Rashid's Blog: A Place for Inquisitive Souls

Step by Step Preparation of a Questionnaire

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Rashid Faridi

A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions (or other types of prompts) for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. The questionnaire was invented by the Statistical Society of London in 1838. Questionnaires are a good way of collecting primary data.

Although questionnaires are often designed for statistical analysis of the responses, this is not always the case.

Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap, do not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often have standardized answers that make it simple to compile data. However, such standardized answers may frustrate users. Questionnaires are also sharply limited by the fact that respondents must be able to read the questions and respond to them. Thus, for some demographic groups conducting a survey by questionnaire may not be concrete.

Questionnaires are of many types as they may serve various purposes. Generally, a questionnaire is used to gain feedback from a given respondent. A questionnaire is considered to be effective if it has the ability to garner reliable information from the people who willingly answer them. It is an important tool of sampling.

Types

A distinction can be made between questionnaires with questions that measure separate variables, and questionnaires with questions that are aggregated into either a scale or index. Questionnaires with questions that measure separate variables, could for instance include questions on:

preferences (e.g. political party)
behaviors (e.g. food consumption)
facts (e.g. gender)

Questionnaires with questions that are aggregated into either a scale or index, include for instance questions that measure:

latent traits
attitudes (e.g. towards immigration)
an index (e.g. Social Economic Status)

Data Analysis, Questionnaire and Survey

A questionnaire is any written set of questions, while a survey is both the set of questions and the process of collecting, aggregating, and analyzing the responses from those questions. In other words, “questionnaire” describes content, while “survey” is a broader term that describes content, method, and analysis.

The confusion between these terms most likely stems from the fact that questionnaires and data analysis were treated as very separate processes back in the day. Questionnaires used to be completed on paper, and data analysis occurred later on if desired. Nowadays, these processes are typically combined since online survey tools allow for questionnaires to immediately produce data.

However, questionnaires can still be used for reasons other than data analysis. Job applications and medical history forms, among others, are examples of questionnaires that have no intention of being statistically analyzed. This is the key difference between questionnaires and surveys — they can exist together or separately, but when together, a questionnaire is a tool used in a survey.

Identify a theme. With a theme, you can specify what data needs to be gathered and how these may be acquired in the form of a question.
Ask simple questions. Be as specific as possible. Your respondents need to be able to answer each question without much deliberation.
Ask the same question in different ways. There’s always a chance that your respondent may be answering the questionnaire absentmindedly. To assess the reliability of such response, ask the same question several times but in different ways.
Choose a delivery method. If you want to reach a wider audience, you can distribute your questionnaires through various social networks.

Administering the Questionnaire

Questionnaire examples may be delivered in several different ways. This could be done through interviews, websites, SMS, email, or even through social media. This would depend on the kind of information you wish to obtain as well as the audience you want to reach.

To administer the business questionnaire, you need to be inviting. Doing this personally can be easy, as most people are too polite to refuse. But if you’re using a certain platform for this, you need to come up with a gimmick. Some people opt to to give away freebies to individuals who willingly answer their questionnaires. If you don’t have the budget for such, you can always force your respondents to answer, discreetly that is. Some organizations use pop-ups in their websites to conduct these surveys.

Remember, try not to be too annoying when doing this. Some respondents provide negative feedback when they’re made to answer a questionnaire unwillingly. Not only will this garner unreliable data but you might also lose your customers.

Tips for a Better Questionnaire

Provide instructions. Tell your respondents how the questionnaire should be answered. Allow them to contact you for any concerns or clarifications.
Use simple language. Respondents may come from different backgrounds, it’s important to keep your questions as relevant as possible.
Limit the possible choices. For questions where answers are readily provided, avoid making a long list. Respondents may find it difficult to evaluate each.
Arrange it in a logical order. Start your questionnaire with general questions before asking specific ones.
Keep it short. Lengthy questionnaires can be too intimidating to answer. Respondents will feel like they’re answering an exam rather than a survey questionnaire.
Do a trial run. Allow a few people to answer your questionnaire and ask them for feedback. This will help you point out mistakes and inappropriate questions that need to be edited.

Source(s):

Examples.com

City Trio Vision by Ghazia Musarrat Ashna

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Rashid Faridi

Defining the City Trio

ashna_1

“The Techno Turf”

This is the main city, full of technologies, facilities, available institutions, congestion, and population that is the main and the most important elements of the time.

“The Aqueous Niche”

This is the adjoining city, that has its origin underwater. It is used as an alternative when resource population becomes unstable.

“The Thriving Cosmos”

This is third and the final city, which is nothing but the restoration of ‘The Techno Turf’. It is the purest city of that time among all the three.

Introduction

The world is changing fast. Cities are growing and urban population is rising. The need for urbanization, transportation and infrastructure is increasing, and so is congestion, is pollution, road accident and climate change. We need more mobility but in a smarter way.

Undoubtedly, technology will overpower humans in the coming centuries, but the pace will have variations and so will be the discrepancies of development between today and the coming days…

Let me tell you that according to a survey of more than 350 artificial intelligence researcher, it is said that machines will outperform humans in all tasks within 45 years. This estimate is said to be much true i.e. more than 50% chances are there./ In fact we are bent on merging our reality with the fabric of artificiality, so much that tremendous research is underway in the areas of virtual reality, artificial intelligence etc. At the same time there is prediction regarding the increasing technology and its repercussion which also seeks explanation, and for rare there will be a time when man will decide to survive and spend life in the purest and virgin state of the nature, away from all sort of technological innovations and development.

I would like to present a nutshell presentation of how my future city will look like.

Briefly speaking, there will be 4 distinct stages in the cities sprawl, development and growth layout of mine. There is discussion about the developmental activities in two forthcoming centuries, i.e. 22^nd and 23^rd centuries. The first half of the 22^nd century is the period of take-off, the 2^nd one is the stage of boom. Then comer the 23^rd centuries which will incorporate stagnation in its state and the last decades of the 23^rd century will be the era of restoration.

There are 3 habitable city in my assignment

‘The Techno-Turf’
‘The Aqueous Niche’
‘The Thriving Cosmos’

Stages of Development

22^nd Century 23^rd Century

Take-off Stagnation

Boom Restoration

The City Layout..

The name of the city is ‘The Techno Turf’ which is the main habitable land, followed by ‘The Aqueous Niche’ that is the alternative habitat and the 3^rd one is the ‘The Thriving Cosmos’ that is the outcome of renunciation and realizaiton.

Let us have a bird’s eyeview of ‘The Techno-Turf’ although virtually. My design of the future city revolves around a single quotation.

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world”. – Albert Einstein…

Morphology of the City…

This stage is basically the time period of 22^nd century which shows the stage of city layout and sprawl with the technological growth and innovations.

Let us deal with each of the important components of the city.

Building structures :

Over the centuries engineers and the architects will for sure device every new ways for taller, stronger and more beautiful creations using game changing materials.

The city building will be have skyscraper and superstructures. The buildings and population ratio will be kept in mind and so will be the accommodation ratio. There will be fixed number of dwellers in the city i.e. ‘The Techno Turf’. If after some decades the population increases, the marrer will be shifted to the another adjoining habitat i.e. ‘The Aqueous Niche’. It will be a place constructed under water with suitable environment.

Building materials used would be completely technical. Sensors will be everywhere. All the tasks would be done automatically. There will be temporal connectivity between all the buildings in order to avoid crisis and hazards.

Drainage :

Drainage according to me will be a throughout laid connection between all the sub-drainager and the main drainage line. There will be detectors identifying chocked materials, filtering those and transporting those to different chambers and use them if recyclable. The main drainage line will be connected to a vacuum station where all the solid garbages will be stored, this station will be connected to a different on i.e. the thermal hydrostation where sufficient heat is provided to convert this water into gaseous state which is then used in different purposes after conversion into liquid i.e. gardening etc. The process of gas is introduced in order to treat the dirty water and remove its contamination by the use of heat.

Transport :

The major breakthrough in mobility will be the ‘Hyperloops’, that will bring airplane speeds to the ground, and this will be coordinated by ‘flying cars’ which will own eye sensors. The vehicle will move in the direction of the eyes at times, rest of the journey will be covered with the help of digital board sensor movement where keys, buttons and finger will play important role. There will be four wheelers on road too, but their mechanism will be such that their structural layout can be easily adjusted according to congestion and traffic. Ambulances, fire services and other services will be easily availed as there will be temporal and artificial road platforms that can be easily laid over the vehicles at times of emergency.

Digitalization

The city will be completely digitalized 3D downloads will be available, and there will be computer at each and every sphere of life. Telepathy will be one of the newly deviced communication system that will be supported by binary softwares. The buildings roads will be self repairing because of micro capsuler of sodium silicate that would release gel to perform the act.

Robotization :

Robots will be useful as well as the most important technological innovations in the coming years. In every sphere of life robots will determine human action. Human force will be subordinate to robots. This will undoubtedly enhance the production by leaps and bounds and leave no stone unturned to bring the city to the “period of boom”.

Inter-planetary commerce :

There will be business between the dwellers of this city and the ones living in the newly discovered planet.

Although details about the discovered planet is not the matter of concern of this discussion as it will lead to unnecessary deviations.

Fuel :

Nanoflow cell technology will generate electr from the ionic fluid. The electricity will then be transferred to 4 electric motors that will power each wheel with the peak output of speed. Hydrogen fuel i.e. H2 will also be used in massive electronic motors. Solar power will be the other alternative.

Recreation :

For recreation there will be space games stations, where there will be every types of recreation mechanically commonly based on scientific laws and principles.

Infrastructure :

Bankings and other financial institution uses special identification softwares which somehow identifies the account holders face and hence safeguard the customers from any type of forgery or cheating.

Alternative faces can also be given at the time of account making as to solve the case of emergency situation.

The War Era

Owe comes the era of utmost development of technology. This is the time where mewn introduced almost all types of technologies to fight against all odds. Almost every disease finds its cure and medication.

Men is found to be the most invincible creations.

Now the question is, if everything be so smooth than what the war is for ? The war is the outcome of social isolation. Everybody is so secluded, segregated and lonely that despite of all the available comforts, it becomes difficult to sustain.

Men become socially, one of the most isolated being. Every individual finds very difficult to survive as there be no expectation of being connected to the near and dear ones. Men in this age has the complete essence of feature and characters like greed, rationality and selfish realism.

Hence this is the age of culmination. Men realize the drawback of technology, at the same time finds himself helpless.

Period of Restoration…..

After the war era men realizes the repercussions of technological development. This is the era when humans decide to renunciate the present way of life and opt for the one that is devoid of all there ills.

A newcityh namely “The Thriving Cosmos” is designed where every layout is according to the need of the time and preserves the nature and promotes sustainability. As men enjoys the fullest of desirer, so here the preferences are different. Here nature and its company plays vital role in the settlement and its sprawl. Greenery and plantations are the heritage of human society and this belief brings happiness.

Buildings are made in the vicinity of natural environment. Technology is introduced and used in positive manner i.e. to cure the polluted environment, and to restore the pure one.

Men pledges to be the main executive of the maintenance body of the earth. The vehicle of life is supported with the elements of selflessness, love, care and support, where the travellers are men and the environment. Men ensures sustainability and judicious use of technology.

Go Green, save environment save the world are some of the ideologies of the time.

Men finally be able to achieve a magnificient triumph over the invading technology monster and its repercussion.

Conclusion

The assignment mainly focuses on the fact that although there can be enormous and massive development in technology that can bring about magnificient changes on the earth surface. This can bring comfort, ease and happiness in our live but the real happiness is not the one describe above. The day is not far where all we will be surrounded with is discomfort, social isolation, segregation and hatred.

Keeping this in mind, it is the duty of every individual to fulfill the need of the hour and develop strategies to lead a life in the company of nature and its purity.

Finally I would like to come to an end by concluding this assignment with the following quotation.

“Lead the scene, just go green”.

A Poem….

Here is a self composed poetry by me which conveys a message i.e. ‘save green save the earth’.

“SAVE NATURE”

The earth is our only home,

Be it yesterday, today or till doom.

We being selfish, foolish and greedy,

Ruin it everyday by acting nasty.

Technicalization is the major cause of pollution,

Which ofcourse result to great emissions.

Now it’s the time of redemption of deeds,

Otherwise, we would face huge loss indeed.

Lets take steps, without being mean,

Because saving the globe simply means save green.

… GhaziaMusarratAshna

Other Assignments

Posted in Class Assignments M.Sc. Geography 2017-19 AMU, Aligarh, earth, opinions, urban morphology, Urban Studies, vision | 19 Comments

London on course to become one of the greenest and most sustainable cities

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Rashid Faridi

Posted in earth | Leave a comment

Future City: A Vision by Sabia Haneef

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Rashid Faridi

Future City…

City : In many ways the smart city is simply good urban planning that incooperate both advances in digital technology and new thinking in the age-old city of relationship, community environmental sustainability, participatory transparency. Often, the intelligent city involves a reurbanization of cities, encouraging urbanites to focus their time, energy and abilities to the ongoing urban project through new layer of electronic connectivity. All smart cities are interactive cities.

Our future city must be plan for people not for vehicles, building and businesses creating vibrant communities connection and relevance between people and place is paramount.

No one-size-fits solutions exist across geographic location as urban planning will increasing be rooted in local culture but cities must be capable of sustaining transformation and addressing larger issues including public health, climate change ‘To thrive in future’ we need to maximize the value of our built environment and leverage to solve multiple problems.

I think all cities are densely populated people will want to live close to their work and have all of the services they need close to all place they live. We achieve this desired density combined with new models of transport will be one of the most challenging elements of planning cities in the future.

Urban Planning will be Human centric

Human centered design affords urban planners processes to see what happens when communities take an active role in designing.

Reach out a wide cross-section of the community :

Integrating community constituents into that planning process isn’t always easy. Certain stakeholders will go out of their way to make their voice heard, but others will not be as eager to get involved.

Facilitate a collective brainstorming session

A brainstorming session is the best type of meeting to hold first, this format allows you to present the design challenges at hand and ask for the public’s ideas around a solution. Because everything is on the table at this phase, it’s a space for people to dream big about what they want their community.

Interview the community as a group

Unlike the wide open free for all that you brainstorming session encourages a group interview is set up to invite differing opinion and dissent. The purpose of such a meeting is to capture these diverse point of view hear everyone voice and also hear these differing perspective all together to gain perspective of how the community at large operates and what their values.

Principal for Digital Urbanism: The Role of Technology in the future of our city

Digital technologies offer new form of online human connectivity. Does this we no longer need traditional city layouts? Not at all

The Lure of online

There is body of professionals thought that believes we no longer need cities at least in the relatively large continuous connectivity form in which they have evolved over centuries instead the view is that connected online, people can low live in small scale town which are supposedly more humane. People can disconnect physically and reconnect online by creating connection between them. The spatial pattern of a village town or city is the principal organizer of human movement and interaction as well as flow of services. These flow lead to enacting of social and economic transaction which are building blocks of society of culture and therefore of being human.

A digital future ?

A digital technology is a new urban utility of immense value to the social, economic and environmental performance of cities. Undoubtedly digital technology can take a great share of the strain where physical connectivity is an issue. The digital economy is an attractor of investment particularly with starts up and therefore an attractor of talented people who settle and ultimate make place.

Digital Urbanism

However in adopting a new technologies urban policymaker should be careful not to abondo the historically successful form of dense, compact and continuously connected cities. The two processes online and on land should be made to work together to create an effective digital urbanism.

Serendipitous encounter is perhaps the single most important advantage of urbanism and also more likely to pervade. Cities have been damaged by divising and polluting land use planning and highway engineering but these falling are recent mistake in the long history urbanism. They can should being fixed. Unless digital visionaries and urban leaders alike appreciate the risk of small scale dispered disconnected settlement pattern, they may be lulled by the quient imagery a highly damaging rural idyll. This would be detrimental to the social, economic, environmental sustainability of our urban places. The future city should continue to be densely connected by both physical and virtual mean built according to planning guidelines that focus on the creation of high quality interpersonal transactions.

Design cities that protect the needs of older people

Cities are places for the young to find work and forget that an increasing proportion of the urban population is growing old. People aged over 60 actually represent the fastest growing cohort of urban population. We need to look beyond design and basic physical accessibility and consider whether the shared and public space of our cities – streets, roads, squares, and parks are actually pleasant palaces.

Put attention to what women need

In the new urban Agenda there are several mentions on how to address the needs of women and other vulnerable population groups age, gender and environment responsive solutions within the continuum of land and property right security of land tenure for women and urban life without fear of violence and intimidation and recognizing the working poor particularly women in the informal economy including the unpaid domestic and migrant workers to the urban economics.

Smart Highway focus on Illuminating roads with sustainable designs

The idea behind developing smart highways has lead designers to work on improving methods to illuminate roads in sustainable and intelligent ways. This focus on to use light on public roadways to communicate traffic information directly with drivers. Many engineers and roadways safety managers believe that focusing on ways to improve vehicle navigation system and onboard system only half of the equation. Here are few ways to improve vehicle navigation system and onboard system is only half of the equation. Improving driver safety with advanced system that could be implemented into smart highways of the future.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PLANNING

The concept of green infrastructure is able to combat against these underlying problems. According to a recent study a green infrastructure is at the heart of changing the deterioration of urban areas. There are four central areas which are noted to reduce pollution increase biodiversity habitats and lower till effect within cities. By developing green places landscape architects and cities have the capacity of creating greater balance within the environment while maintaining the urban development take place.

Open space – Adding park, natural habitats and areas with surrounding greenery, there is the ability to reduce pollution. This assists with balancing the environment and also naturally absorbs and reduces hazards within the environment. Shade trees designated green region and public park are all able to reduce heat and naturally absorb and balance the city within green places.

Green Roofs : Many cities are beginning to notice the difference by adding greenery to roof and walls until and harm from pollution is often from the absorption of heat in the materials of buildings. Adding this elements provides a notable way to begin reducing the impact of hazardous zones offering greater balance with air pollution as well VHI while creating green places.

Greening Systems : Cities and landscape architects can consider both vertical and horizontal greening system to create green places. Green walls, facades and other elements can be added to building specifically to balance and protect against sediments and UHI. It is also possible to add environmentally friendly materials to pathways and roadways, specially to naturally apply balance to materials.

Technology is changing everyday city life, allowing is to instantly adapt to everything from storm threats to traffic jams.

MODE OF COMMUNICATION

Roads : Roads will not be anymore the source of communication from one place to another. Airways will eliminate the present transport system.
Banks : Banks will be totally mechanized and the level of technology will to the highest level.
Hospitals : Hospital will be technically modified. All type of modern equipment will be available. Ambulance move in all city.
Transportation : Car will be flying.

No private transport only public transport if car is own they are pollute free.

CONCLUSION

City is a large human settlement. Cities generally have extensive system for housing, transportation, sanitation, utilities, landuse and communication. Their density facilities interaction between people, government organizations and businesses, sometimes benefitting different parties in the process, open space given to the settlement plan the city with green environment for reducing the pollution and many disease caused by this. Whatever I presented in this assignment my desire for the layout of how a future city should be. If all the above points are kept in mind and the any city is designed I guess that part of the earth will be the most suitable one for habitation.

Other Assignments:

Ashna’s