Once the problem has been determined, the literature has been reviewed and a hypothesis has been composed, the next step in the scientific method is to select a research design to help formulate a conclusion which would hopefully lead into further clarification, ideas and research. There are various methods that can be used during the research design to help collect data. It is crucial to determine which may best fit your study. There are four types of methods to help obtain data: Surveys, Observation, Experiments and External Sources.
Surveys: Are generally given in the form of an interview or questionnaire, providing researchers with information about how people think or act. In an interview, researchers try to obtain data through face-to-face interviews or telephone questioning. A skillful interviewer can go beyond the written questions and probe participants underlying feelings.
When it comes to Interviews, some of its strengths are that they tend to have a higher response rate. It is found that people have a harder time rejecting a survey when asked personally. It also gives researchers more ease when approaching different populations (poor, high status, etc.). Interviewers are able to ask more open-ended questions to gather more information to further their hunches and pick up on non-verbal cues from their subjects. This can create more of a personalized approach to their study.
The downfall that may occur with the interview process is not only can it be costly but it creates the inability of an anonymous response, which can affect a subject’s reply and make it a less honest and thought out response. Interviews tend to be time consuming which can result in a smaller sample size. If not prepared properly, bias may become...
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...it, which means that the same data has already been collected from the same population over several different time periods. This allows researchers to look at trends and changes over time.
Certain negatives that can come about from collecting external sources could be that data collection may become limited and might not answer the researcher’s specific research questions. It could omit specific information that the researcher would like to have. When purchasing the source they may not know how the information was compiled, or how well it was conducted. Therefore, they may encounter problems and must read between the lines and consider the problems that may have arisen during the collection process. Researchers have no control over what is obtained in the data set, as well as the questions asked or how they were interpreted. The quality of the data may be invalid.
Based on the preceding ontological and epistemological assumptions a researcher then makes methodological assumptions. Having decided on exactly what is to be studied the researcher then decides how the research can best be managed thus formulating a plan of action. Considerations include whether the research used should be primary or secondary. Whether one will test an existing hypothesis or whether one will construct a theory after having collated evidence. Finally one can draw conclusions as to which strategy to implement with the ultimate goal of producing the type of knowledge that is required. This then results in the type of method or methods of research to be used.
The employment interview has been the key element used for determining a candidates’ worthiness in filling an open position. Organizations rely on employment interviews as a way to predict the future job performance and work-related personality traits of interviewees. Over the years validity of the employment interview has been under scrutiny, so it is no wonder that is has been the topic of many research papers. The definition of the employment interview is “a personally interactive process of one or more people asking questions orally to another person and evaluating the answers for the purpose of determining the qualifications of that person in order to make employment decisions” (Levashina, Hartwell, Morgeson, and Campion 2013, p. 243).
The research is not without its limitations. One of the challenges that would be faced would be establishing the accuracy and bias in the various answers given by respondents. Some of the information may be dishonest, biased and unclear. This would render the report unreliable.
...th those programs. During the interview question selecting is important. Open ended questions are good at establishing rapport and give the subject a chance to explain things in general. Closed ended questions are great at getting specific answers and details. When concluding an interview the investigator should have the subject restate everything that happened and make sure that nothing has been left out. At anytime in an interview or interrogation recognizing signs that a subject is getting closer to admitting something should be capitalized on, if not that information may never be obtained from the subject. Interrogations are slightly different from interviews but should be handled in a similar way. Showing the subject respect and treating them like a human bean is just as important in interrogations as it is in interview. Interview and interrogating is an art. It takes practice and work, but with the right techniques and experience and a positive attitude anyone can become successful at it.
The Advantages and Limitations of Social Surveys in Sociological Research To survey something, is to carry out a systematic overview so that a researcher can produce a comprehensive general report on it. Survey method is often used by positivist sociologists seeking to test their hypotheses, and to investigate causes and examine variables. As with every other sociological research, survey has its own advantages and limitations. Positivist research, which is in the scientific tradition, begins with a hypothesis that can be either confirmed or rejected according to the data collected. One of the significant advantages of survey method is that, it can be used to collect data that is a representative of a larger population.
Sampling is the method scientists use to collect people, locations and other items to research. The outcome of sampling research is only as valid as the samples the researchers used for their studies. A sample is part of a whole called a population. It is possible to sample entire populations, such as in the United States census, but for most applications this is impractical.
interviewed there is also a greater chance of attaining a reaction that is true to the individual.
A big focus is on how interviewers and participants use language and form and meanings
Asking a question is important as it can be the most challenging part of research. The second step is researching existing sources, which consists of finding books and journal articles with documented research on similar or related studies to the topic of choice. Researching existing sources is of equal importance as this will help researchers gain a broad understanding of the topic at hand, and also allow them to use their own research to build onto prior knowledge. The third step is formulating a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an assumption about how two or more variables are related; it makes a conjectural statement about the relationship between those variables (Keirns et al, 2012).
-It is first-hand research. It may include interviews which you conduct. It also includes surveys or questionnaires which you organise and analyse. Be careful how you use information collected in a survey, however, as it is only a small sample and should not be used alone to validate arguments.
Surveys are an effective and popular method for research because of the efficiency, versatility and generalizability. Generalizability is the ability to sample and draw research conclusions for large populations (Bachman & Schutt, 2012). In order to effectively maximize outcomes in survey research, surveys must be structured to avoid unclear or confusing questions. Demographic related questions should be avoided if not pertinent to the research study (Bachman & Schutt, 2012). Generally, the motivation of the researcher is clearly identified in a survey, and the respondent has the option of declining involvement in the survey. There are fewer ethical dilemmas with survey research than other types of research methods.
Every research study should describe the methods used for collecting, analysing and interpreting data. Research methodology is a systematic solving of the research problem and includes all the tools and methods used in the research process.
The nature of research instruments, the sampling plan and the type of data the research design constitutes the blueprint for the collection, the measurement and analysis of data. It aids the researcher in the allocation of his limited resources by posing crucial choices.
The Importance and Appropriateness of Utilizing Different Methodologies for Research. Introduction The process of research entails the logical as well as systematic search for useful data and information with regard to a specific topic (Jha, 2008). It is also comprised of the investigation of the best, most cost effective and appropriate solutions to both social and scientific issues, following an objective and logical analysis. Jha, (2008) defines research as the search for knowledge and the discovery of the truth. During this process, the data can be gathered from a wide pool of sources among them interviews, books, nature among others.The data can then be analyzed with the appropriate data analysis tools, so as to report the findings
Research which is also known as the search for knowledge is an art of scientific search for specific information. According to Clifford Woody, the research includes defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis and suggested solutions, collecting, organising and evaluating data, making deductions and reaching conclusion and further testing whether the conclusion will fit into formulating hypothesis. Research Methodology is a scientific and systematic way of finding solution to a problem. In this research, researcher has studied various steps for research like problem along with the logic behind them. For this study, researcher must know various research techniques like mean, mode,