Surveys and opinion polls
A survey is when a few questions are asked and the participant gives their opinion on the question. Surveys are done in an informal setting so that participants are more relaxed and natural when answering questions (Sana, 2015:25).The researcher will collect the data from the questionnaires or interviews. The questions that are asked normally only require one word answers for example yes or no. Questions that require explanation can be asked as well as this helps the interviewer to understand what the participant is saying. This makes the research easier to find as the questions are normally straight forward and so finding conclusions from the surveys and opinion polls will be easy. It is important to only find people
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This will benefit your research as more information will be gained. The main advantage of surveys and opinion polls is that these are conducted in a natural/informal setting so that the participants are more likely to be honest in their responses and as they feel comfortable in stating the truth according to Sana (2015:27). The limitations of this method is that there might be a problem with memory as you might forget something that was said so this causes the researcher to put down false information, people might not state their true feelings about an issue, language barrier and there is no context sensitivity and so the participants may feel very uncomfortable when answering questions so they just say anything (Sana, 2015:28). This will skew the research.
Ethnographic participant observation
Ethnographic research is when the researcher wants to analyse and get to know a society and so he will observe a community or group of people for a long period of time (Hennink, Hutter, Bailey, 2011:47). The researcher will go to a place for example Wits
Ethnography is the systematic study of people and cultures, it is designed to explore cultural phenomena where the researcher observes society from the point of view of the subject of the study. It is the best qualitative method for collecting data often used in the social and behavioral sciences. Data are collected through observations and interviews, which are then used to draw conclusions about how societies and individuals function
Answer: Ethnographic research is different from other social science approaches to research because it goes more in depth. With an ethnographic research you are required to eat, sleep, and breath what is being studied. In order to get a better understanding you will need to incorporate such living (as that of the culture being studied) into your life. It’s more of a research to gain the knowledge of a current situation as oppose to something that has happened in the past. For example Sterk was researching prostitution. She followed the lives of many
One major disadvantage of survey questionnaires is the possibility of low response rates. Low response would most likely be the curse of statistical analysis .I’m sure this can dramatically lower our confidence in the results, however well-designed studies consistently produce high response rates. Another disadvantage of survey methods is the inability to probe responses. Questionnaires are structured instruments. They allow little flexibility to the respondent with respect to response format. In essence, they often lose the "flavor of the response". I think by allowing frequent space for comments, the researcher can partially overcome this disadvantage. Comments
The philosophical justification for survey research is cost containment with a large volume of research. It is also one of the most efficient and quick methods to gather large amounts of information. Data analysis can be completed in a short period of time and generalization is better, particularly when the representative sample is of a population. It also helps elimination of bias in result interpretation as subjects have the ability to remain anonymous.
Ethnography is a qualitative method of research in which the researcher takes part in the activities of a group such that they are able to complete their observations over a period of time in a natural, real-life environment.
As we begin to go on an excursion through literature, it is important to understand the concept of what an ethnography is. Ethnography is known to be a descriptive type of work that analyzes culture and customs of individual people. James Clifford has implemented this work into his studies and has influenced many others to do the same. I saw through the books I have read, ethnography makes these books become vivacious for a reader.
Ethnographic methodology provides rich and complex data (Brownlow, 2012). In the ethnographic approach a researcher joined the studied group in their natural environment, stayed as a part
The people of my personal and profession associations do not consider polls and would not participate in any polling. They are individuals that will not be swayed by information they cannot dissect to glean the truth or value of the claims. Individuality requires freedom of the opinions of others. Personal consideration of the facts permits me to formulate my personal beliefs.
Participant observation is defined as first hand experience. Participant observation is a method developed by Anthropologists in the early 20th century. When Anthropologists noticed that in order to fully understand the question, “Why” in culture. Why do a certain people do this, why is that important, or why do they all do it, are just some of the questions anthropologists use participant observation. The key to participant observation is fieldwork, where the anthropologist actively lives with the people of the culture they are studying for about a year or more. Where the anthropologist goes through culture shock by leaving all their possessions at home and starting a new. This technique of studying gets the anthropologist to become one
Surveys can be used to collect information on a wide range of things, including personal facts, attitudes, past behaviors, and opinions. Survey research can be specific and limited, or it can have more global, widespread
“Ethnography or field research is a sociological method that explores how people live and make sense of their lives with one another in particular places. The focus might be on understanding (the human race) and the meaning they produce through everyday interactions, or places, and the organizational logics that guide our activities” (columbia.edu).
This does not seem too difficult and I am confident I can ask my questions properly in a five-minute timespan. I recognize that if I go over five minutes, some people may grow frustrated or disinterested into my topic. Another thing I will keep in my mind during my survey is understanding people’s responses. Since I am doing this entirely in person, if a person if confused they have the ability to ask my thought process right then and there, as opposed to doing an electronic survey. The same works in reverse, if I am confused about a response I can ask for immediate clarification.
There are multiple characteristics of ethnographic approach. This research is considered to be more of a descriptive type research approach, that is intended for “in-depth research and descriptions of ethnic groups, cultures, large organizations, and their features” (Percy, Kostere, & Kostere, 2015, p. 16). This type of research immerses its selves in the organization or culture they are reviewing, and becoming a part of the culture, so that we can learn about it from the inside out. Therefore, this methodology often involves longer time frame for information collection, and consists of researchers returning a number of times to the location where the research is to acquire more information. Some “doctoral learners tend to avoid ethnographic studies, because of the typical long time-commitments, however, it can be a fruitful approach, even in shorter periods, for understanding the customs, culture, belief systems, and implicit rules of organizations and large groups” (Percy, Kostere, & Kostere, 2015, p. 15)
The online survey is easy to use for respondents when compare to other method like interview as people can access internet to answer survey, complete the survey in a short time. Increase in internet use communication can benefit the research, online survey research was a time-consuming task, different participants can do the survey at the same time and it is convenience and easy to reach people.
In survey method research, participants answer questions administered through interviews or questionnaires. After participants answer the questions, researchers describe the responses given. In order for the survey to be both reliable and valid it is important that the questions are constructed properly. Questions should be written so they are clear and easy to comprehend.