Methods and Techniques

Methods and Techniques

Data gathering is a flexible and exciting process; especially
when you use surveys.
Survey research is a research method involving the use of
standardized questionnaires or interviews to collect data about
people and their preferences, thoughts, and behaviors in a
systematic manner.
There are different survey methods that allow you to collect
relevant information from research participants or the people
who have access to the required data. 
Depending on how the data is collected, survey research can
be divided into two broad categories: questionnaire surveys
(which may be mail-in, group-administered, or online
surveys), and interview surveys (which may be personal,
telephone, or focus group interviews).
Types of Survey Methods
Interviews
Participant observation
Focus groups
Survey
Key informants
Case studies
Controlled observation and experiments
Interviews
An interview is a research method where the researcher facilitates some sort of
conversation with the research participant to gather useful information about
the research subject. This conversation can happen physically as a face-to-face
interview or virtually as a telephone interview or via video and audio-
conferencing platforms.  
During an interview, the researcher has the opportunity to connect personally
with the research subject and establish some sort of relationship. This
connection allows the interviewer (researcher) to gain more insight into the
information provided by the research participant in the course of the
conversation. 
An interview can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. In a
structured interview, the researcher strictly adheres to a sequence of
premeditated questions throughout the conversation. In a semi- unstructured
interview, the researcher has a set of premeditated interview questions but he or
she can veer off the existing interview sequence to get more answers and gain
more clarity from the interviewee. In an unstructured interview, the researcher
is allowed to leverage his or her knowledge and to creatively weave questions
to help him or her to get useful information from the participant.
Advantages of Interviews
1. Interviews, especially face-to-face interviews, allow you to
capture non-verbal nuances that provide more context
around the interviewee’s responses. For instance, the
interview can act in a certain way to suggest that he or she
is uncomfortable with a particular question. 
2. Interviews are more flexible as a method of survey
research. With semi-structured and unstructured
interviews, you can adjust the conversation sequence to
suit prevailing circumstances. 
Disadvantages of Interviews
3. It is expensive and time-consuming; especially when you
have to interview large numbers of people. 
4. It is subject to researcher bias which can affect the quality
of data gathered at the end of the process.
Participant Observation 
Participant observation is a highly effective method
of in-depth study in a small community. It is a
method of gathering data by paying attention to the
actions and behaviors of the research subjects as
they interact in their environment.
This qualitative research method allows you to get
first-hand information about the research subjects
in line with the aims and objectives of your
systematic investigation. 
A good example of this is when a researcher
visits a school to understand how students interact
with each other during extra-curricular activities. 
Advantages of Observation Method
1. It is one of the simplest methods of data
collection as it does not require specialization or
expertise in many cases.
2. The observation method helps you to formulate a
valid research hypothesis for your systematic
investigation. You can test this hypothesis via
experimental research to get valid findings.
  
Disadvantages of Observation Method
3. When the participants know they are being
observed, they may act differently and this can
affect the accuracy of the information you gather. 
Focus Groups
A focus group is an open conversation with a small
number of carefully selected participants who provide
useful information for research. The selected participants
are a subset of your research population and should
represent the different groups in the larger population. 
In a focus group, the researcher can act as the moderator
who sets the tone of the conversation and guides the
discourse. The moderator ensures that the overall
conversations are in line with the aims and objectives of
the research and he or she also reduces the bias in the
discussions. Common types of focus groups you should
consider include: Dual-moderator focus group, Mini focus
group, Client-involvement focus group and Virtual or
online focus groups. 
Advantages of Focus Groups
1. Focus groups are open-ended and this allows
you to explore a variety of opinions and ideas
that may come up during the discussions. 
2. Focus groups help you to discover other salient
points that you may not have considered in the
systematic investigation. 
Disadvantages of Focus Groups
3. Participants may not communicate their true
thoughts and experiences and this affects the
validity of the entire process.
4. Participants can be easily influenced by the
opinions of other people in the group. 
Surveys
A survey is a data collection tool that lists a set of
structured questions to which respondents provide
answers based on their knowledge and experiences. It
is a standard data gathering process that allows you to
access information from a predefined group of
respondents during research. 
In a survey, you would find different types of
questions based on the research context and the type
of information you want to have access to.
Many surveys combine open-ended and closed-ended
questions including rating scales and semantic scales.
This means you can use them for qualitative and
quantitative research. 
Advantages of Surveys
1. Surveys allow you to gather data from a large
sample size or research population. This helps to
improve the validity and accuracy of your research
findings. 
2. The cost of creating and administering a survey is
usually lower compared to other research methods.
3. It is a convenient method of data collection for the
researcher and the respondents. 
Disadvantages of Surveys
4. The validity of the research data can be affected by
survey response bias. 
5. High survey dropout rates can also affect the
number of responses received in your survey. 
Key informants
Key informants are most reliable on factual
matters, such as the services and facilities
available to the community. Their opinions
and evaluations are also helpful but for a
wider view you need to follow up with a
survey or other research project. It is often
possible to collect valuable information
from few members of the community who
are knowledgeable about certain matters.
 
Case studies
A case study looks in depth at
a typical case. It provides
valuable insights into a
research and a skilled
researcher encourages people
to talk and reveal rich and
lively picture. 
Controlled observation and
experiments
Controlled observation can be
part of a larger study and can
also lend itself to carefully
designed experiments.
Experiments are often
expensive and time consuming.