Where did you get the questions/scales from and what are they assessing?
I am going to be highly critical of this section, as I’ve warned all semester long. Do not be vague here.
Document criteria:
- Minimum 1500 words
- Must contain explicit subsections appropriate to paradigm
- Stating your method is not enough. You must go further.
- If you’re doing interviews, we need to see a guide with citations and critical analysis
- If you’re analyzing a tool, we need significant details and visualization
- Must say WHY you’re choosing your method, CITE it, DEFEND it
- Must contain explicit data analysis plan
- “I’m going to read” is not an analysis plan
- If you’re doing qualitative analysis, you must lay out your theoretical framework and explain how you will interpret and arrive at your answers
- If you are doing quantitative research, we need an explicit discussion of how you assembled your study. Questionnaire? Where did you get the questions/scales from and what are they assessing? How are they evaluated (likert scale? semantic differential?)?
- Minimum 5 citations
Attached is the ppt of methods in my class session for reference
Selecting Methods of Data Collection
Kumar: Research Methodology Chapter 9
Prepared by Stephanie Fleischer
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Topics covered
Differences in methods of collecting data
Major sources of information gathering
Collecting data using primary sources
Observation
The interview
The questionnaire
Advantages and disadvantages
Types of questions
Formulating effective questions
Constructing a research instrument in quantitative research
Methods of data collection in qualitative research
Collecting data using secondary sources
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Differences in methods of collecting data in quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research
Quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods classification depends on the answers to the following questions:
What philosophical approach is underpinning the research approach?
How was the information collected? Was the format structured or unstructured/flexible or a combination of the both?
Were the questions or issues discussed during data collection predetermined or developed during data collection?
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Differences in methods of collecting data in quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research continued
How was the information gathered recorded? Was it in a descriptive, narrative, categorical, quantitative form or on a scale?
How was the information analysed? Was it a descriptive, categorical or numerical analysis?
How will the findings be communicated? In a descriptive or analytical manner?
How many different methods were used in undertaking the study?
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Insert Figure 9.1 Methods of data collection
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Major sources of information gathering
Primary data: The researcher undertakes the data collection
Secondary data: The data is already available and can be reanalysed
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Observation
Watching and listening to interactions
Participant observation
Non-participant observation
Natural
Controlled
Recording of observations:
Narrative recording
Categorical recording
Recording on electronic devices
Effects that could affect observations:
Hawthorne effect: Participants are aware of the observation and change their behaviour
Elevation effect: Researcher over-uses a particular scale for recording
Halo effect: Researcher bias towards a particular participant
authored by Stephanie Fleisher © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
The interview
Questioning people
Unstructured interviews: Freedom in structure, content, wording and order of questions
Structured interviews: Interview schedule predetermines the questions, wording and order
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
The questionnaire
Written list of questions completed by the respondent
Mail or postal questionnaire (covering letter)
Collective administration
Online questionnaire
Administration in a public place
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Choose between interview schedule and questionnaire
Consider the following:
The nature of the investigation
The geographical distribution of the study population
The type of study population
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Strengths and weaknesses of questionnaires
Strengths
Convenience:
Saves time
Inexpensive:
Saves human and financial resources
Offer greater anonymity
No face-to-face action
Likelihood to obtain more accurate information on sensitive questions
Weaknesses
Limited application
Low response rate
Self-selecting bias
Lack of opportunity to clarify issues
No opportunity for spontaneous responses
Responses may be influenced by the response to other questions
Others can influence the answers
Responses cannot be supplemented with other information
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Advantages and disadvantages of interviews
Advantages
More appropriate for complex situations
Useful for collecting in-depth information
Information can be supplemented
Questions can be explained
Has a wider application
Disadvantages
Time consuming and expensive
Quality of data depends on
Quality of interaction
Quality of interviewer
Could vary when multiple researchers are involved
Possibility of researcher bias
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Types of questions
Open-ended questions
Advantages:
Provide in-depth information
Greater variety of information
No investigator bias
Disadvantages
Analysis is more difficult if answers need to be classified
Loss of information if respondents cannot express themselves
Possible interviewer bias
Closed questions
Advantages:
Easy to answer
Easy to analyse due to ready-made categories
Disadvantages:
Information lacks depths and variety
Greater possibility of investigator bias
Answers are selected from a list and may not reflect respondents opinion
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Formulating effective questions
Use easy and every day language
Avoid ambiguous questions
Avoid double-barrelled questions
Avoid leading questions
Avoid questions based on assumptions
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Constructing a research instrument in quantitative research
Personal and sensitive questions
The order of the questions
Pre-testing a research instrument
Pre-requisites for data collection:
Motivation to share required information
Clear understanding of the questions
Possession of the required information
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Methods of data collection in qualitative research
Unstructured interviews
In-depth interviews
Focus group interviews
Narratives
Oral histories
Observation
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014
Collecting data using secondary sources
Government or corporate websites
Earlier research
Personal records
Mass media
Possible problems of secondary data:
Validity and reliability
Personal bias
Availability
Format
authored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014