Ever wondered what font type and size to use when preparing a questionnaire? Read along...
As the instrument is being developed, give special consideration to the font style and font size that will be used. A sans serif font, such as Arial, is one without serifs. That is, it does not have small horizontal strokes or lines at the top and bottom of the letters. This style of font makes each letter very distinct and easy to read (Zimmerman & Zimmerman, 1998). Times New Roman, on the other hand, is a serif font. It has fine embellishing on the strokes of letters. Although Times New Roman is one of the most common font styles used for printing books, manuscripts, and newspapers, the embellishments associated with it makes the font more difficult to read for those with poor eyesight.
Normal font size is either 10 or 12 point. If the instrument is to be given to children, frail elderly, or individuals who might ahve some degree of visual impairment, the size of the font should be increased to 14 point or larger.
Source: Pett, M. A.; Lackey, N. R. & Sullivan, J. J. (2003), Making Sense of Factor Analysis: The Use of Factor Analysis for Instrument Development in Health Care Research. Sage Publication, USA.
As the instrument is being developed, give special consideration to the font style and font size that will be used. A sans serif font, such as Arial, is one without serifs. That is, it does not have small horizontal strokes or lines at the top and bottom of the letters. This style of font makes each letter very distinct and easy to read (Zimmerman & Zimmerman, 1998). Times New Roman, on the other hand, is a serif font. It has fine embellishing on the strokes of letters. Although Times New Roman is one of the most common font styles used for printing books, manuscripts, and newspapers, the embellishments associated with it makes the font more difficult to read for those with poor eyesight.
Normal font size is either 10 or 12 point. If the instrument is to be given to children, frail elderly, or individuals who might ahve some degree of visual impairment, the size of the font should be increased to 14 point or larger.
Source: Pett, M. A.; Lackey, N. R. & Sullivan, J. J. (2003), Making Sense of Factor Analysis: The Use of Factor Analysis for Instrument Development in Health Care Research. Sage Publication, USA.
