Questionnaires

Created by: lucyhewlett
Created on: 09-10-17 14:14


	Questionnaires
	Advantages Practical- quick and cheap Reliability - high level of validity if repeated by another researcher Hypothesis Testing - allow cause and effect relationships to be created Detachment - unbiased as researcher is not present with them Representativeness - they collect data from a large number of people so they're truly representative. Ethical Issues - researchers must make sure all data is kept private and confidential so they will then probably be more honest.	Disadvantages Practical Problems - can become quite expensive if they're being posted and the response wait can be time consuming Low Response Rate - very hard to find trends if data when response rate is low Inflexibility - questions are close ended so researchers are stuck with the ones that have been decided so can't be as detailed Snapshots - only give a picture of society from one moment in time Lying or Forgetting - respondents may give less detailed answers as they may not understand it or may lie to please the researcher Imposing the Researchers Meanings - as researcher has decided on the questions, they have already decided whats important
	Evaluation Overall, questionnaires are seen as a common and useful research method, however they do come with many disadvantages and so there can be better research methods available depending on the requirements. If the researcher is looking to use a fast and cheap method then surveys would be very suitable but they should be aware of the 'right answerism' and unreliable results that come with this method.

Questionnaires

Advantages

Practical- quick and cheap
Reliability - high level of validity if repeated by another researcher
Hypothesis Testing - allow cause and effect relationships to be created
Detachment - unbiased as researcher is not present with them
Representativeness - they collect data from a large number of people so they're truly representative.
Ethical Issues - researchers must make sure all data is kept private and confidential so they will then probably be more honest.

Disadvantages

Practical Problems - can become quite expensive if they're being posted and the response wait can be time consuming
Low Response Rate - very hard to find trends if data when response rate is low
Inflexibility - questions are close ended so researchers are stuck with the ones that have been decided so can't be as detailed
Snapshots - only give a picture of society from one moment in time
Lying or Forgetting - respondents may give less detailed answers as they may not understand it or may lie to please the researcher
Imposing the Researchers Meanings - as researcher has decided on the questions, they have already decided whats important

Evaluation

Overall, questionnaires are seen as a common and useful research method, however they do come with many disadvantages and so there can be better research methods available depending on the requirements. If the researcher is looking to use a fast and cheap method then surveys would be very suitable but they should be aware of the 'right answerism' and unreliable results that come with this method.

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Questionnaires

Questionnaires

Advantages

Disadvantages

Evaluation

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