Research Methods

Question 1

Questionnaire

Answer 1

A questionnaire is a research methods instrument consisting of a series of questions for the purpose of gathering information from respondents .
Questionnaires can be thought of as a written interview and are relatively cheap , quick and a efficient way of obtaining large amounts of information from a sample of people .

However one issue with questionnaires are that respondents may lie to give off a better look

Question 2

Closed Questions

Answer 2

Closed questions structure the answer by only allowing responses which fit into pre decided categories .
The category can have as few responses as yes/no or include a much wider amount of options .
Closed questions can also provide ordinal data .

Question 3

Strengths and Limitations of Closed questions

Answer 3

Strengths - Economical so they can provide large amounts of research data for relatively low costs .
The respondent provides information which can be easily converted into quantitative
data .
All questions are standardized , so all respondents are asked the same question in the same order , therefore all questionnaires can be repeated easily .

Limitations -
lack detail, as the responses are fixed, there is less range for the respondents
to give answers which reflect their true feelings on a certain issue

Question 4

Open questions

Answer 4

Open questions allow people to express what they think in their own words.
If more in depth answers are required then open questions will be more efficient .
Open questions are often used for complex questions that cannot be answered in a few simple terms

Question 5

Strengths and limitations of Open questions

Answer 5

Strengths - Very detailed qualitative data is obtained as open questions allow the respondent to
elaborate on their answer.

Limitations -
Time-consuming to collect the data. It takes longer for the respondent to
complete open questions.
Time-consuming to analyze the data. It takes longer for the researcher to
analyze qualitative data as they have to read the responses.
Also respondents require to be quite literate for their answers to actually have sense.

Question 6

Important Factors in questionnaire Design

Answer 6

Aims - Make sure that all questions asked address the aims of the research.

Length - The longer the questionnaire, the less likely people will complete it. Questions
should be short, clear, and be to the point; any unnecessary questions/items should
be omitted.

Pilot Study - Run a small scale practice study to ensure people understand the questions.

Question Order - Questions should progress logically from the least sensitive to the most sensitive.

Terminology - There should be a minimum of jargon. Questions should be simple,
to the point and easy to understand.
Also the language of a questionnaire should be appropriate to the vocabulary of
the group of people being studied.

Presentation - It needs to look professional and have clear instructions

Question 7

Ethical Issues

Answer 7

The researcher must ensure that the information provided by the
respondent is kept confidential. This means questionnaires are good for researching sensitive topics as
respondents will be more honest when giving answers as they cannot be identified. Participants should also provide consent and must be aware they are able to withdraw their information in a certain time limit .

Question 8

Problems with Posta; Questionnaires

Answer 8

The data might not be valid as we can never be sure that the right person actually completed the postal
questionnaire.
Also these type of questionnaires may not be representative of the population intended to be studied
Unfortunately some questionnaires can get lost reducing the sample size .

Question 9

Interviews

Answer 9

Interviews involve social interaction unlike most questionnaires . However in interviews researchers need training to interview which can be expensive .
Depending on the question different types of data can be formed .
Interviews can also be recorded if permission is granted.
Unfortunately interviews may not be the best way to gather information of sensitive topics .

Question 10

Structured Interview

Answer 10

This is a quantitative research method where the interviewer asks the participant a set of prepared questions .
R=The same questions are asked by each interviewee and the no other questions will be asked by the interviewee.

Question 11

Strengths and Limitation of Structured Interview

Answer 11

Strengths - Easy to replicate as questions are standardized .
Interviews can take place within a short period of time as interviews are quick to conduct .

Limitations - Not flexible so new questions cant be asked on the spot .
The answers lack detail as closed questions are asked which generate quantitative data

Question 12

Unstructured Interviews

Answer 12

These interviews do not use set questions , rather the interviewer asks open ended questions , When needed the interviewer shall modify the questions according to the respondents needs .
These interviews are also referred to as discovery interviews as the interview is more like a guided conversation .

Question 13

Strengths and Limitation of Unstructured Interviews

Answer 13

Strengths - More flexible as questions can be adapted according to the the respondents answers .
Qualitative data is generated so information can be more accurate and personal allowing the researcher to get a better understanding of the situation .

Limitations - Time consuming as respondents may go on and on about a specific question.
Training researchers can also be expensive as they need to have skills such as when to probe etc

Question 14

Focus Group Interview

Answer 14

This is a qualitative approach where a group of respondents are interviewed together . The method aims to obtain data from a selected group of individuals.
The interview moderator is to make sure that participants interact with each other and don’t drift off topic .
The researcher must be highly skilled to conduct a focus group interview and some skills may include knowing when to probe , or how to establish a rapport

Question 15

Strengths and Limitations of Focus Group Interview

Answer 15

Strengths - They generate qualitative narrative data through the use of open questions .
They may also have better validity as some participants may feel more comfortable speaking when others are around .

Limitations - The researcher has to ensure to keep all the data confidential , however this would be difficult to do with a group interview as other people are present.
The answers may not be very accurate as open questions are used .
Also participants may lie to impress other reducing the answers validity

Question 16

Self-Report Data

Answer 16

This is a form of data gathering where the participants provide data about themselves .
They may include questionnaires , interviews etc , however psychology experts suggest that self-report data is not used alone .

Question 17

Strengths and Weaknesses of Self-Report Data

Answer 17

Strengths - Participants can be asked about their feelings and cognitions which will be more accurate than observing .
Scenarios can be asked hypothetically instead of physically setting them up .

Weaknesses - Information cant be gathered if the participant isn’t willing to share .
Participants may lie thinking that they have to give responses that are more acceptable to the researchers .

Question 18

Self Report Data Factors

Answer 18

Honesty - Participants may give false answers that seem more socially acceptable.

Introspective Ability - The subjects may not be able to asses themselves .

Interpretation of Questions - The questions may not be understandable to participants .

Rating scales - Rating yes/no can be too restrictive but a numerical scale can also be inexact .
Response Bias - Questions can be subjected to biases according to previous questions .

Sampling Bias - The people who complete a questionnaire are the people who are willing to fill long answers etc , they have to be the population you are willing to study .

Question 19

The Interviewer Effect

Answer 19

As an interview is a social act the behavior , appearance of the interviewer may influence the answers , making them inaccurate.
For example ; age , gender , ethnicity

Question 20

Carrying out an Interview

Answer 20

Firstly what type of interview you use must be chosen ; either structured or non structured interview .
Then the interviewer must be selected depending on whos going to be interviewed .
Gender , age , personal characteristics and the language of the interviewer can have a major impact on the respondents answers .
When interviewing minors or other special groups special care must be taken .