self-report

questionnaires definition

• involves the systematic, large-scale collection of data

• pre-set list of questions

  • can be either open or closed questions

strengths of questionnaires

• quick - allows for a large amount of data to be gathered in a short amount of time

• cheap - can be completed without the research present or in a set research location

• large sample populations can be used

• easy to replicate, improving their reliability

weaknesses of questionnaires

• can potentially increase the chance of demand characteristics

• difficult to correctly word questions where they can be understood easily but also a method of valid data collection

methods of yielding answers to closed questions

• likert scale

• rating scale

• fixed-choice options

likert sale

rating scale

fixed-choice options

• if a participant cannot find the option they wish to choose, participant morality could occur

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how to write questions for questionnaires

• questions must be clear, unambiguous and on-topic

  • if participants are confused as to what the question is asking them, their response will reflect this, which impairs validity of the findings

• leading questions have the effect of providing the expected answer within the question, which impacts the response of the participant, thus impairing validity

• questions should avoid being overly technical or jargonistic as they should be understandable either by a lay audience or the specific target pop.

• double-barrelled questions should be avoided as the participant is left not knowing which part of the question to answer

• double negatives shouldn’t be used as they are confusing

interview definition

• type of self-report which involves a participant answering a range of questions put to them by a researcher (1-1)

• interviews are designed to collect thoughts, feelings attitudes and opinions

• interviews are used when the researcher wishes to understand how people feel about an issue or as part of a larger case study into a unique experience of a participant

structured interview definition

• researcher will use a series of pre-prepared closed and/or open questions

• the participant’s responses are recorded by the researcher

• the researcher doesn’t veer from the script

• quantitative and qualitative data can be collected

strengths of structured interviews

• use of standardised questions allows the interview to be replicated, making it reliable

• standardised questions reduce the risk of researcher effects

• may generate more quantitative data, which can be statistically analysed

weaknesses of structured interviews

• a pre-determined set of questions may be restrictive, which could limit the utility of the method

unstructured interviews definition

• research comes to the interview with no pre-prepared set of questions

• researcher records the participant’s responses

• participant is afforded liberty in their responses

• only produces qualitative data

strengths of unstructured interviews

• high in ecological validity as the participants have complete freedom in how they respond and the interview is never manipulated by the researcher

• the researcher has flexibility in pursuing interesting topics, allowing for more detailed data

weaknesses of unstructured interviews

• free-flowing and unpredictable natures could cause the entire process to become derailed

• the interviewer may lose their objectivity due to the intimate nature of the interview

  • they may be prone to social desirability bias (desire to promote the participant as positively as possible) which impairs validity

designing interviews

• requires face to face communication

• the researcher should use reflexivity (acknowledging their own role in the research)

• it is important to find an environment in which the participant feels safe and is happy to disclose what may be sensitive information

• the researcher must build rapport with the participant before the interview so the interviewee is relaxed

evaluating interviews as a method of data collection

• S - complex and sensitive issues are best dealt with in face to face interviews

• W - interviews may produce interview effects or investigator effects