Interviewing and a Questionnaire as a Qualitative Method the Gathering of Information - Essay Example

Research and Statistics By TAQ Questionnaires A questionnaire is a qualitative research method with a set of questions used to facilitate the gathering of information from a group of people. There are questionnaires that quantify discrete variables and others with a set of questions that are amassed into a scale (Goodwin, 2010, pp 12-15). A questionnaire may assess the depth of gender disparity in a society. It can contain questions about people’s opinions about gender issues. The questions may be closed; requiring an affirmative or negative answer, or open; requiring separate individual opinions (Kothari, 2005, pp 34-37). The undertakers of the research may not be cognizant of the underlying level of understanding of the questions by the respondents because there is no personal contact with them. There are specific questions contained in the questionnaires, the researcher may miss important information that could help to deduce the attributes of the people that are the topic of research (Kothari, 2005, pp 47-50). Interviews Interviewing is a qualitative method of research where there is a conversation between the researcher and the interviewees. It is a strategy used by researchers to deduce the experience of the targeted group by asking a set of relevant questions via the telephone, the internet or in physical contact with them. The interview should be clear, interpretative, knowledgeable, and critical and should remember the subject matter. Interviews can target individuals (personal interview) or target a group of people (group interviews). An example of interview is the one to investigate the thoughts children have about education and their mental state regarding this issue. This may be to assess the mental state of children (Rubin & Babbie, 2011, pp 82-84). Interviews have their limitations. It might be difficult to plan the time and meeting point for the interview. The participants can reschedule the interview or worse even sabotage it. Interviewers have the task of making the interviewees feel comfortable. There are instances where interviewees are hostile to the interviewers based on race, culture or even personal feelings (Tarantino & Peary,1998, pp 65-70). TAQ 2 The main purpose of the research is mainly to define effect the expectations would have on the performance of the children in the reading test. This is a mental hypothesis; increase in the performance of the children with increased expectation in the reading test. The dependent variable within the research is the performance of the prevailing children and it is measurable. It is mental since it is based on the expectations expected of the two groups of children in the reading test. This is a one-tailed directional hypothesis because there is a difference between the scores of the two groups and it is expected that Mr. Whitebeards class would score less than Mrs. Mullet’s class (GREENE & DOLIVEIRA, 2006, pp 19-20). The control group in the experiment is Mr. Whitebeards class. The purpose of this control group is to determine the consequentialism of the mind-set expectations of students. The independent variable is the expectation in the performance (GREENE & DOLIVEIRA, 2006, pp 23-30). TAQ 3 1) Repeated Measures Design Independent Groups Design Advantages Advantages Each individual researcher contributes in all conditions and thus smaller number of researchers is required for the process. This is applicable in cases where it is expensive to run everyone in the tests. It stretches the external validity this is because unlike in repeated measures design there are more contributors who are made part of the entire experiment. As there is information from similar people in both situations, there is increased sensitivity in the statistical deduction of the key variances between groups. Through independent group designs, order defects are avoided. This is the fatigue and boredom the researchers undergo from the repetition of several tests. The individual variances are visible and can be explained since the effects of the free variables are clearly visible. There is ease in the separation of the orderly individual variances from the effects of free variables. Scores are greater for each participant and thus the influence of the free variables on the dependent variables can be deduced. Independent group design requires only a single set of those participating and a single test for every condition of the free variable in under study. The individual variances can be observed and an explanation offered. The influence of the free variables on the recall scores are evident The researcher can use the same stimuli information for the different each group of participants. Disadvantages Disadvantages A special sequence is required in order to present the various conditions. There are more people required in carrying out independent group designs than in the repeated measures design. It utilizes utilitarianism by maximizing the use of the number of people. The usage of the same set of members causes hitches in counteracting the trouble of the effects in order and the necessity for additional content. Variations in the participant’s parameters like the social background, sex, gender,IQ, age and personality may affect the overall result of the research. This technique has smaller range of potential application when compared to the independent group design. For instance, it is difficult to in societies are coalesced into groups and clans. It is uneconomical to use this technique where there are a small number of participants since they require twice the number of participants as required in the repeated measures design to obtain the same amount of information. 2) Observation Experiments Advantages Advantages It is applicable, diverse and flexible. It is application in a vast range of set ups since it can take many forms from the informal approaches to the complex and structured standardized approach. It therefore yields both quantitative and qualitative data. It is the only form of research where the cause and the effects of behaviors can be known. This is because it involves the use of variables manipulatively to determine what variable causes what effect on what variable. It provides a straight contact with the phenomenon in question. The direct observation and the recording of the phenomenon being studied minimizes the trouble linked with deduction from self-reports. Field experiments are ecologically valid since nature makes the observers to behave normally. It sets the mental states of the observer in accordance with the surrounding. It can be used to complement other data collection strategies and thus resulting into quality data evidence obtained by a researcher. Experiments contain standard procedural formats that can be repeated over and over to improve the precision and the accuracy of the results obtained. Observations consist of recordings after the practice. Therefore they provide a permanent tangible record of the research for analysis and future reference. Experiments allow the researchers to control variables. It a society, effects of ethical issues are experimented to determine variables that cause them. Observation uses mechanical equipment that enables the collection of massive quantities of data within a short span of time. These equipment enabled the standardized collection of data and avoids the errors involved in the set ups. Experiments yield data that is quantitative and can be analyzed through tests that offer comments at the end that compare the information derived in the experiment and what would have happened by chance. Disadvantages Disadvantages Observation comes along with the “observer effect’. This describes the effect that the observer has on the elements of study being observed. The mere presence of the observer might affect the character and behavior of the elements being observed. Researchers of natural experiments may be faced by environmental constraints in nature for instance extreme weather conditions that may affect their data collection. The observer might be biased in his observation and this affects the validity, credibility and reliability of the information assembled. There are cases where repetition of the experiments is not possible and thus the validity of the data obtained in the experiments cannot be determined. Observations consume a lot of time and resources when tallied against other research methods. Researchers may be at a disadvantage of time and resource constraints. The artificiality of laboratory experiments does not infer to real life experiences. This artificiality may alter the behavior of the elements when tallied with what would be derived ecologically in nature. There is a problem of ethical discomfort when using certain techniques for observation. The use of hidden cameras to record behaviors or trends may lead to charges for illegally or unethically practices. The researchers have no control over all the variables. There might be many confounding variables when conducting natural experiments that the researcher is not aware of and is not able to control. Bibliography Goodwin, C. J. (2010). Research in psychology: methods and design. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley. Kubrick, S., & Phillips, G. D. (2001). Stanley Kubrick: interviews. Jackson, University Press of Mississippi. Tarantino, Q., & Peary, G. (1998). Interviews. Jackson, Univ. Press of Mississippi. Ahmad, M. R. (2008). Analysis of high dimensional repeated measures designs the one- and two-sample test statistics. Göttingen, Cuvillier. Kothari, C. R. (2005). Research methodology: methods & techniques. New Delhi, New Age International (P) Ltd. Rubin, A., & Babbie, E. R. (2011). Research methods for social work. Belmont, CA, Brooks/Cole Cengage. GREENE, J., & DOLIVEIRA, M. (2006). Learning to use statistical tests in psychology. Maidenhead, England, Open University Press. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=290384. Read More