 / 0 / 2 -2 / 2 -2 / 2 -2 / 2 (1)

2

2

Total (max score = 12)

Notes for step 3

If the sidewall blinds or shutters do not extend the length of the shed, you will need to calculate the area of the opening when the shutter or blind is fully open The area of the sidewall opening should be at least 10% of the floor area of the shed (Divide area of sidewall opening by floor area of shed)

Similarly, if the ridge vent does not extend the length of the shed, you need to calculate the area of the opening and compare it with the area of the shed Then divide the area of the ridge vent opening by the floor area of the shed It should be 10% for grower and finishers and 5 to 7% for weaners

The area of the ridge vent openings on each side should be at least 5% of the floor area of the shed If the ridge vent extends the length of the shed – this means the height of the opening should be 5% of the width of the shed

Scoring – A score of more than 6 (especially if the ridge vent and sidewall openings are

adequate) is satisfactory.

Notes for step 4

Circle the scores where the answer is yes, or for the temperature and humidity recordings For cooling, the score should be a minimum of 3

For temperature and humidity, a score zero or above indicates good control

Recommended shed temperatures

Farrowing rooms

Sows – 18 to 22oC Piglets – first few days 28 - 30 oC reducing by 1-2 oC weekly to weaning

for older pigs can be as low as 18 oC, provided fluctuations are minimised

Dry sows and boars

Try to keep temperatures in the range of 18 - 24 oC

Recommended shed humidity

The recommended humidity level is less than 55%

STEP 5

SHED ENVIRONMENT Points

Partial slats (SS) (yes/no)

Condition of slats (CS) (good / blocked / broken) (circle)#

Condition of floors (CF) (smooth / cracked) (circle one)##

Total slats (TS) (yes/no)

Condition of slats (CTS) (good / blocked / broken) (circle one)#

Floor hygiene

Partial slats (CSS) – Cleanliness of slatssee below* (mean % of shed)

Partial slats (CSF) – Cleanliness of solid floorsee below* (mean % of

# Circle if there are pens with broken and/or blocked slats In scoring slats – allot –2 points if more than 30% pens have defects, and –1 if less than 30% pens have defects Do the same for total slats

## In scoring solid floors, allot –2 points if more than 30% pens have rough and/or cracked floors and –1 points if less than 30% floors have defects

* Assess the percentage of floor (either slatted area or solid) that is covered with dung, then add the score for all pens and divide by the number of pens Use this percentage to allot points

STEP 6

EFFLUENT SYSTEM Points

Water

Fresh/treated (2)

Recycled (-2)

2 -2

TOTAL (Max score – 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 4 = 10)

Notes for step 6

Method of storage and flushing are less important than the use of recycled water, the distance between slurry and slats, air entering the shed through the pit and cleaning

Air should not enter shed over effluent, floors etc should be (hosed at least) and pits need to be more than 250 mm deep

VIETNAMESE TRAINEES

The training program focused on three major themes:

• Monitoring pig health and production;

• Monitoring and assessing pig housing;

• Artificial insemination – theory and practice

Other areas involved in the training program included:

• Reproduction

o managing gilts

o problem solving reduced conception and farrowing rates

• Food safety and hygiene – research and development

• Waste management

• Developing and managing biosystems

• Australian Pork Industry Quality Assurance Program and Pig Welfare Program

Monitoring pig health and production activities included:

• Piggery visits to demonstrate to the trainees how Australian Veterinarians assess both individual pig health and herd health on the farm;

• Subsequent farm visits when trainees were asked to asses the health of individual pigs and groups of pigs in one particular section of the farm, taking notes and giving a report at the end of the visit;

• Abattoir visits to learn how to assess herd health by using a scoring system for lesions noted in key body organs;

• Scoring a selection of lungs and other organs for lesions and calculating lung scores

• problem solving and prioritising interventions to improve shed environment

Artificial insemination activities included:

• anatomical review of female urogenital tract;

• review of heat detection;

• collection, storage and transport of semen;

• insemination of sows

At the end of the training program trainees were assessed on the following:

• their understanding and ability to complete herd health checks, both on farm and

at the abattoir;

• their understanding and ability to complete a farm and shed audit for hygiene and thermal environment;

• their understanding and ability to successfully inseminate sows

The trainees also adapted the farm audit protocol used by SARDI to assess sheds for hygiene and thermal environment for use in Vietnam They subsequently completed this adaptation by trialling it on Vietnamese farms and making necessary modifications This was completed prior to the Workshop in Hue in October while Dr Cargill was visiting All the trainees completed the tasks set down for them at the end of the program and are now undertaking on-farm herd health and building assessments on the selected project farms in Central Vietnam

TRAINING OUTCOMES AND ABILITY OF TRAINEES TO CONDUCT

TRAINING PROGRAMS IN VIETNAM

All of the trainees have demonstrated that they now have the knowledge and practical experience to train other trainees in the field While the more senior members of the group already have the level of confidence and knowledge of pig husbandry and housing required to become successful traniers, the younger less experienced members of the group will need to develop their self-confidence before successfully undertaking training programs However, I am confident they will achieve this

Questionnaire Design Tutorial

Monday July 10 Free Day Free Day

Tuesday July 11 10am – 12pm

12.15-1.15 pm

Module 1

pp 1-7

1 Wednesday July 12 10am – 12pm

12.15-1.15 pm

Module 1

pp 8-12

2 Thursday July 13 10am – 12pm

12.15-1.15 pm

Module 1 pp13-17

3 Friday July 14 10am – 12pm

12.15-1.15 pm

Module 1 pp18-21

4 Monday July 17 10am – 12pm

12.15-1.15 pm

Module 2 pp1-9

5 Tuesday July 18 10am – 12pm

12.15-1.15 pm

Module 2 pp10-13

6 Wednesday July 19 10am – 12pm

12.15-1.15 pm

Module 2 pp14-18

7 Thursday July 20 10am – 12pm

12.15-1.15 pm

Module 2 pp19-22

8 Friday July 21 10am – 12pm

12.15-1.15 pm

Assessment P23

Assessment Tutorials will be held in ND1

Assessment –

1 See p23 Module 2 Research Design

2 Questionnaire powerpoint presentation

Tutors –

Darren Trott – d.trott@uq.edu.au

Annette Litster - catvet@uq.edu.au

AUSAID RESEARCH DESIGN COURSE

Questionnaire Design

1 Questionnaire Design Flow Chart

Define Goals and Objectives

2 Questionnaire Design — General Considerations

Most problems with questionnaire analysis can be traced back to the design phase of the project Well-defined goals are the best way to assure a good questionnaire design When the goals of a study can be expressed in a few clear and concise sentences, the design of the questionnaire becomes considerably easier The questionnaire is developed to directly address the goals of the

study

information Do this before you begin designing the study This sounds obvious, but many

researchers neglect this task Why do research if the results will not be used?

Be sure to commit the study goals to writing Whenever you are unsure of a question, refer to the study goals and a solution will become clear Ask only questions that directly address the study goals Avoid the temptation to ask questions because it would be “interesting to know”

As a general rule, with only a few exceptions, long questionnaires get less response than short questionnaires Keep your questionnaire short In fact, the shorter the better Response rate is the single most important indicator of how much confidence you can place in the results A low response rate can be devastating to a study Therefore, you must do everything possible to maximize the response rate One of the most effective methods of maximizing response is to shorten the questionnaire

If your survey is over a few pages, try to eliminate questions Many people have difficulty knowing which questions could be eliminated For the elimination round, read each question and ask,

“How am I going to use this information?” If the information will be used in a decision-making process, then keep the question it’s important If not, throw it out

One important way to assure a successful survey is to include other experts and relevant

decision-makers in the questionnaire design process Their suggestions will improve the

questionnaire and they will subsequently have more confidence in the results

Formulate a plan for doing the statistical analysis during the design stage of the project Know how every question will be avour and be prepared to handle missing data If you cannot specify how you intend to avour a question or use the information, do not use it in the survey Make the envelope unique We all know how important first impressions are The same holds true for questionnaires The respondent’s first impression of the study usually comes from the

envelope containing the survey The best envelopes (i.e., the ones that make you want to see what’s inside) are colored, hand-addressed and use a commemorative postage stamp

Envelopes with bulk mail permits or gummed labels are perceived as unimportant This will generally be reflected in a lower response rate

Provide a well-written cover letter The respondent’s next impression comes from the cover letter The importance of the cover letter should not be underestimated It provides your best chance to persuade the respondent to complete the survey

Give your questionnaire a title that is short and meaningful to the respondent A questionnaire with a title is generally perceived to be more credible than one without

Include clear and concise instructions on how to complete the questionnaire These must be very easy to understand, so use short sentences and basic vocabulary Be sure to print the return address on the questionnaire itself (since questionnaires often get separated from the reply envelopes)

Begin with a few non-threatening and interesting items If the first items are too threatening or

“boring”, there is little chance that the person will complete the questionnaire People generally look at the first few questions before deciding whether or not to complete the questionnaire Make them want to continue by putting interesting questions first

Use simple and direct language The questions must be clearly understood by the respondent The wording of a question should be simple and to the point Do not use uncommon words or long sentences Make items as brief as possible This will reduce misunderstandings and make the questionnaire appear easier to complete One way to eliminate misunderstandings is to emphasize crucial words in each item by using bold, italics or underlining

Leave adequate space for respondents to make comments One criticism of questionnaires is their inability to retain the “ avour ” of a response Leaving space for comments will provide valuable information not captured by the response categories Leaving white space also makes the questionnaire look easier and this increases response

Place the most important items in the first half of the questionnaire Respondents often send back partially completed questionnaires By putting the most important items near the beginning, the partially completed questionnaires will still contain important information

Hold the respondent’s interest We want the respondent to complete our questionnaire One way

to keep a questionnaire interesting is to provide variety in the type of items used Varying the questioning format will also prevent respondents from falling into “response sets” At the same time, it is important to group items into coherent categories All items should flow smoothly from one to the next

If a questionnaire is more than a few pages and is held together by a staple, include some identifying data on each page (such as a respondent ID number) Pages often accidentally separate

Provide incentives as a motivation for a properly completed questionnaire What does the

respondent get for completing your questionnaire? Altruism is rarely an effective motivator Attaching a dollar bill to the questionnaire works well If the information you are collecting is of interest to the respondent, offering a free summary report is also an excellent motivator

Whatever you choose, it must make the respondent want to complete the questionnaire

Use professional production methods for the questionnaire—either desktop publishing or

typesetting and keylining Be creative Try different colored inks and paper The object is to make your questionnaire stand out from all the others the respondent receives

Make it convenient The easier it is for the respondent to complete the questionnaire the better Always include a self-addressed postage-paid envelope Envelopes with postage stamps get better response than business reply envelopes (although they are more expensive since you also pay for the non-respondents)

The final test of a questionnaire is to try it on representatives of the target audience If there are problems with the questionnaire, they almost always show up here If possible, be present while a respondent is completing the questionnaire and tell her that it is okay to ask you for clarification of any item The questions she asks are indicative of problems in the questionnaire (i.e., the

questions on the questionnaire must be without any ambiguity because there will be no chance to

clarify a question when the survey is mailed)

3 Qualities of a Good Question

There are good and bad questions The qualities of a good question are as follows:

1 Evokes the truth Questions must be non-threatening When a respondent is concerned about the consequences of answering a question in a particular manner, there is a good possibility that the answer will not be truthful Anonymous questionnaires that contain no identifying information are more likely to produce honest responses than those identifying the respondent If your questionnaire does contain sensitive items, be sure to clearly state your policy on confidentiality

2 Asks for an answer on only one dimension The purpose of a survey is to find out information

A question that asks for a response on more than one dimension will not provide the information you are seeking For example, a researcher investigating a new food snack asks “Do you like the texture and avour of the snack?” If a respondent answers “no”, then the researcher will not know if the respondent dislikes the texture or the avour , or both Another questionnaire asks,

“Were you satisfied with the quality of our food and service?” Again, if the respondent answers