Figure 3.3: Sample Outcome of a q-Sort

The Interview.  The interview is a well-known means of gathering information, especially in organizational settings such as hiring employees or gathering background information.  Just like observations, interviews can be very subjective.  It is therefore important to determine questions prior to the study and to develop a protocol that will be followed by all interviewers.  This protocol will ask the same questions in the same order to every subject and responses should be recorded exactly.  It is also helpful if possible responses to questions are kept as closed ended as possible.  For example, “how many siblings do you have?” rather than “tell me about your siblings.”

What makes the interview different than a self-administered questionnaire is the ability to judge behaviors, and to inspire or clarify responses.  Interviews can be time consuming, especially if a large number of subjects are to be interviewed.  And, if open-ended questions are used, the quantitative procedures of statistics become much more difficult.

Method Tools of Research

Knowledge of the procedures involved in research is perhaps the most important tool.  Without this, the best computers and most reliable tests would be useless.  For the researcher, there are several important areas that must be mastered, including the knowledge of scientific methods, the use of statistical software, the practical application of statistical formulas, knowledge of writing style, and the ability to gather information and critically review the research of others.

For this reason, this text would be considered a method tool in that it is designed to provide knowledge of research methods and assist you in the process of performing and evaluating the research of others.

Chapter Conclusion

Prior to beginning any study it is important to gather and understand the methods that are to be applied.  When forms or subjective measures are to be used, the researcher should always gather the necessary material before subject recruitment and practice with this material before testing begins.  While many researchers develop their own questionnaires, interviews, or consent forms, considering the use of a published form can be beneficial.  Data collection methods using various types of scales can assist the researcher by providing high validity and reliability.  It is often time consuming to develop the exact questions to be used with each question written in a specific manner as to not create any bias or confusion.  Preprinted and published forms, when available, can eliminate this concern and free up a lot of time.

By utilizing the necessary hardware, mastering the use of selected software, and gathering forms, training observers, or mastering the scientific method, you can develop a strong foundation on which to base your research.  Rushing into an experiment typically creates more problems and costs more time than proceeding in an organized fashion.  Spend the extra time to prepare for your study because there’s nothing worse than having to start over because of simple errors that could have easily been avoided. 

The remainder of this book covers specific types of research, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.  You will also be presented with some basic descriptive and inferential statistics that can be considered a refresher course for those who have taken a formal statistics class.  And finally, since the ultimate goal of this text is to provide the tools necessary to evaluate the research of others and incorporate research into your professional activities, we will end with a chapter focused on the critical analysis of the research report.