Self-Report Techniques

Question 1

What are open/closed questions?

Answer 1

• Open questions do not include a fixed range of answers. In closed questions respondents are directed to a fixed set of responses from which they have to choose

Question 2

What are the Evaluation points of Questionnaires?

Answer 2

Strengths:
- Cost-effective, can gather large amounts of data quickly because they can be distributed to large numbers of people (number of people determines volume of data collected)
- Can be completed without researcher present, reducing effort
- Data produced is straightforward to anaylse. If fixed-choice closed questions, data is statistically anaylsed
Limitations:
- Responses may not be truthful (want to present themselves in a positive light), demand charecteristic known as social desirability bias
- Often produce response bias, respondent replies in a similar way/ at favoured end of a rating scale

Question 3

What are the evaluation point of an Unstructured Interviews?

Answer 3

• Flexibility in an unstructured interview, follow up points making it likely to gain insights into worldview of interviewee, including unexpected info
• May lead to interviewer bias, anaylsis is not straightforward , researcher sift through irrelevant info (time-consuming)
• Interviewees may lie for social desirability bias Skilled interviewer should be able to avoid this

Question 4

What are the Evaluation points of a Structured Interview?

Answer 4

• Straightforward to replicate due to standardised format. Reduces differences between interviewers
• Deviation from topic is not possible or explain answers, limit richness of data collected as well as limit unexpected info