research methods: self-report techniques

Question 1

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 1

A pre-set list of written questions used to assess a person’s thoughts and/or experiences

Question 2

What is an open question?

Answer 2

Questions that have no fixed range of answers and respondents are free to answer in any way they want

Question 3

What kind of data do open questions produce?

Answer 3

Qualitative data

Question 4

What are the advantages of qualitative data?

Answer 4

• rich in depth
• detailed

Question 5

What is a disadvantage of qualitative data?

Answer 5

Difficult to analyse, making it harder to spot patterns in responses

Question 6

What are closed questions?

Answer 6

Questions that have a fixed number of responses e.g. ‘yes’ or ‘no’ responses, a scale response or a list of possible responses

Question 7

What kind of data do closed questions produce?

Answer 7

Quantitative data

Question 8

What are the advantages of closed questions?

Answer 8

• They are numerical and easy to analyse
• makes it easier to spot patterns in a data set

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of closed questions?

Answer 9

• May lack depth and detail
• As the participant’s responses are limited to a fixed set, this can be argued to be less valid

Question 10

Ev: What are the strengths of using questionnaires?

Answer 10

• Cost-effective
• Gather large amounts of data quickly - distributed to large numbers of people
• Postal questionnaires - reduces effort needed to participate and researcher presence is not necessary
• Produces straightforward data which is easy to analyse, particularly if questionnaires mainly use closed questions
• Data contributes to statistics and allows graphs and charts to be produced allowing comparisons to be made

Question 11

Ev: What are the limitations of using questionnaires?

Answer 11

• Responses may not be truthful
• Demand characteristics and social desirability bias
• Respondents may want to present themselves in a positive light and this may influence their answers
• Questionnaires can produce response bias
• Respondents tend to respond in a similar way (acquiesence bias)
  -> This may be because respondents answer the questionnaire too quickly

Question 12

What is an interview?

Answer 12

A live encounter (face to face or phone or video) where the interviewer asks a set of questions to assess the interviewees thoughts and/or experiences

Question 13

What are the three types of interview?

Answer 13

• Structured
• Semi-structured
• Unstructured

Question 14

What is a structured interview?

Answer 14

• Questions may be preset
• Questions asked in a fixed order
• The interviewer asks a question and waits for a response
• Similar to a questionnaire but conducted face to face

Question 15

What are the advantages of a structured interview?

Answer 15

• Straightforward and easy to replicate due to their standardised format
• Format reduces differences between interviewers, reducing interviewer bias
• The interviewer does not have to be highly trained to conduct the interview

Question 16

What are the limitations of a structured interview?

Answer 16

• Interviewees cannot go off topic or elaborate their points which may cause frustration
• Cant provide further detail

Question 17

What is an unstructured interview?

Answer 17

• The interviewer is encouraged to elaborate or explain their answers
• the questions may develop as the interview goes along
• No pre-set questions
• Interaction is free flowing

Question 18

What are the advantages of an unstructured interview?

Answer 18

• Interviewee can elaborate their points
• the interviewer is more likely to gain insight into the view of the interviewee
• Rapport is more likely as the participant is more comfortable to answer

Question 19

What are the limitations of an unstructured interview?

Answer 19

• Analysis of data is not straightforward. Drawing firm conclusions may be difficult
• As with questionnaires, the interviewee may lie (social desirability bias) although this can happen in structured interviews as well
• Every interview will be different making comparisons difficult

Question 20

What is a semi-structured interview?

Answer 20

• Most common type of interview e.g. job interview
• There is a list of pre-set questions but interviewers may also follow up questions when they feel it is appropriate

Question 21

What are the advantages of a semi-structured interview?

Answer 21

• The interview responses are easy to compare due to the same questions used
• Interviewer can ask follow up questions in response to interesting answers
• Rapport is more likely, the participant feeling more likely to feel comfortable

Question 22

What are the disadvantages of a semi-structured interview?

Answer 22

Highly trained interviewer to think up appropriate questions in the moment