A self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) refers to a questionnaire that has been designed specifically to be completed by a respondent without intervention of the researchers (e.g. an interviewer) collecting the data. An SAQ is usually a stand-alone questionnaire though it can also be used in conjunction with other data collection modalities directed by a trained interviewer. Traditionally the SAQ has been distributed by mail or in person to large groups, but now SAQs are being used extensively for Web surveys. Because the SAQ is completed without ongoing feedback from a trained interviewer, special care must be taken in how the questions are worded as well as how the questionnaire is formatted in order to avoid measurement error.

A major criterion for a well-designed SAQ is proper wording ...