Analysing Research Methods

 If I was to actually conduct primary research into the topic of Sustainable materials I would need to find out more about  the research methods that are available for me to use. Methods I feel would be appropriate for my research topic are; Interviews, Focus groups, Statistics and Questionnaires.

Interviews

"in·ter·view 

n.

1. A formal meeting in person, especially one arranged for the assessment of the qualifications of an applicant.

2.

a. A conversation, such as one conducted by a reporter, in which facts or statements are elicited from another.

 -Farlex (2013) The free dictionary. Retrieved from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/archive

         My definition- One to one or group question and answer session in which specific topics are answered in a methodical opinionated or statement like process. 

         There are two types of interview techniques I will look at; structured and un-structured. 

         Structured Interview - This technique involves the interviewer providing a set of questions, and a schedule, and the aim is that each interviewee is to be given the exact same set of questions. This type of interviewing process is used so that all the interviewees responses can be collected, and the responses can only be reliable if all interviewees are responding to identical questions. 

         Unstructured - Interviewer has a list of topics or issues to be covered with an informal questioning style. The phrasing and sequence of questions will differ with each interview they conduct. 

            An example of an interview process is the Office of National Statistics (ONS) which began collecting data on people’s well-being within the UK using the Annual Population Survey (ANS).

focus group

n.

A small group selected from a wider population and sampled, as by open discussion, for its members' opinions about or emotional response to a particular subject or area, used especially in market research or political analysis. 

Farlex (2013) The free dictionary. Retrieved from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/archive

         This is a type of interview to be used as qualitative research in which there are several people, including the moderator, and the suggested topic for discussion is tightly set in order to provoke interaction within the group. Although this is similar to an interview, I believe that within a focus group more interesting arguments are created, especially if the group varies in its participants, however you do have the issue of one person over shadowing other members of the group, so a diverse and interactive group is necessary for a positive results.

ques·tion·naire  (kwsch-nâr)

n.

A form containing a set of questions, especially one addressed to a statistically significant number of subjects as a way of gathering information for a survey. 

            Questionnaires as a research method and a type of quantitative research would be a good method to follow on from focus groups, as I could distribute them to people of different ages, in various job roles within textiles and ask them to honestly fill in the questionnaire which would only have multiple choice answers, I could then use the answer to create statistics. An example of a questionnaire we all take part in every ten years is the UK Census.

sta·tis·tics  (st-tstks)

n.

1. (used with a sing. verb) The mathematics of the collection, organization, and interpretation of numerical data, especially the analysis of population characteristics by inference from sampling.

2. (used with a pl. verb) Numerical data.

     

            Statistics are also another good research method as they allow you consolidate data and then compare various sets of data against each other through graphs, charts etc. The problem with statistics is that if the sampling is wrong, then issues can fall within the statistical analysis and processing, which could then provide inaccurate results. Statistics are a type of Quantitative research and an example of a large database which can be accessed by anyone is 'Big Data' which is a company which gathers and collates data on everyday life. Mintel is another large database of statistics on consumer attitudes and trends. This could be beneficial to me in finding out what the consumer opinion is around my topic.

            I think that these four methods of researching would provide me with an variety of reliable data to analyse in order to reach the outcome of my topic.