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last.updated 9.29.13
Designing Primary Research
Purpose
During today's lesson you will see how primary research conducted. You will first have an opportunity to analyze and ask questions about a research study. Then you will start mapping out the details of your own research project.
Activity I: Letting your research take shape
You Design a survey or an interview. Use the tips from Conducting Primary Research to guide you.
Choosing a Method
Working by yourself...
- create a google.doc
- save the doc as Last name_Primary Research Design
Using the research project you have chosen for this class or, if you have not selected one, choose one that you wrote about at the end of last class, answer the following questions to help you choose a primary research method:
- What is your research question?
- How will primary research assist you in answering your research question?
- Will you conduct a survey, interview, or both? Why?
Designing the Process
Choose a method: Interviews or Surveys. Then answers the questions below that correspond with the method.
Interviews
Surveys
- Why did you choose to conduct interviews as part of your research?
- Who will you be interviewing? Why?
- How many people do you want to interview? Why?
- How will you conduct your interviews? (in-person, telephone, email, etc..) Where will you conduct the interview?
- How will you persuade potential interviewees to be interviewed?
- How will you record your interview findings? (audio, video, notes)
- Will you include demographic questions? Why?
- Brainstorm some interview questions. What will you specifically ask the participants? (Keep in mind as you formulate each question how each question will contribute to your research). Check out http://www.amnesty.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_19712.pdf for some interviewing tips.
- How many questions will you ask? How much time will you allow for each interview?
- Why did you choose to conduct a survey as part of your research?
- Who will you be surveying? Why?
- How many people do you want to survey? Why?
- How will you distribute your survey? Why?
- Will you include demographics in your survey? If yes, what demographic questions will you ask? Why?
- Brainstorm some survey questions and answers. What will you specifically ask the participants? (Keep in mind as you formulate each question how each question will contribute to your research)
- What type of survey questions will you use (Dichotomous, multiple choice, rating scale, etc..)? Check out http://www.howto.gov/customer-experience/collecting-feedback/basics-of-survey-and-question-design for more information on types of survey questions.
- How many questions will you include in your survey?
Other resources for creating surveys:
Review
Pair up with a classmate, exchange google.docs, and provide each other feedback using the comment function. When you are done share your document with the instructor (kdepew@odu.edu).