Standardized Protocol to Develop Dairy Farm Management Questionnaires for Observational Studies

¹ College of Veterinary Medicine, State University of Utrecht, Department for Herd Health and Reproduction, Yaleban 7, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands
² Campina Melkunie B. V., PO Box 3010, 5203 DA 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

Use of questionnaires to collect data in observational studies involving dairy farm management has become fairly common. However, there are no standard protocols for developing valid dairy farm management questionnaires. A standard protocol would 1) formalize questionnaire methodology and stimulate constructive discussion on the methodology, 2) contribute to uniformity of methodology among studies, 3) facilitate validation of results of studies from different populations by merent investigators, and 4) alleviate the current criticism that inadequate information on the questionnaires is provided in publications of studies using questionnaires. A two-phase protocol for developing dairy farm management questionnaires is proposed and illustrated. The protocol makes a clear distinction between the activity of identifying the biological issues to be addressed by the questionnaire and the activity of formulating the questions and organizing and laying out the questionnaire. The protocol forces formalized treatment of the theoretical biological foundations of observational studies and should help to maximize the validity of studies that gather dairy farm manage ment data by means of questionnaires.

Key Words: questionnaire • management • observational studies • milk protein

Submitted on July 22, 1991
Accepted on September 13, 1991