STUDENT’S NAME SLIDE Introduction Elicitation refers to a technique used unnoticeably to collect information. Experimentation and observation techniques are used in data/ information collection. Observation technique is, watching what people do. An experimental research involves a situation where the researcher manipulates one variable, and control the rest of the variables. Experimentation techniques are used to investigate or analyze an occurrence, and come up with conclusion. It has a control group and the subjects have been randomly assigned between the groups, and the researcher only tests one effect at a time. 2 Rationale of the techniques Helps one to find out what they don’t know concerning a given category of people. Information is the basic requirement to have high quality decision-making Information is a good tool when planning on data analysis There are different methods of research methods for obtaining information such as; survey, focus group, demographic information, interviews, similar business, chambers of commerce, trend information, psychographic information, associations and adverts. These techniques are important in that they provide the required information for research, (Parker, 2004). 3 Different observation techniques Complete observer Observer as participant Participant as observer Complete participant Complete observer: This is a detached observer where the researcher is neither seen nor noticed by participants. Observer as participant: Here the researcher is known and recognized by the participants and in many cases, the participants know the research goals of the observer. Participant as observer: Here the researcher is fully engaged with the participants. She is more of a friend or colleague than a neutral third party. Complete participant: This is a fully embedded researcher, almost like a spy. Here the observer fully engages with the participants and partakes in their activities. 4 Different experimentation techniques Experiments are of two types: Those conducted in a laboratory setting And those which are executed in natural settings; these are referred to as field experiments. There are a number of potential impediments to obtaining valid results from experiments. There are a number of potential impediments to obtaining valid results from experiments. These may be categorized according to whether a given confounding factor has internal validity, external validity, or both. Internal validity is called into question when there is doubt that the experimental treatment is actually responsible for changes in the value of the dependent variable. External validity becomes an issue when there is uncertainty as to whether experimental findings can be generalized to a defined population. 5 Different experimentation techniques Personal interviews-personal interviews include unstructured, open-ended questions. Observation-Individual responses to surveys and focus groups are sometimes at od.