The Effectiveness of Questionnaires in the Collection of Information - Essay Example

 The Effectiveness of Questionnaires in the Collection of Information The use of either closed or open questionnaires in collecting data among children has a number of both weaknesses and strengths all of which i8nfluence the creation of the questionnaires. As explained earlier, a questionnaire is an instrument of research that consists of both questions and prompts that help researchers gather information from the research respondents. The effectiveness of questionnaires in the collection of information relies on its structure and composition. The researcher must always understand his or her respondents while creating the questionnaires. Additionally, the researchers must consider the research topic. This way, the researcher develops effective questionnaires that enhance the collection of appropriate data for computation. Using questionnaires in the collection of data from children requires enhanced caution given the nature of children. A child is a minor who may not always have the prerequisite knowledge to respond effectively to the questions conveyed in a questionnaire. Besides the various ethical considerations that a researcher must always make before using children as respondents in a research, a researcher must further consider other intricate factors that may hamper the suitability of the questionnaires in such researches. Carrying out qualitative researchers on children is a complex process that further complicates the usability of structured questionnaires (Adler and Adler, 1998). Qualitative researches often use open-ended questionnaires, which may appear confusing to children. The discussion below presents a number of advantages and disadvantages of using questionnaires when carrying out qualitative researchers in children. Key among the advantages of using questionnaires in children is the fact that questionnaires are convenient to both the researchers and the respondents. Children spend most of their times in school and in playgrounds. As such, carrying out a research disrupts their normal life schedules. However, questionnaires present a practical solution to the fear of inconveniences. A researcher simply distributes the questionnaires to the children and requests them to fill them up at their own convenience before submitting the completed questionnaires back to him later. This way, the children spend their days normally without any substantial disruption. The children would then answer the questions in the questionnaires at their convenience a feature that makes the process convenient to both the children and the researchers. Questionnaires are always practical and are therefore likely to collect effective data for any research. The use of questionnaires often entails a detailed explanation of the topical issue the researcher investigates. Furthermore, every research question is clear with the researcher striving to enhance the clarity of expression. This way, the questions in the questionnaire guides the response. This enhances the accuracy and usefulness of the data gathered. Open-ended questions encourage the collection of large amounts of data usable in various researchers. Children are always equally practical and will strive to provide an avid explanation of the various research features as directed by the questionnaire. This implies that the researcher is likely to obtain large amounts of practical data usable in the research. Another fundamental strength is the fact that they permit either the researcher or any other individual to carry out the researcher. The individual carrying out the research does not affect the quality of the research. As explained earlier, children have underdeveloped minds and may not always understand the questions in the questionnaires. Additionally, children often open up only to particular individuals. They may therefore remain withdrawn in the presence of strangers only to open up to the people they trust such as their parents and teachers. As such, a researcher may seek the help of such people to help carrying out the research by encouraging the children to take part in the research. This safeguards the quality of the research findings. Using questionnaires in collecting data is always an easier process. The process enhances the process of carrying out the research since both the collection process and the data analysis. As explained earlier, questionnaires permit other people to help the researcher collect data. This expedites the data collection process. The same applies with the data analysis process. A researcher may analyze the data manually or use a computer software in the analysis process. This implies that the researcher has the liberty to choose either process depending on the one that promises enhanced efficiency. Quantifying the research findings is a vital process in any research. The pace of data collection especially in children may always slow down the entire research process given the nature of children (Punch, 2011). Soliciting the services of other people such as parents and teachers enhances the process of data collection while the use of computer software expedites the process of data analysis. This way, the entire research takes short durations thereby enhancing the eligibility of the research. Another equally important strength of questionnaires is the fact that they are useful in measuring change. Questionnaires enable the collections of practical and structured information that makes it possible to carrying out comparison between different researchers, the findings of one research compares with the findings of another thereby depicting change in the findings of two or more researchers depending on the variables in each (Punch, 2011). Such is a vital feature that makes it possible to measure the changes. Additionally, questionnaires enable the creation of new theories. As explained above, questionnaires helps compare findings in different researchers. In cases where such researchers result in observable changes, such changes create new theories. Furthermore, the nature of the data collection technique can help in the testing of existing hypothesis. Besides the numerous strengths, questionnaires have various weaknesses that may affect their effectiveness in data collection especially when used in children. Key among such weaknesses is their inability to understand such forms of information as changes in attitudes and emotions. The data collection technique limits the respondent to the set questions most of which often influence the response. This way, they ignore the behavior, attitudes and emotions of the respondent all of which may often affect their responses. This in turn affects the efficacy of the data collected. Additionally, some researchers use questionnaires as follow up to specific events of significance. Respondents such as children are always likely to forget some of the intricate features of the events. This implies that forgetfulness may affect the quality of the data collected. Attitudes and emotions often affect the quality of the research findings. As explained earlier, a researcher may always mail the questionnaires to the respondents who in turn answer the questions at their convenience. Such is a risk factor in the use of questionnaires since the researcher does not observe the emotions and feelings of the respondent. In case a respondent becomes incorporative, he can as well answer the questions inaccurately and without regarding the vital procedures of the research. Extremely incorporative respondents can refuse to answer the questions. Others may as well let other people answer the questions since the researcher is not there to supervise the process. This affects the validity of the data collected, which in turn affects the entire research. Cohen, Manion, and Morrison, (2000) explain that cogency is always an important factor in researches. The responses to the research questions must exhibit a degree of consistency in order to sustain a particular hypothesis. Using questionnaires limits the validity of the research findings. Firstly, the researcher cannot always tell the level of truthfulness of the responses. As stated earlier, some uncooperative respondents may always play with the questions and even let other people answer on their behalf. The absence of the researcher to supervise the data collection process affects the quality of the findings. Secondly, the respondent cannot tell the level of seriousness and thought that a respondent gave to the questionnaire. Thought and seriousness influences the consistency of the data collected. A serious respondent gives coherent answers. Other respondents may answer the questions merely for the sake of completing the process and the researcher may not differentiate such from the others. The use of questionnaires in collecting research data permits personal failures to affect the quality of data collected. The absence of the researcher to guide the response process implies that the children are free to answer the questions, as they comprehend them. Children are always likely to read and understand questions differently (Bassey, 1999). The data collection technique permits such relative concepts to affect the quality of the data collected. The children will answer the questions according to their varied understanding. The data collected from a number of children will therefore vary depending on their varied interpretation of the research questions. This affects the quality of the research findings. In retrospect, questionnaires are some of the most efficient data collection techniques. Using questionnaires in children respondents is always practical and may enhance the efficiency of the research process. Questionnaires enhance the convenience of the research process to both the researchers and the respondents. However, the data collection technique has a number of weaknesses especially when used in children. As such, the researchers must always consider the type of the respondents thereby constructing appropriate questionnaires that may enhance the effectiveness of the data collected. Freeman and Mathieson, (2009) explains that using open-ended questions in children further aggravates the case since the children are likely to digress to other unnecessary information that may not add value to the research. In fact, such deviations often limit the efficacy of the data collected. References Adler, P. and Adler, P. (1998) ‘Observational Techniques’, in Denzin, N. and Lincoln, Y. (eds.) Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials, London: Sage. Bassey, M. (1999) Case Study Research in Educational Settings, Milton Keynes: Open University Press. Bell, J. (1999) Doing Your Research Project 3rd ed. Milton Keynes: Open University Press. Clifford, J. and Marcus, G. (eds.) (1984) Writing Culture: The Poetics and Politics of Ethnography, Berkley: University of California Press. Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2000) Research Methods in Education, 5th edn. London: Routledge Falmer. Costley, C., Elliott, G. & Gibbs, P. (2010) Doing Work Based Research: Approaches to Enquiry for Insider- Researchers, London: Sage. Crème, P. and Lea, M. (2003)Writing at University: a Guide for Students. 2nd edn. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Epstein, D. (1998) ‘Are you a girl or are you a teacher?’ The ‘Least Adult’ role in Research about Gender and Sexuality in a Primary School’ in Walford, E. (ed.) Doing Research about Education, London: Falmer Press. Erben, M. (1998) ‘Biography and Research Method’ in Erben, M. (ed.) Biography and Education: A Reader. London: Falmer Press. Freeman, M and Mathieson, S. (2009). Researching Children’s Experiences. Surrey: The Guildford Press. Punch, K. (2011). Introduction to Research Methods in Education, London: SAGE. Appendices The key strengths of using questionnaires include the convenience it provides to both the researchers and the respondents. Additionally, the data collection technique expedites the data collection and analysis process. The fact that anybody besides the researcher can use the questionnaires to collect data expedites the process of data collection. Additionally, the fact that the researcher can use computer software to process the data expedites the analysis of the data thereby speeding up the entire research. Its weaknesses on the other hand include the lack of validity to the data collected. The researcher cannot always tell the amount of thought and the seriousness of respondents. This implies that the validity of data collected relies on the respondents’ cooperation. The fact that the data collection technique does not measure the attitudes, feelings and behaviors of the respondents subjects the data collected to a number of factors that may affect the coherence of the data. Given the nature of questionnaires, their main opportunity is in accessing respondents that a research may not reach using any other method. As explained earlier, questionnaires are convenient since the researcher simply mails them to the respondent regardless of their geographical location. The use of the internet makes it more convenient since the researcher can mail the questionnaires to the respondents regardless of their locations. The respondents would answer the questions before mailing them back to the researcher for analysis. The main threat to the use of questionnaires is the attitudes and emotions of respondents. Uncooperative respondents may fail to answer the questions. They may also choose to answer them wrongly or even give their friends to answer the questions on their behalf. They may refuse to mail the questionnaires back to the researcher or mail them back since the researcher will not have a way to quantify the efficacy of the data after all. This affects the quality of the research findings. An alternative data collection technique is the use of interviews. This refers to the face-to-face interaction between the researcher and the respondents. The researcher asks questions to the interviewee as the researcher either records of fills up a form. The strengths of interviews include accuracy of screening and the capture of both verbal and non-verbal communication. This enhances the effectiveness of the data collection process. The weaknesses of the data collection technique include the fact that limits the sample size since the researcher must meet all the respondents within a set time. Additionally, manual data entry during the interviews slows the process. Using interview in collecting data from children respondents is appropriate since the researcher translates the questions and helps the children understand. This enhances the cohesiveness of the data collected. Additionally, the use of telephone interviews is always practical and helps overcome the geographical barriers to communication that would otherwise hinder the method of data collection. The threats to the use of interviews in data collection include the high cost since the researcher must travel and incur the travel expenses all of which increase the cost of the research. Furthermore, the technique limits the research sample, which in turn limits the exhaustiveness of a study. Read More