Questionnaires are used in schools, businesses and communities to determine the thoughts of the group of people completing them. Questionnaires must be neat, clear, easy to understand and must serve a purpose. After questionnaires are returned, the results are totaled using a tally sheet. Tally sheets can be completed manually on paper or through a computer program. The results calculated through the tally sheets are used for improvements in the organization administering the questionnaire.

Present a questionnaire to a group of people. Businesses often distribute questionnaires to customers or vendors. Schools often give questionnaires to staff or students. The questionnaire should state simple, clear questions that are typically answered through multiple choice answers. This allows a tally sheet to be created easily.

Collect the questionnaires. When questionnaires are returned to the organization, you can begin tallying. If being done manually, paper is all that is needed. If the tally count is computerized, a spreadsheet program works well.

Use a separate sheet of paper for each question on the questionnaire. Label the paper with the question. For computerized tallies, create a separate page for each question.

Divide the paper into as many columns or rows as there are possible answers to the question. Include a column or row for participants who skipped the question. Repeat these steps for all questions asked on the questionnaire. For computerized tallies, divide each page into columns for each separate answer by labeling the columns or rows with answers.

Summarize tallies. For each questionnaire, fill out the answers given by the participants. After you record all questionnaires, total the tally sheets. Add every page, handwritten or computerized, by counting the number of tallies in each box for each question. With computerized tally sheets, you can enter formulas into the cells in the spreadsheet to perform the addition automatically. Total all results to provide a summary that you can analyze to find ways to improve your company's performance.