Mengennachfragen

Mengennachfragen is a term used in German-language survey methodology to describe a subset of questions that seek quantitative information from respondents. The word combines Menge (quantity or amount) with Nachfragen (follow-up questions or probing), reflecting the practice of requesting specific numbers, frequencies, or volumes and often pursuing clarification or verification through follow-up probes. In practice, Mengennachfragen are employed to obtain precise quantitative data rather than purely qualitative responses.

The concept is most common in consumer surveys, market research, and public health data collection, where researchers need exact figures such as purchase quantities, consumption frequencies, or dose amounts. Typical Mengennachfragen ask respondents to provide a numeric value (for example, "Wie viele Einheiten haben Sie im letzten Monat gekauft?") or to select a response from defined numerical ranges. They may be followed by prompts to confirm units, time frames, or consistency with related questions to improve data quality.

Methodological considerations for Mengennachfragen include managing recall error, misinterpretation of units, and social desirability effects. Designers should specify the unit of measurement (pieces, kilograms, liters), define a clear time frame, and consider offering both open-ended and bounded numeric responses. When high precision is not necessary, ranges can reduce respondent burden while preserving analytical usefulness. Pretesting is advised to identify ambiguous wording and to calibrate response formats.

In summary, Mengennachfragen refer to quantitatively oriented follow-up questions within questionnaires, aimed at eliciting accurate numeric data while balancing respondent effort and data quality. Related concepts include questionnaire design, measurement error, and data quality assurance.