Types of Methodologies. Qualitative Interview Unstructured Semi-strutured Structured

Types of Methodologies

Qualitative

Interview Unstructured Semi-strutured Structured

Qualitative

Direct observation Observing & recording actual behavior,

rather than reported or recalled behavior. Observations may focus on an individual,

a location, event Observer records as much behavior as

possible, including actions, conversations, and descriptions of the locale and persons observed.

Qualitative

Pile sorting Allowing informants to group together

items according to their own system of categorization.

Informants are asked to sort cards on which relevant items are written, drawn or attached.

They are then asked to explain the basis on which they sorted the cards.

Qualitative

Case Study In-depth analysis of a single entity Can be quantitative as well Can do a collective/multiple/multi-site

case study

Qualitative

Photo elicitation Interviews using photos & video

Homeless leisure Sense of community

Focus Group

Qual/Quan Mix

Nominal Group Technique

Delphi Technique

Q-Sort Used for subjective areas of study

See example

Quantitative

Survey instruments New instrument

Pilot test to establish validity & reliability Existing instrument

Permission V & R established

Modified instrument Permission & possibly pilot test/panel of

experts Need to establish V & R

Types of Survey

Questionnaire Paper & pencil Electronic

Interview Answer questions orally

Process

1. Determine the objectives2. Delimit the sample3. Construct the questionnaire4. Conduct the pilot study (if needed)5. Establish the distribution process6. Collect & analyze the data

1. Determine the Objectives

No plan, weak results

Plan the entire survey

Every objective needs 1+ question(s)….


To determine the quality of the graduate admissions process


To determine the quality of academic advising.


To evaluate student financial motivations

2. Delimit the Sample

Who is the sample? How do you get to them? What is the sample size?

Sequences Year 1 Year 2

Athletic Training 13 13Biomechanics 3 3Ex. Physiology 11 7Psy. of Sport 7 8Recreation Admin. 8 8PETE 2 3Sport Management 18 13Totals 62 55

3. Construct Questionnaire

Writing questions Types of questions Structure

Layout & design

Scales of measurement

Types of Questions (5)

1) Experience/behavior questions2) Opinions/values/attitudes

questions3) Feeling questions4) Knowledge questions5) Demographics questions


Types of Questions (1 of 5)

Experience/behavior questions What a person does/has done

How many times have you ridden your bicycle to school in the last month?

What intramural programs are you currently registered for thru campus rec?

What ISU athletic events will you attend this week?

Past

Present

Future



Opinions/values/attitudes questions

Cognitive & interpretive processes held by an individual

What you think about something

Needs & interests



Opinions/values/attitudes questions What did you like most about the trip

taken through Adventure Connection?

When you call the ROE, are the receptionists usually very helpful, helpful, somewhat helpful, or not helpful?

Would you support the addition of a practice facility to Redbird Arena?

Past

Present

Future



Feeling questions Emotional responses to experiences

How do you feel about the quality of programming at Braden Auditorium?

How responsive do you feel the staff is to your needs at Student Health Services?

Past,

present…

no future



Knowledge questions Factual information participant has

What is your resting heartbeat during Zumba class?

What are the 5 types of canoe strokes?

Past,

present…

no future



Demographics questions Personal characteristics

Age, gender, race/ethnicity, geographic location, income, # of children

What is your age?q under 25 yearsq 25-40q 41-55q over 55

Past,

present…

no future


Question Structure


Question Structures

Open ended

Closed ended Unordered closed ended Ordered forced choice

Partially closed ended


Open Ended

Respondent supplies the answer

Used when variety of info is needed

Used to collect qualitative data


Open Ended

How could the ISU Homecoming parade be made more accessible for people with disabilities?

What 3 services do you feel IAPHERD should offer to its members?

What services provided by the Athletic Study Center are most valuable?


Open Ended

Did you enjoy playing in the soccer league?

Poorly written O.E. question

Revision: What did you enjoy most about the soccer

league?


Open Ended - Advantages

Advantages Richer information

Answers less influenced by the evaluator

Questions easy to write


Open Ended - Disadvantages

Disadvantages Lack of uniform responses

Difficult to analyze

Takes longer for respondent to complete

People don’t like them


Closed ended

Specific responses are provided

Overall, how satisfied were you with the MCH renovations? Very satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied


Closed ended

Issues with these questions Responses should never overlap

Less than 20,000 20,000-40,000 40,001 +

List all possible responses


Closed ended

Advantages Easily coded and tallied Easy to administer Easy to analyze

Disadvantages Sometimes difficult to provide all

answers Makes them invalid

No opportunity to explain answers


Closed ended

2 types of closed ended

1. Unordered closed ended responses

2. Ordered forced choice Likert Scales Semantic differentials Ranking Self-Assessments


Closed ended

Unordered closed ended responses Items have no particular value

associated with them

What activities have you participated in within the last 6 months thru Campus Rec?__ Aerobics __ Body Pump__ Kickboxing __ Personal Trainer


Closed ended (forced choice)

2. Ordered forced choice Ranks responses Scales of measure

Likert scales….


5 4 3 2

1

5 4 3 2

1

5 4 3 2

1

5 4 3 2

1

Str

on

gly

Ag

ree

Ag

ree

No O

pin

ion

Dis

ag

ree

Str

on

gly

Dis

ag

ree

The staff was courteous

The staff was knowledgeable

I am satisfied with the service I received

The facility was clean

Closed ended (Likert)



2. Ordered forced choice Likert scales

Uses balanced “ + “ & “ – “ responses 4-6 responses

See website Even vs. odd # of responses Grid/matrix like format Easy to score




2. Ordered forced choice Semantic differentials

Polar responses

Used for attitudes & meanings of things

Vary placement of positive & negative statements along 1 side of page

Often 7 point response scale


Please indicate your perception of the leadership ability of your coach. Circle where you believe she/he falls on the scale.

Dedicate 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Undedicated

Strict 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Lenient

Organized 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Disorganized

Semantic Differential

+

-

+


Would you say our web site is:

Very Attractive Very Unattractive 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0



2. Ordered forced choice Semantic differentials

Weakness: Adults need strong understanding of the

language Not good for children

Strengths Show strength of feelings Easy to write & analyze



2. Ordered forced choice Rankings

Assess relative meaning of things Use less common statistics (can’t average)

Spearman Rank Order Correlation Relationship to other rankings

Too many items can be confusing 6-8 work

Need to give very clear directions Ties; High vs. Low


Rank the following 5 activities from what you like to do the most to what you like to do the least. Your favorite activity would receive a “1” and your least favorite activity would receive a “5”. Please do not give more than 1 item the same number.

_____ Swimming

_____ Hiking

_____ Biking

_____ Running

_____ Walking

Rank Order


Rank Order

Strengths Each item has a unique value

Weaknesses Force respondents to differentiate

between items that they may regard as equivalent

Earlier in the list are more likely to be ranked highest

Takes 3 times longer to answer

Rank Order vs Rating

Rating question asks to compare different items using a common scale

Ranking question asks to compare different items directly to one another

Rating questions higher R & V Use ranking to set priorities


2. Ordered forced choice Self Assessments

Describe where you fall on a scale

Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 being low and 5 being high, after taking this course, how do you rate your knowledge of survey design?


Partially Closed Ended

Some responses with room for comments

“Other”

Develop as many responses as possible to minimize “other” responses…



Partially Closed Ended

How did you hear about this event?

Facebook Television Radio Newspaper Other ________


Partially Closed ended

Did you feel the ISU Homecoming parade was accessible to people with disabilities?

___ Yes ___ No

If “no”, why not?


Question Tips

Avoid double barreled questions The staff was courteous, friendly, and

responsive Does your department require an

entrance exam for master’s & doctoral programs?

Be clear, brief & simple 2-3 simple ?’s better than complex ?’s


Question Tips

Avoid leading ?’s How did you enjoy this exciting, new

program?

Limit the "skip" questions (If yes, go to question xx) Easily controlled in electronic surveys

so respondents don’t know


Question Tips

Use words that are familiar to respondents

T.R. Programming D1 PETE Extensive vocabulary


Question Tips

Avoid negative questions that may confuse people

Why would you not want ISU to renovate Redbird Arena?


Question Tips

Ask complex questions in stages1. Have you visited River Bend County Park?

___ Yes (go to question 2)___ No (go to next section)

2. What did you like about River Bend County Park?

3. How satisfied were you with your visit to River Bend Park?

4. What do you look for when you visit a County Park?

5. How likely are you to visit River Bend County Park in 2014?


Question Tips

Don’t lead respondents

Because teachers work so hard, they deserve higher salaries?

Keep the rating scale consistent throughout the entire survey 1-5 vs. switching to 1-6


Design Tips

Make it pretty White space 12+ point font

Use lower case letters

Use clear directions

Explain how long survey will take

Whole question should fit on the page, don’t split questions


Design Tips

List responses at the top of each page

Colored paper is more interesting Beige, lt. Blue, yellow

Give it a very professional look Cover letter

No typos


Design Tips

Add a “thank you” at the end

“Over”

Put clear directions at the top. Amount of time needed


Design Tips

Give plenty of space for answers

Generally shorter questions have higher response rates & validity than longer ones

Each additional page of a survey decreases response rate by .05%


Question Sequencing

Begin with questions that have a direct relevance to survey purpose Demographics last

Most important ?’s first

Group controversial ?’s with non-controversial ?’s

Group ?’s according to topics Admissions, Advising, Finance, Demographics


Question Sequencing

Group similar structures together

Use heads or ties for ?’s Attitudes, Participation, Background

Clearly label; “skipped” ?’s Arrows Bold Automatic in electronic surveys


Documents

Types of Methodologies. Qualitative Interview Unstructured Semi-strutured Structured