Research Methods

Research Methods

1. Official Statistics

   • Advantages
     • Readily available and easy to find
     • Highly valid and mostly accurate
     • Shows large scale trends
   • Disadvantages
     • Statistic manipulation by companies or governments
     • Differing definitions lead to inaccuracy

2. Structured Interviews

   • Disadvantages
     • Unable to probe or go in depth
     • Cannot build a rapport
   • Advantages
     • Easy to quantify and replicate
     • Completed quickly so a large sample can be used

3. Questionnaires

   • Disadvantages
     • Low response rate
     • No ability to explain questions
     • Unable to probe
   • Advantages
     • Low cost so a large sample can be used
     • Avoids interviewer bias

4. Participant Observation

   • Covert
     • Advantages
       • Don't disturb natural behaviour
       • Access to unresearchable groups
     • Disadvantages
       • Ethical issues: Consent and Trust
       • Possibility of being uncovered is dangerous
       • Going native: lack of objectivity
   • Overt
     • Advantages
       • No consent issues
       • Build a rapport
     • Disadvantages
       • Hawthorne Effect: May alter behaviour
       • Lose objectivity

5. Unstructured Interviews

   • Advantages
     • Flexible: answers can be adapted, explained or changed
     • Opportunity to probe (greater validity)
     • Build a rapport
   • Disadvantages
     • Time consuming: go off topic
     • Data is difficult to analyse and quantify