Research Methods

- Quantitative vs Qualitative Data


Surveys and Questionnaires 

- Advantage
- quick to design and send out
- large sample
- easy to measure

- Disadvantage 
- not able to gain detail behind the responses
- doesn't ensure responses from relevant participants
- people may rush it and not read the questions


Interviews

- Advantage

- able to gain in depth responses

- ensures the participants you are speaking to will be relevant to your research

- Disadvantage 

- not as easy to measure and analyse

- participants could be influenced by the interviews or the interviewing environment

Focus Groups

- Advantage

- able to generate extra data from the group interaction

- allows a large sample size for qualitative data

- Disadvantage

- not as easy to measure and analyse

- the researcher could have less control in a focus group setting compared to an interview

Observation

- Advantage

- can compare the data to responses from participants to make a comparison

- generates relevant and quantifiable data

- Disadvantage

- the observations can not be generalised

- if a group is aware they are being observed, they may behave differently.