Unit 4 – research methods
Research methods Description and Advantages Disadvantages
example
Questionnaires Obtain information Practical as you can Expensive. May not be
from many chose the format and fully reliable as they
individuals. People questions and can may answer with
who complete it are send to many socially desirable
called respondents. different people in questions.
Pre-set series of different areas. Quick Unanswered
questions. way to get results. questions.
Large audience. Easily Interpretations of
analysed. anonymity questions can vary.
Open questions Allows the respondent The respondent has Takes more time to
to provide an answer an unlimited range of answer. Answers can
in their own words. answers. Can be used widely differ in detail.
to understand closed Little control. Difficult
responses. analysis.
Closed questions Respondent has to Quick answers. Easy to Could suggest ideas
select a response from compare answers. respondent may not
a menu of possible Easier to analyse. have. May be
answers. More likely to answer. confusing if there is a
Less irrelevant lot of possible
questions. answers. Can’t tell
whether the
respondent
understood the
question or not.
interviews The interviewer Flexibility. Better Expensive and time
interacts directly with response rate than consuming.
an individual to obtain other methods. Interviewer can cause
information about Interviewer can judge bias. Characteristics of
that person. May take body movement as interviewer can affect
place in groups. The well and other non- answers. Less
information will be verbal factors. Chose anonymity. Can
included in the the environment. interview people in
analysis of all the data Control. different areas as
gathered in the easily – lack of
research. accessibility.
Structured interviews Usually involves Standardised Interviewer can affect
questionnaires. questions – every answers. Open to
Questions are question is the same misinterpretation,
predetermined and and in same order for which leads to data
there is a menu of each respondent. Easy being invalid. Time
answers. Interviewer to analyse. High consuming. Answers
reads out the question response rate. may be bias due to
and answers. Could be social desirability bias.
done face to fact, over
the phone or online.
Often used for market
research interviews
, surveys and customer
satisfaction surveys.
Semi-structured Predetermined Large amount of Cant guarantee
interviews questions about a detail. Flexible. honesty. Flexibility can
specific issue or Reliable and easy to lessen reliability. Open
experience being analyse. questions are hard to
researched. Generates analyse. Difficult to
qualitative data. Could compare answers
generate quantitative
data if the research
involves interviewing
many individuals.
Structured by an
interview schedule
which allows greater
reproducibility, so that
the schedule can be
used with several
individuals, enabling
comparisons.
Unstructured In depth and holistic Rapport can be built Time consuming. Not
interviews information. Open between respondent as reliable as closed
questions encourage and interviewer. questions. Could be
interviewee to answer Respondent can ask hard for respondent
freely. Used to elicit another question if to answer sensitive
detailed information – they don’t questions. Hard to
tailor questions understand. Flexible – analyse.
depending on no fixed questions.
previous answers.
Follow up questions
used to probe detail.
Interviewer must build
trust so the
information revealed
is reliable and
accurate. May be
multiple interviews
with same interviewee
to obtain all info. Data
is qualitative.
Research methods Description and Advantages Disadvantages
example
Focus group Interviewing a group Different perspectives Some people may
of individuals, no and opinions. God overpower others to
more than 20. Similar quality of data. Can get their opinion
to semi-structured. produce discussion across. May not be
Interviewer asks and new thinking for representative of
questions and participants. Data is everyone. Can be hard
encourages discussion gathered quickly. to get insight into
Research methods Description and Advantages Disadvantages
example
Questionnaires Obtain information Practical as you can Expensive. May not be
from many chose the format and fully reliable as they
individuals. People questions and can may answer with
who complete it are send to many socially desirable
called respondents. different people in questions.
Pre-set series of different areas. Quick Unanswered
questions. way to get results. questions.
Large audience. Easily Interpretations of
analysed. anonymity questions can vary.
Open questions Allows the respondent The respondent has Takes more time to
to provide an answer an unlimited range of answer. Answers can
in their own words. answers. Can be used widely differ in detail.
to understand closed Little control. Difficult
responses. analysis.
Closed questions Respondent has to Quick answers. Easy to Could suggest ideas
select a response from compare answers. respondent may not
a menu of possible Easier to analyse. have. May be
answers. More likely to answer. confusing if there is a
Less irrelevant lot of possible
questions. answers. Can’t tell
whether the
respondent
understood the
question or not.
interviews The interviewer Flexibility. Better Expensive and time
interacts directly with response rate than consuming.
an individual to obtain other methods. Interviewer can cause
information about Interviewer can judge bias. Characteristics of
that person. May take body movement as interviewer can affect
place in groups. The well and other non- answers. Less
information will be verbal factors. Chose anonymity. Can
included in the the environment. interview people in
analysis of all the data Control. different areas as
gathered in the easily – lack of
research. accessibility.
Structured interviews Usually involves Standardised Interviewer can affect
questionnaires. questions – every answers. Open to
Questions are question is the same misinterpretation,
predetermined and and in same order for which leads to data
there is a menu of each respondent. Easy being invalid. Time
answers. Interviewer to analyse. High consuming. Answers
reads out the question response rate. may be bias due to
and answers. Could be social desirability bias.
done face to fact, over
the phone or online.
Often used for market
research interviews
, surveys and customer
satisfaction surveys.
Semi-structured Predetermined Large amount of Cant guarantee
interviews questions about a detail. Flexible. honesty. Flexibility can
specific issue or Reliable and easy to lessen reliability. Open
experience being analyse. questions are hard to
researched. Generates analyse. Difficult to
qualitative data. Could compare answers
generate quantitative
data if the research
involves interviewing
many individuals.
Structured by an
interview schedule
which allows greater
reproducibility, so that
the schedule can be
used with several
individuals, enabling
comparisons.
Unstructured In depth and holistic Rapport can be built Time consuming. Not
interviews information. Open between respondent as reliable as closed
questions encourage and interviewer. questions. Could be
interviewee to answer Respondent can ask hard for respondent
freely. Used to elicit another question if to answer sensitive
detailed information – they don’t questions. Hard to
tailor questions understand. Flexible – analyse.
depending on no fixed questions.
previous answers.
Follow up questions
used to probe detail.
Interviewer must build
trust so the
information revealed
is reliable and
accurate. May be
multiple interviews
with same interviewee
to obtain all info. Data
is qualitative.
Research methods Description and Advantages Disadvantages
example
Focus group Interviewing a group Different perspectives Some people may
of individuals, no and opinions. God overpower others to
more than 20. Similar quality of data. Can get their opinion
to semi-structured. produce discussion across. May not be
Interviewer asks and new thinking for representative of
questions and participants. Data is everyone. Can be hard
encourages discussion gathered quickly. to get insight into
