2. Contents
Four type of interviews ...........................................................................................................2
Focus groups ...........................................................................................................................3
Observation..............................................................................................................................3
Surveys .....................................................................................................................................4
Experimental design ...............................................................................................................5
Qualitative vs. quantitative research ....................................................................................5
Situational and task factors affects.......................................................................................6
Respondent factors affecting research method..................................................................6
Choice of research design .....................................................................................................7
Timeline and cost analysis.....................................................................................................7
Fourtypeof interviews:-
Face to face interview: face to face interviews are a type of questions and answers
between researcher/data collector and focus group (individually and face to face).
This is the best method which shows social cues of interviewee. Social cues
represents personality of an individual including body language, voice etc. This is
some more information interviewee provides just like verbal answers. This could be
added to one of the advantages of face to face interviews. It’s not much time taking
method because there would be some specific questions and interviewee has to
answer them as quickly as possible. This can be tapes just for the accurate data
collection as compare to written note in which one similar but wrong word can
change the whole thing. For example, close have two meanings so we can’t get it
properly without a proper sentence but still note taking is important for interviewer.
To do the ending of face to face interview is much easier as both parties can feel or
see the shuffling of papers, body language, expressions etc. but due to meeting of
both parties, there would be much cost of travelling and meeting venue should be of
good environment which will cost more. Sometimes people want to have the
expenses cost from researchers. The tape recording takes less time as interview but
the process to transcribe it takes much more time.
Phone interviews: the interview taken place on phone calls to collect data from
people can be considered as telephone interview. This is better than face to face
interviews as we can have access to people much more but it’s not possible while
interviewing people face to face. This is first advantage of this method but there is
lack of consideration of social cues as it was so easy in face to face interviews (apart
from voice). There is no limit of area selection from which people would be
interviewed but we can interview people from overseas easily (in case of wide range
of research or data collection). No matter if person selected is mother, busy worker,
student or a disabled or old community. There are some disadvantages of this
interview method as well, like creation of possible good interview ambience is not
easy. A bad weather condition or line fault can turn the good ongoing interview,
creepy and unsuccessful. Other people can interfere in the conversation which will
affect accurate data as well.
3. MSN messenger interview types: just like phone interviews, we can see a lot of
participants but lack of social cues. This will include emotions are some of them are
considered as professional emotions. The disadvantage in this method is cultural
difference as even a research in a tiny area or small focus group; there is a
possibility of people of different originalities. They have different thinking for a single
symbol. According to SHACHAF (2005, p.52) "the lack of nonverbal and social cues
reduces miscommunication due to cultural diversity". In this type of communication, this
is proved that people discloses the information they do hide due to unknown
reasons. But this was disproved or not accepted by some of people who think that
reality is totally different from what has been said. It saves time and not much cost
would be involved in it. The chance of getting accurate data and right answer is
higher. One of the good things in it is the machine or recorder avoids disturbing
voices. This is the best way as new technology has been introduced and used. Our
body got limited access of every task so interview on msn messenger and notes or
data collection is not quite possible for us but good thing is transcription takes no
time. A try to do two tasks may lead to miscommunication and unsuccessful
research. At the end termination of it is also not easy to do.
E-mails: This can replace f-f interview as a wide reach of participants in it but not
good from msn messengers because of lack of social cues and limited register for
conversation. This can be reduced by using emotions but it varies from area to area.
No disturbances at all and questions could be formulated and interview is allowed to
answer it whenever he/she wants as independence of time and place. There is no
cost or transcription time on this and they can give their answer in the way they like.
This can lead us to get more data in some of the interviews with people. No written
noted to be needed as we are getting and sending questions. Some email interviews
dies away and some of them creates abruption at the time of termination so there
would be difficulty in closing.
Focusgroups:-
In qualitative research, there is a selected group of individuals who are asked about
their thinking, attitude, opinion and recommendations related to any service or
product. Focus group can provide trustworthy data with saying some words but not
numbers. Researcher selects 20-25 people for a single session but the research
room is to be filled with selected 10-15 people and they should be similar just to
increase quality of data. There are some advantages of focus groups as they ensure
that conversation is always on track with no domination of one individual in a
meeting. When discussion begins, the group can create new thinking among others
and it comes into a deep or in depth discussion. Due to them, specification of topics
to be discussed comes into more specification. Attitude, behaviour, body language
etc. can be helpful in updating of decision of moderator and final research results.
Moderator is important as without him/her other people can’t dominate the
discussion. Sometime focus groups not prefer to give right details which leads to
inaccurate data collection.
Observation:-
Human observation: in this observation, a researcher observes behaviour of focus
group. There are some special situation when researcher prefers to observe people,
when people are not seem to be acting similar to details given, then observation
4. takes place, like to see how they are acting while on the phone. They have to
observe them when it’s seems hard to get details by verbal communication or survey
results are fail to predict behaviours of people or people are not able to say but can
show what the reality is. In marketing research, human observation or personal
observation is to observe product or service and look after the usage and problems
of it. In this cost and time taken is also considered.
Human observation uses human being where mechanical observation is done by
machines while collection of data from research but further it is interpreted by human
beings again. There are some examples of machine, coulometer, pupilometers,
Nielsen box, psychogalvanometer etc. Psychogalvanometer is used to measure
someone’s response where Nielsen box track down television station watch.
Electronic checkout scanners are to record human purchase behaviour. Apart from
these machines, cameras on a place are also used to track people’s behaviour and
activities.
Ethnographic observation: ethnography is close observation and interpretation for
collection of information regarding different cultural groups. Workplace is called field
where work is known as fieldwork. In this type of observations, researcher evaluates
authentic behaviour. Due to access of information, this observation could be time
consuming and its interpretation is very difficult in most of cases. Due to above
reasons, it is less understandable. Proper study and defining method can cure this
problem. Tools being used in this method are paper, notes for description and
electronic devices for interpretation. The procedure for this observation goes like
task structure, time frame, information and data collection flow method and work
around, errors and improvements at the end.
Observation helps us to see activities of people either they are alone or in a team. It
shows reality not a report by data collector/observer based on individual thinking. It
increases validity of researcher and it can improve analysis of initial behaviour.
Whether there is verbal or non verbal communication regarding focus group profiles
observation helps us to get information in any case as non verbal communication is
important in some of cases. The first disadvantage of observation method is
researcher bias. This is because in observation (human observation especially) a
human is collection data by observing focus group and they are able to affect the
report in any way and anytime. Just observation is not enough for whole research
process. Attitude and social cues is not clear enough sometimes.
Surveys:-
A discussion or a small interview with someone on a particular topic is known as
surveys. There is a survey with team as well but it’s just collection of data. Research
techniques include questionnaire, interview and just survey. Just survey is another
type of survey in survey research. Further surveys are classified into four categories,
in person surveys, telephone, online and self filled. When we do interviews at home
of people then it’s In person surveys. Feedback/results are available at the same
time. Telephone survey means survey to be done via electronic devices like
telephone, laptop or computer etc. question would be available and we just have to
answer it on same device. Skipping option is available and software for data
collection manages focus group according to their phone number. Self filled surveys
are mostly used by companies when a question paper is ready to give it to people
5. and they have to answer them as they want at any time. Answers can be given back
by mail or by hand by same time. Online surveys are questionnaire to people by
emails, websites or another online way and easy online way to respond the
questions so basically electronic way for response.
This is less time consuming, less costly and depends on electronic devices like
computer, mobile etc. Improved surveys are almost free from most of errors. Data
can be collected in a wide range. To get flexibility, numerous questions can be asked
and get data collected. Large number of respondents can be covered and no
dependence of environmental factors. No element can encourage people to provide
right and accurate answers. There would be fewer errors in it but still there would be
existence of some of the errors. There is no restriction of answering every answer
which can create bias. Questions may be understandable but if it’s not then it will
create new problem in final data collection. Interpretation by respondents could be
different in case of unclear data collected.
Experimentaldesign:-
Experimental design shows how focus group is distributed in different conditions in a
specific experiment. In most of cases, people in focus group are divided into two
parties in which one party is with proper information so they would be preferred for
any sort of change. Commonly, there are three types of experiment designs
including independent measures, repeated measures and matched pairs.
Independent measures, this measurement follows different group of people for
different conditions. The selection is random and there is a try to give a chance of
participation to every individual. The advantage of this design is we can have data
from almost every participant. Not a boring design as different people will be
allocated in different conditions. Disadvantages we will face are need of more people
as it’s impossible to create with a few numbers of people. Variation in participants
means variation of age, sex or culture which can affect final result.
Repeated measures, to cure independent measure it was been created so that
same design could be done with fewer number of people but still there would be
same team of people for every condition. It’s an improvement in last measure so it is
an advantage of design. It’s less time consuming. But in case of few people, there
would be a repeat order due to which people will take it as boring and feel tired. We
also have to look after balancing of order of condition with group of people.
Matched pairs: it is just a random choice of people to divide them into control group
and experimental group. It’s good as it’s having lesser variables so less chances of
crash of skills and abilities. It also improves order effect problem so there is no need
of balance it all. It not selected because it takes much time to match and not easy to
match someone with the same ideal candidate.
Qualitativevs. quantitativeresearch:-
Qualitative research Quantitative research
Helpful in collection of data with
recommendations and reasons.
It is based on opinions and what people
think.
Helpful in collecting data and results with
samples came out from sample or focus
group.
It can also take help from qualitative
6. research and focus on findings by
following it.
It is non-statistical and depends on
words.
Statistics is base and data will be in
forms of tabs where in description we
can have final result only.
Both unstructured as well as structured
method could be in use.
Only structured method will work on it
like telephone interviews or online
questionnaires etc.
Selected small number of participants
would be there and there would be no
extra entry after filling the given quota.
Just a random selection of sample which
can be large.
There is some investigation after final
research as well so response from
respondents is not enough and it starts
new decision making process.
Just a normal result from response of
sample selected.
Situationalandtaskfactorsaffects:-
Timing of research: it factor affects the choice of data collection method as every
researcher wants an easy, quick and reliable method of research and it should take
less efforts of him/her. If researcher is choosing quantitative research method so
researcher will focus on responses and reason but not the data coming from
respondents in tabs. They will need to adjust time according to ongoing research and
further results.
Weather condition can affect research so our choice should be according to
weather and no participant can be like unable to contribute in research due to bad
weather. In this case we can have an example, if research is going on in a place full
of clouds and rain predictions so online/telephonic survey and interview or msn
messenger can help us in this case.
Location affects the methods as well as people will prefer which method it is very
important to know because in busy areas, people will demand for quickest method
but in slow areas it fine to get much more details. Area where we can have qualified
people is also important.
Research information also affects people as they like to contribute to research if
they are aware of everything but if they don’t know about what and why research is
going on her then they prefer to avoid research or skip the asked questions.
Respondentfactorsaffectingresearchmethod:-
Attitudinal constructs: this plays a vital role in pushing focus group into survey
response process. Response rate research always proved as beneficial as in
consideration of how some factors and design can change responses.
Personal constructs: respondent’s personal reason can lead to inaccurate data
collection and choice of method is also affected by this as respondent will see how
much reliable it would be to be in the survey and will affect researcher’s choice that
could be changed in a little while.
7. Apart from those, there are some other reasons which will make researcher to
change his/her decision of how he/she should do research by using which method.
Cultural difference and knowledge will affect respondent’s answer and
researcher’s data from which he/she will decide from where to begin. Experienced
respondent can be helpful because they know how and why research should be
done and recommendation for ongoing research to researcher.
Choiceof research design:-
Choice of research design should be according to its problem solving ability.
Research problem will be sorted then the accurate data and final result would be our
aim to achieve. Independent research design will be preferred in this case as it has
less cons. and more advantages. It’s balanced and every participant will give his/her
opinion and information they can provide us. A random selection will prefer anyone.
This means there would be no bias further and research will give accurate data. As
we know that there would be some variables which can be affecting research in
negative way but it also gives us idea of what people of different kind/variable (i.e.
gender, ethnicity or age) and what they can provide us after discussing a single topic
with each other. It’s not time consuming as in a research time is one of the main
factors which should be under control. Some studies like double mind method,
random control or cohort studies can help us in managing research factors and
select a perfect research experimental design for our research.
Timelineand cost analysis:-
Timeline is just like a time table which tells us what we are going to do and when
that will be finished. In this time line of research, we can include start date, end date,
task to be done and total duration can be added as well.
Start date End date Total duration Title
1/10/2015 3/10/2015 3 days Requirements
4/10/2015 6/10/2015 3 days Pre planning
7/10/2015 10/10/2015 4 days Review
11/10/2015 25/10/2015 15 days Interviewing
26/10/2015 30/10/2015 5 days No-go decision
1/11/2015 7/11/2015 7 days Final research
8/11/2015 10/11/2015 3 days Result out
Costs will include all the salaries of workers doing research, cost of place, travelling,
supplies or equipment used etc. we have selected qualitative research method which
is costly as compare to quantitative research method but cost management is able to
reduce it much more. As above we got a lot of works to do and every work will
demand for some other things further which are quite important to understand so
cost will be much and management is required.
