In the literature of survey methodology there is very little on the methodology of constructing a questionnaire. Usually there is reference as to how, before starting a questionnaire survey, it is useful to obtain a good knowledge of the population that is being surveyed. In such cases it is also often advised that some qualitative research be done beforehand (often based on group discussions). There is no systematic method of investigating a population to be able to formulate a relevant questionnaire. The problem that can arise from an inadequate knowledge of the population that is being investigated, is that of not asking the right questions, missing out important questions and not knowing which topics have been included and which have been left out. In planning for a survey on transport related disabilities, as part of the 1991 London Area Transport Survey it is important to have a structure for creating the survey and questionnaire. For instance, should the survey on transport related disabilities be separate from the main household survey? This paper describes the deconstructionist methodology in survey planning by first, obtaining a socio-historical understanding of the target population and second by breaking it down into as many distinct component groups as possible, and then of identifying the issues that affect these groups. And finally, reaggregating them into a new whole. In such a way it is possible to be precise for whom the questionnaire survey is targeted and what it covers and what it misses out. Although the paper is largely theoretical, based on the new structuralist theories in the social sciences, it explores the real use of deconstructionism in the area of social investigation in transport related disabilities.
Abstract