Ternary Questionnaires

This paper describes the research results in the questionnaire theory. The authors carried out work on the ternary questionnaire study. These questionnaires include questions that have three outcomes. For solving identification and tracking tasks, in automation devices and computing equipment technical diagnostics, such questionnaires can be more effective than widely used binary questionnaires. These tasks include the technical diagnostics tasks with a time limit for the procedures. The authors describe the questionnaire theory basic concepts, classify them according to various criteria. The ternary questionnaires with various parameters of questions and identifiable events are distinguished in the polychotomous questionnaire class. Methods for optimizing ternary questionnaires are indicated. The authors adapted and described the root question method for optimizing ternary questionnaires. Also, in this paper, the authors focused on questionnaires with faults and with indefinite answers. Ways to create questionnaires by questionnaires, check-lists with faults and with the indefinite answer, as well as features of their optimization are described. Ternary questionnaires form a polychotomous questionnaire class, following the binary questionnaire class, and knowledge of working with them opens the way to exploring other special types of questionnaires.