Questionnaires

These are a pre-set, pre-recorded list of questions. However, if they are read out by the researcher it then becomes an interview. They produce large amounts of quantative data. The questions should be openended which gives the respondent the opportunity to expand. Or they can be closed/fixed, which limits answers. 

Good for reaching large samples of people as well as reaching them if they are geographically dispersed. It is less time consuming, cheaper and you can gurantee anonymity. 

BUT

People cannot be bothered to complete these questionnaires and therefore they suffer a low success rate, especially postal questionnaires. Britain is also a mix of different ethnicities and some may not speak English. As a result they may not be able to read and answer them.