Due 10/4 by 11PM (EST) * PHD Level ---Read instructions carefully* Rubric attached

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Week Four: Evaluation Data Sources and Development of Instruments

Jane Doe

The University of Arizona Global Campus

RES7440: Advanced Study in Qualitative Research (QAF135DS)

Dr. John Doe

September 21, 2021

Week Four: Evaluation Data Sources and Development of Instruments

Overview of The Data Source

A questionnaire is an instrument of research used to collect information from respondents and consists of questions and other prompts. A questionnaire can be open-ended or closed-ended although most research questionnaires are usually a mixture of the two. Questionnaires can be used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data depending on the type of research being conducted (Mutepfa & Tapera, 2019). Open-ended questions in questionnaires allow the respondent to express their thoughts, unlike close-ended questions. A questionnaire may be used as an independent data source in research or can be administered as part of a survey. Questions in a questionnaire are usually simple and easy for the respondent to understand (Mutepfa & Tapera, 2019).

The main purpose of a questionnaire in research is to obtain data from the respondents. This data is in turn used to make meaningful insights regarding the research topic, such as hypothesis testing. According to Salemink et al., 2020, questionnaires help in accomplishing the research objectives (p.691). Through multiple-choice questions and ranking or rating scales, questionnaires help the researcher collect information on attitudes, behaviors, opinions, and preferences. Using closed-ended questions, the researcher gets to gather information based on facts. Another purpose of a questionnaire is to avoid bias in research because a well-written questionnaire collects accurate information and avoids bias (Mutepfa & Tapera, 2019).

A well-designed questionnaire allows a researcher to gather a lot of information within a short time and is therefore quick and cost-effective. Responses gathered from questionnaires can also be compared with historical data to determine changes in the choices and experiences of respondents. Questionnaires also allow for anonymity as respondents can answer the questions without revealing their identities. A good research questionnaire should be uniform so that all respondents answer the same questions. It should also be exploratory enough not to limit data collection. There should be a structured flow of questions in questionnaires so that participants can easily respond to them (Mutepfa & Tapera, 2019).

This data source is a study by Zou et al. which was published in 2020. The title of the study is "The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on firms: a survey in Guangdong Province, China". In this study, the authors aimed to assess how the pandemic has impacted firms. The researchers conducted a survey in 15 cities in Guangdong province and involved 524 firms in the study. The firm's executives were the respondents to the questionnaire which was developed from previous studies and consisted of 17 questions (Zou et al, 2020).

The questionnaire as a source of data was appropriate for this study because it allowed the researchers to collect information from their relatively large sample within a short time (10th to 25th April 2020). The researchers were also able to meet their research objectives such as confidentiality of information by using the questionnaire (Zou et al, 2020). The questionnaire allowed the researchers to explore various factors that were potentially affected by Covid-19 in the firms by gathering opinions as well as facts. These included such factors as stability and response to a crisis. The questionnaire was also appropriate as it allowed the researchers to explore the expectations of the firms

Questionnaire

The following are the questionnaires that I will use as data sources for my research:

Survey on the effects of working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic on workplace continuity

I. Employee

1a. Before the pandemic have you ever worked from home before?

A. Yes

B. No

b. If yes, what level of prior training on working from home have you received?

A. Untrained

B. Fairly trained

C. Highly trained

2. What challenges are you facing from having to work from home?

3. What advantages do you see in working from home during the pandemic?

4. On a scale of A-E, rate the company's efforts in ensuring workplace continuity during this pandemic.

A. Very high

B. High

C. Average

D. Low

E. Very low

II. Employers

1. To what extent has the pandemic affected production and operations in your company?

A. Serious impacts that have led to difficulties in business operations

B. Great impact where it is hard to maintain operations

C. Small impact that causes a little difficulty in business operations although the company is stable

D. No impact

E. Positive impact that has presented new opportunities

2. What are the challenges your firm is currently facing?

A. Salaries and insurance

B. Accounts payable

C. Loan repayments

D. Rent

E. Cancellation of orders

3. With most employees working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, have your company reduced or increased the number of employees?

A. Reduced

B. Remained the same

C. Increased

4. What is the company's contingency plan for critical roles now that employees are working from home?

5. How is the company ensuring that communication is maintained even as employees work from home?

6. What is the main challenge that the company is facing in maintaining workplace continuity?

A. Engaging employees

B. Communication challenges

C. Operational costs

D. Appropriate tools for remote work

7. Briefly explain your choice in 6 above.

References

Mutepfa, M. M., & Tapera, R. (2019). Traditional survey and questionnaire platforms. Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences, 541-558. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Roy-Tapera/publication/323168303_Traditional_Survey_and_Questionnaire_Platforms/links/5a89bed4aca272017e62161c/Traditional-Survey-and-Questionnaire-Platforms.pdf

Salemink, I., Dufour, S., & van der Steen, M. (2020). A vision on future advanced data collection. Statistical Journal of the IAOS, 36(3), 685–699. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.3233/SJI-200658

Zou, P., Huo, D., & Li, M. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on firms: a survey in Guangdong Province, China. Global Health Research and Policy, 5(1), 1-10. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1186/s41256-020-00166-z