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Caribbean Studies - Research Methods
Caribbean Studies - Research Methods
(3) Explanatory - seeks answers that require more than a simple yes
or no response. They are given the opportunity to
clarify their feelings in greater depth.
Advantages of Surveys
(1) Valid due to data collected from a large cross-section of the population
(2) Data can be used to make generalizations
(3) Statistical technique can be used to analyze data, thus time-saving
(4) An unbiased representative sample saves the researcher the time of having
to find all individuals with relevant information.
Disadvantages of Surveys
Advantages of Questionnaires
(1) Easy to administer
(2) They can reach a large number of people even if they are geographically
dispersed
(3) It saves time
(4) It is not costly
(5) Data can be easily tabulated, measured and analysed
Disadvantages of Questionnaires
(1) What is gained in reliability may be lost in terms of validity
e.g. - The wording may intentionally or not, mislead the respondent
- Researcher bias
- Respondents may lie or treat the issues lightly
- Respondents may forget
(2) Postal questionnaires have a low rate of return and may be filled out by
someone other than the intended respondent.
Advantages
(1) Saves time as it is a readily available source of data.
(2) Conclusions drawn are objective because of lack of interaction.
(3) Generalizations can be made.
(4) Researcher can understand the nature of social change by comparing
statistics from different times.
(5) Statistics could be used to gain a deeper understanding of human
relationships.
Disadvantages
(1) Producers may be biased in collecting the data.
(2) The validity of some official reports (e.g crime) could be inaccurate
because trivial crimes may not be reported.
(3) Technological developments make it appear that more crimes are taking
place, therefore comparisons from past to present would be inaccurate.
(4) Due to the fact that it is secondary data, there is a low level of reliability.