Research methods

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  • Research methods
    • Questionnaires
      • Quick and cheap
      • Gathers large amounts of data
      • Few ethical problems
      • detached from the subject
      • Lying or Hawthorne effect
      • low response rates
    • Structured interviews
      • easy to train
      • High response rates
      • representative due to large numbers
      • closed ended questions can restrict answers
      • less numbers than questionnaires
      • people can lie/exaggerate
    • Unstructured interviews
      • develop a relationship
      • open ended questions - exploratory
      • flexible
      • practicalities - time consuming, small sample
      • reliability -  impossible to replicate - each is unique
      • cant be quantified - can't count up results
    • Participant Observation
      • Overt
        • Few ethical problems
        • Can take note openly
        • check insights
        • Hawthorne effect
        • May refuse to be observed
      • Covert
        • Won't alter peoples behaviour
        • Physical harm
        • Reliant on memory when taking notes
        • Have to keep up an act
  • Advantages
  • Disadvantages

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