Self Report Techniques and Designs

• pre-set list of written questions to which participants respond
• assess thoughts and/or feelings
• may be used to assess the dependent variable
• open or closed

Open questions

• able to elaborate on their answers in whatever way they want
• qualitative

Closed questions

• fixed choice options
• quantitative

Likert scales

• respondent indicates their agreement/disagreement
• uses a five-scale point
• strongly agree to strongly disagree

Rating scales

• respondents select a numerical value that represents their feelings towards a particular topic
• towards or away from a stated opinion

Fixed choice option

• list of possible options
• respondents were required to indicate all that apply

Contingent

• yes/no questions
• next question depends on the answer of the last

For

• lots of data that can be easily analysed
• cost-effective
• can be done without the researcher present

Against

• demand characteristics
• acquiescence bias
• questions read incorrectly

• face-to-face or phone interactions
• researcher directly asks participants questions
• structured, semi-structured and unstructured 

Structured

• standardised, pre-determined set of questions
• fixed (no deviation)

Semi-structured

• basic outline of questions, with the ability for some deviation
• allow for follow-up questions

Unstructured

• no set questions
• free-flowing conversation full of detail

• involve an interview schedule
  • list of questions that a interviewer intends to cover
  • standardised to reduce interviewer bias
• interviewer takes notes throughout interview 
• recorded and/or analysed later
• single or group interviews
• start with neutral questions to warm up
• in a quiet room
• reassured of confidentiality

Structured

• easy to replicate
• no deviation from questions mean loss of valuable insight

Semi-structured and unstructured

• valuable insight
• less stressful
• irrelevant information
• harder to draw conclusions from mass of detail
• greater risk of lying (ability to formulate stories)