Notesale: Turn your study into money

Document Preview

Extracts from the notes are below, to see the PDF you'll receive please use the links above

---

Task-1
...

The data collection component of research is common to all fields of study including physical and
social sciences, humanities, business, etc
...

Data Collection is an important aspect of any type of research study
...


Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
Data are usually collected through qualitative and quantitative methods
...

Qualitative questions are open-ended such as ‘why do participants enjoy the program?’ and ‘How
does the program help increase self esteem for participants?’
...
Quantitative approaches on the other hand address
the ‘what’ of the program
...
Qualitative approaches are good for further
exploring the effects and unintended consequences of a program
...
Additionally the findings cannot be generalised to participants
outside of the program and are only indicative of the group involved
...
Quantitative approaches however are limited in their capacity for the investigation and
explanation of similarities and unexpected differences
...


Mixed Methods
Mixed methods approaches may mean a number of things: ie a number of different types of
methods in a study or at different points within a study, or, using a mixture of qualitative and
quantitative methods
...

Using this approach to gather and evaluate data may assist to increase the validity and reliability
of the research
...


Some of the challenges of using a mixed methods approach include:
•
•
•

Delineating complementary qualitative and quantitative research questions
Time-intensive data collection and analysis
Decisions regarding which research methods to combine
...
However this may be
mediated by identifying key issues early and ensuring the participation of experts in qualitative
and quantitative research
...
Using a mixed-methods approach is one way
to develop creative options to traditional or single design approaches to research and evaluation
...

Surveys can be administered electronically, by telephone, by mail or face to face
...
They do, however, have a low
response rate, are unable to investigate issues to any great depth, require that the target group
is literate and do not allow for any observation
...
It is therefore vital that surveys used are designed and tested for validity and
reliability with the target groups who will be completing the surveys
...
If possible the use of an already
designed and validated survey instrument will ensure that the data being collected is accurate
...


Questions within the survey can be asked in several ways and include:
•
•
•
•

closed questions
open-ended
scaled questions
multiple choice questions
...
Open-ended questions
on the other hand leave the answer entirely up to the respondent and therefore provide a greater
range of responses
...

A multiple choice question may ask respondents to indicate their favorite topic covered in the
program, or most preferred activity
...
Sensitive questions should be placed near the end of a survey rather than at the
beginning
...


Interviews
Interviews can be conducted face-to-face or by telephone
...


Face to face interviews are advantageous since:
•
•
•

detailed questions can be asked
further probing can be done to provide rich data
literacy requirements of participants is not an issue

•
•
•

non verbal data can be collected through observation
complex and unknown issues can be explored
response rates are usually higher than for self-administered questionnaires
...


Focus groups
Focus groups or group discussions are useful to further explore a topic, providing a broader
understanding of why the target group may behave or think in a particular way, and assist in
determining the reason for attitudes and beliefs
...


Focus groups and group discussions are advantageous as they:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

are useful when exploring cultural values
health beliefs can be used to examine how
why people think in a particular way
how is influences their beliefs and values
can be used to explore complex issues
can be used to develop hypothesis for further research
do not require participants to be literate
...


Documentation
Substantial description and documentation, often referred to as “thick description”, can be used
to further explore a subject
...
Thick

description also includes the complexities experienced in addition to the commonalities found,
which assists in maintaining data integrity
...
This can be records of informal
feedback and reflections through journals, diaries or progress reports
...
These
imaginative new approaches can be used to demystify the evaluation process
...

The creative arts may be used in designing, interpreting, and communicating evaluations
...
In addition, this approach is a useful means of
connecting with participants’ experience in an evaluation
...
Triangulation methods use multiple forms
of data collection, such as focus groups, observation and in-depth interviews to investigate the
evaluation objectives
...

Using more than one person to collect the data can also increase its reliability
...
Additionally, theory triangulation provides new
insights by drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives

---