research tool
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Designing the
Research Tool(s)
Designing the Research Tool(s)
Research DesignTypes of Primary ResearchQuestionnaire Construction
Research Design
Primary vs. Secondary ResearchReliability and ValidityQuantitative vs. Qualitative Data
Primary Research
• Focus groups
• Interview
• Observation
• Questionnaire survey
Secondary Research
• Unpublished
– Academic theses, reports
• Published
– Books, magazines, journals, newspapers, internet websites
Research Design
Reliability
• Replicates research with same results
• Ensure a significant sample size
Validity
• Test what you set out to test
• Think through, design and construct carefully
Research Design
Quantitative Data
• Completely objective
• Easy to tabulate
– Discrete
– continuous
Qualitative Data
• Qualities or attributes
• Difficult to measure quantitatively
Research Design
Focus groups Observation Interview Questionnaire survey
Types of Primary Research
Question
1 Question
2Question
3
Questionnaire Survey
An orderly list of questions toobtain facts, opinions, attitudes etc.provide answers to how and why people
think or behave in a certain wayHelps researchers
make decisions improve products recommend policies/procedures suggest changes
Advantages• Eliminates researcher’s
prejudices• Time and cost effective• Reaches a large number
of respondents• Respondents’ privacy
maintained• Easy to tabulate
Disadvantages• Returns may not be
representative • Answers may not be as
desired• May be invalid and
unreliable • Time-consuming to
design and refine
Questionnaire Survey
Open-ended questionIn your opinion, how can Resident Committees meet the needs of people living in the neighbourhood?
Dichotomous question Only people with degrees should be promoted.Agree ___ Disagree ___ No opinion ___
Multiple-choice question Tick the radio station you listen to most frequently :Class 95 FM ____ FM92.4 ____93.8 FM ____ Gold 90FM ____
Types of Questions
Rating question How do you rate the efficiency of this department?Excellent Good Average Fair Poor1 2 3 4 5
Ranking question Rank the following subjects in order of preference.(1 being the most preferable) :Applied Statistics __________Business Finance __________International Economics __________Managerial Accounting __________Management Sciences __________
Types of Questions
Questionnaire Construction
Be as clear as possible Designed to elicit as accurately and quickly as
possible from the respondentobtain facts, opinions, attitudes etc.provide answers to how and why people think or
behave in a certain wayHelps researchers
make decisions improve products recommend policies/procedures suggest changes
Example
Purpose:
To evaluate the effect of training programme on staff morale
Hypothesis:
Workers are dissatisfied with the selection procedures.
Hypothesis:
Workers are dissatisfied with the selection procedures.
1. How would you rate the present selection procedures used to identify staff for the new training programme?good 1 2 3 4 poor
Hypothesis:
Workers are dissatisfied with the selection procedures.
2. If you gave a rating of either 3 or 4, please indicate your reasons (you may tick more than one option):
it is embarrassing to be nominated it doesn't identify the people who really need the
training people who might want to attend the course are not
able to others; please elaborate ______________________
Structure of the Questionnaire
Be personal and friendlyShow appreciationIntroduce yourself and subject
Be logicalProvide clear instructionsPlace simple questions firstCategorise questions (use headings)Make transitions smooth Use filter/classification questions
Content of Questions
Make questions easy to answerAvoid sensitive or personal questionsAvoid asking for difficult informationProvide realistic options
offer choices that are mutually exclusiveavoid multi-topic questionsinclude “don’t know”, “others”, no opinion”
categories
Phrasing of Questions
Phrase questions unambiguouslyUse question words
• Eg. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Avoid words with vague meanings• Eg. Do you drink regularly?
Phrasing of Questions
Use objective phrasingPhrase questions concisely
Eg. Has it happened to you that over a long period of time, when you neither practiced abstinence nor birth control, you did not conceive?
Phrasing of Questions
Use objective phrasingAvoid leading questions
Eg. Is Phua Chu Kang your favourite sitcom?
Avoid loaded questionsEg. Do you practise good dental hygiene?
Basic Principles
Be briefKeep the questionnaire short (10-15 min)Make each question count
Be professionalMake questionnaire visually appealingUse good quality paper Use correct grammar
Plan for easy tabulationAvoid open-ended questions Provide range categories