Research Tool

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• Unpublished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:


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:


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?


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?


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