Throughout this chapter, the focus will be on the second step in the question–answer communication cycle (figure 5.1, p. 53).

Chapters 2 and 3 were directed at the problems that have to be confronted when formulating a question. We saw that there is a great deal of scope for slippage in communication between the researcher and the respondents. Researchers may be unclear about the topic they want to investigate and thus about the nature of the information they want to collect. They may use words that are not understood by the respondents. They may construct questions that are too complex for the respondents to comprehend. We saw, too, that the fact respondents answer a question is not, in itself, proof that the question has worked as the researcher intended it to work. It appears that respondents do their level best to answer all questions that are put to them — even those they have trouble interpreting (Belson, 1981; Strack and Martin, 1987). Of course: