Page 43 - SURVIVAL_KIT2016

RESEARCH PROJECTS
In some subjects you may be given a research project. Your lecturers will provide you with full details of what will be expected from you and how you should conduct your research and present your findings. The following is a generalised and brief description of some of the issues involved in research projects.
COLLECTING DATA
This involves gathering information yourself, and does not refer to using secondary resources. For example, data collection can involve interviewing people or doing experiments in a laboratory setting. If you need to interview people, you must design a questionnaire first. Similarly, if you need to collect data by doing experiments, you must first design your experiment. The following criteria will give you guidance in designing suitable questions for an interview:
• Design each question carefully, thinking about what you need to find out for your research project.
• Think about how you need to use the data collected. For example, will you need to do statistical calculations? This will help you to design good questions.
• When you collect data, avoid personal questions or questions that will provoke an emotional response. Try keeping your questions fact driven rather than opinion-based. (however, in some subjects, such as Psychology, and depending on the research topic, this may not be possible.)
• Don’t ask confusing questions that could be construed differently by different people.
• Be clear and concise.
• If you need to do statistical calculations with responses, always phrase such
questions so that the response is given in numeric or coded form, rather than the respondent’s own words. For example ‘on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being extremely Miserable, and 10 being Very happy, how would you rate your state of mind when you fail a test?’ is a better question than ‘Describe your state of mind when you fail a test?’
• Make sure your questions make sense and follow on from each other in a logical way.
• use simple language. Keep in mind that not all your respondents may be fluent in the language that you have used to compile the questionnaire or conduct the interview.
43