Designing the Research Tool(s)
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Transcript of Designing the Research Tool(s)
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Designing the Research Tool(s)
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Designing the Research Tool(s)
• Research Design
• Types of Primary Research
• Questionnaire Construction
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Research Design
• Primary vs. Secondary Research
• Reliability and Validity
• Quantitative vs. Qualitative Data
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Research DesignPrimary Research
• Focus groups
• Interview
• Observation
• Questionnaire survey
Secondary Research• Unpublished
– Academic theses, reports
• Published– Books,
magazines, journals, newspapers, internet websites
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
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
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Research DesignQuantitative Data
• Completely objective
• Easy to tabulate
– Discrete
– continuous
Qualitative Data
• Qualities or attributes
• Difficult to measure quantitatively
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
• Focus groups• Observation• Interview• Questionnaire survey
Types of Primary Research
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Focus Group Discussions
• Can be an important tool for – programme evaluation– Marketing, advertising– Policy-making– communication
• Consists of a number of individuals• Lasts between 1 to 2½ hours• Records or observes the session
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Focus Group Discussions
Advantages• Used for exploratory
research• Obtain data quickly
and less costly• Interact, probe and
clarify• Observe non-verbal
behaviour
Disadvantages• Cannot extrapolate to
a larger population• Affect the thought
processes of respondents and researcher
• Collating the information and its interpretation may be difficult
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Observation• Involves watching or seeing what is
happening• Obtain data through the use of the five
senses
Example :Counting the number of buses that run on time
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Observational Tally Sheet
No. of buses that run on time at specific time intervals
Observer _________________________ Date ________Place _____________________________ Day _________
Time8 - 8.599 - 9.5910 - 10.5911 - 11.5912 - 12.5913 - 13.5914 - 14.5915 - 15.59
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
ObservationAdvantages• May be the only
method at times• Generally objective • Easy to tally and work
with
Disadvantages• Limited to those
phenomenon observed
• Cannot explain why • May be influenced by
observer bias• May be expensive
and time-consuming
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Interviews• Used when in-depth understanding is
needed• Can be used with other research tools
to – Supplement information– Clarify the problem, limit the scope etc.– Help interpret unusual findings– Put data into perspective
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
InterviewsStructured Interview• Cannot vary the way
the questions are asked
• Can only repeat the question
• Speak in as neutral a tone as possible
Purpose: Limit the interviewer bias
Unstructured interview• Conversational in tone• Informal way of eliciting
information
Example: Job interviewinformation to be elicited
– qualifications, experience, ability to work with others etc.
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
InterviewsAdvantages• Relatively more
flexible and adaptable• Permits probing• Can observe the non-
verbal behaviour• Ambiguity can be
clarified
Disadvantages• Interviewer bias can
affect the interviewee’s responses
• Time-consuming and expensive
• Difficult to tabulate
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Questionnaire Survey• An orderly list of questions to
– obtain facts, opinions, attitudes etc.– provide answers to how and why people
think or behave in a certain way• Helps researchers
– make decisions– improve products– recommend policies/procedures– suggest changes
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Questionnaire SurveyAdvantages• 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
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Types of QuestionsOpen-ended question
In 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 ____
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Types of QuestionsRating 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 __________
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Questionnaire Construction• Be as clear as possible • Designed to elicit as accurately and quickly as
possible from the respondent– obtain facts, opinions, attitudes etc.– provide answers to how and why people think or
behave in a certain way• Helps researchers
– make decisions– improve products– recommend policies/procedures– suggest changes
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
ExamplePurpose:To evaluate the effect of training programme on staff morale
Hypothesis:Workers are dissatisfied with the selection procedures.
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
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
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
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 ______________________
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Structure of the Questionnaire
• Be personal and friendly– Show appreciation– Introduce yourself and subject
• Be logical– Provide clear instructions– Place simple questions first– Categorise questions– Make transitions smooth – Use filter/classification questions
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Content of Questions
• Make questions easy to answer– Avoid sensitive or personal questions– Avoid asking for difficult information
• Provide realistic options– offer choices that are mutually exclusive– avoid multi-topic questions– include “don’t know”, “others”, no opinion”
categories
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Phrasing of Questions
• Phrase questions unambiguously– Use question words
Eg. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
– Avoid words with vague meanings
Eg. Do you drink regularly?
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
• Use objective phrasing– Phrase 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
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
• Use objective phrasing– Avoid leading questions
Eg. Is Phua Chu Kang your favourite sitcom?
– Avoid loaded questions
Eg. Do you practise good dental hygiene?
Phrasing of Questions
Business Writing: Problem-solving ReportDesigning the Research Tool(s)
Business Communication: Designing the Research Tool(s)
Basic Principles• Be brief
– Keep the questionnaire short– Make each question count
• Be professional– Make questionnaire visually appealing– Use good quality paper – Use correct grammar
• Plan for easy tabulation– Avoid open-ended questions – Provide range categories