What is a potential drawback of using a questionnaire for research?

Using a questionnaire for research can indeed lead to issues concerning the representativeness of the sample of individuals who respond. This is known as sampling bias. When only a certain type of individual chooses to participate in the questionnaire, or if the distribution of responses is skewed, the results may not accurately reflect the broader population's views or behaviors.

For example, if a questionnaire is distributed online, it may attract a specific demographic that is more tech-savvy or has more free time, potentially overlooking the opinions of those who do not have internet access or who may not engage with online surveys. This means that conclusions drawn from the data may not generalize well to the entire population, leading to a flawed understanding of the researched issue.

In contrast to this, other potential drawbacks, such as the time taken to complete the survey or the complexity of the questions, while valid concerns in specific research designs, do not inherently undermine the representativeness of the sample. Similarly, the impact of interviewer skills is more relevant to qualitative research methods, such as interviews, rather than quantitative methods like questionnaires.