module 4

Module 4: Discussion Forum on Data Collection

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After reading Chapters 8 and 9 on the topics of Data Collection Methods & Sampling:

-assume you were to develop a questionnaire to gather data as primary research for your final project's Research Question. -discuss the advantages and disadvantages of personally administered questionnaires, mail questionnaires, and electronic questionnaires, 

-discuss which would be most effective for your proposed research and explain why.

Post your initial response and reply to at least two of your classmates' posts.

Thanks 

Tom`s Post

Advantages	Disadvantages
Personally Administered Questionnaires	Can establish rapport and motivate respondents. Doubts can be clarified. Less expensive when administered to groups of respondents. Almost 100% response rate ensured. The anonymity of the respondent is high.	Explanations may introduce a bias. Take time and effort
Mail Questionnaires	Anonymity is high. Broad geographic regions can be reached. Token gifts can be enclosed to seek compliance. The respondent can take more time to respond at convenience. Can be administered electronically, if desired.	The response rate is almost always low. Cannot clarify questions. Follow‐up procedures for non-responses are necessary.
Electronic questionnaires	Easy to administer. Can reach globally. Very inexpensive. Fast delivery. Respondents can answer at their convenience, like the mail questionnaire. Automatic processing of answers	Computer literacy is a must. Sampling issues. High non‐response. Not always possible to generalize findings. The respondent must be willing to complete the survey. People find invitations via email rude and offensive; emails are deleted, or people complain.

           

Discuss which would be most effective for your proposed research and explain why.

The most effective method to use in my proposed research is the electronic questionnaires. This is because this method is very easy and fast to use. For instance, there are no longer processes involved since what you need is to email the invitations containing the research survey you’re conducting. Also, this method is convenient to the respondents since they can respond to it at their convenience. Using this channel can also enable you to reach more comprehensive participants and access a wider group, which could be a problem through other channels. 

 

Lexi`s Post

Hey class!

After reading the last few assigned chapters, I learned that questionnaires are a common way of sampling data for a research proposal. Like any sampling method, there are both advantages and disadvantages to questionnaires. generally, they are less expensive and time consuming, but they do have a higher chance of little-to-no responses. When admitting personally administrated questionnaires the benefits include a more timely response, personally getting to know each candidate, and it gives the candidate a chance to ask questions they may be unsure about when answering the questionnaire.  A disadvantage includes more time and effort than electronically submitting them and there is a risk of bias error when explained differently to each candidate. Mail questionnaires are a more traditional way to complete business research, but due to the rise in technology have a much smaller completion percentage than electronically submitted questionnaires. Lastly, electronic questionnaires are the easiest and the fastest way to administer questionnaires. New software and websites designed for surveys allows for them to be sent via email, link, or on social media platforms. This means a lot more candidates have access to it and researchers can find a more niche community to get a more precise understanding. The disadvantages include a small return rate of only about 30% and a sampling from a community that may not be on target. Lastly, posting surveys on social media platforms has been reported to seem "spam"-like or even offensive, and nobody wants invitations blowing up their emails after every purchase (which is usually how. businesses have them automatically submitted)

I believe my proposed research would benefit from electronic questionnaire the most. First off, my proposed research has to do with female millennials that are affected by influencers they see online, so I would not have an issue closely defining my target, finding/submitting to them, and having them submit their answers back. I believe that my target audience would want to participate in the survey female millennials are so active and in-tune with self-care, this survey might help them realize they need to step away from social influencer content or use it to motivate them more.

Thanks!

Lexi