Final answer:
A health-related questionnaire study becomes rigorous when it strictly adheres to the scientific method, including asking a relevant and specific question, conducting a thorough literature review, formulating a testable hypothesis, and designing a measurable and ethically sound data collection process.
Step-by-step explanation:
To ensure that a health-related questionnaire study is conducted with scientific rigor, one must follow the well-established steps of the scientific method. First, one should ask a relevant question that is neither too broad nor too narrow, with significant merit for investigation. Following this, an extensive review of existing literature should be undertaken to identify what is currently known about the topic.
Formulating a concise and testable hypothesis is the next critical step. The questionnaire should be carefully designed to collect measurable, quantitative data that can be analyzed to test this hypothesis. Questions should be clear, objective, and structured in a way that allows for gathering conclusive evidence, whether through closed questions with binary yes-or-no responses or through more nuanced multiple-choice questions.
Finally, consideration should be given to the ethical aspects, such as obtaining informed consent from study participants, and to the logistics of conducting the research, which includes preparing the necessary organizational equipment and systems for data collection. Rigor in a scientific study also demands replication to ensure validity and reliability of the results. The researcher should be prepared to perform the study under various conditions to test for consistency in outcomes.