TYPES OF RESEARCH – Mahdi Mustafa

Type of

research

Definition and types

of data

Advantages of

method

Disadvantages of

method

Examples of

techniques

PRIMARY

Primary research is

first hand research

that can be obtained

by you. This includes

polls/surveys etc. This

type of information is

not used in arguments

(http://en.wikipedia.o

rg

/wiki/Primary_researc

h)

1. It is first-hand

information which

no one has obtained

before.

2. The data is up to

date with the

location/date/time

so the information

gained is very

relevant.

3.The data can be

obtained very easily

as the researcher

spends less time with

the person they are

gathering the

information from as

primary research is

purely based on

small and short

answers.

1. The Information

they you collect

are not always

correct.

2. It costs a lot of

time and effort to

get exactly the

results you are

looking for.

3. May provide

mis-leading results

if the sample is not

large enough or

chosen with care

or if the

Questionnaire

questions are not

worded clearly,

which means the

results would not

be valuable.

1. Polls

2.Questionnaire

3.Focus Group

SECONDARY

Secondary Research is

the way majority

people gather their

information. It

involves looking at

information and texts

already gathered and

published.

(

1.The information is

very easy to obtain

and also can be up to

a professional

slandered and very

detailed

2. You do not need

to waste any time

and effort to get the

answer you are

looking for as you

can simply research

it online or use a

book.

3. The information

that has been

obtained can be very

hard to access

1. Sometimes the

information gained

by the researcher

is not exactly what

they were looking

for. This includes

results, style of

answers etc.

2. The information

that is gained by

the researcher has

been seen by many

and also used. This

means that nothing

unique is found

from the research

and does not have

an “informative

advantage”.

1. Internet

(Google,

Wikipedia)

2.Book

3.Yellow pages

through primary

research which

means that the

secondary research

brings in information

the researcher could

never get hold of or

find any answers to.

3. The research

gained can be very

bias and

inaccurate. The

researcher might

not be able to

check the reliability

of the information.

QUALITATIVE

Qualitative data are

ways of collecting

data which are more

in depth and

describes rather than

short and small

numeric answers.

(http://www.holah.ka

roo.net/quantitativeq

ualitative.htm)

1. Advantage for

qualitative data is

that the researcher

gains a richer and

detailed answer and

this can be used

broadly for a

different range of

things.

2. Another

advantage would be

that when someone

starts a project

lacking on the

background of the

subject he or she can

do quality research

and gain a huge

amount of

knowledge in under

ten minutes.

3. Another

advantage for quality

research Is that a lot

more information is

gained which means

that

1. A disadvantage

for qualitative data

is that it is very

time consuming

and depending on

the level of

information you

want to gain it can

take a lot of time.

2. Another

disadvantage on

qualitative data is

that it can be very

bias depending on

the way someone

interprets it.

3. A disadvantage

for qualitative data

would be that if

too much

information is

gained then the

researcher will not

know what part is

relevant and what

isn’t.

1.Interview

2.Case study

3.Focus groups

QUANTITATIVE

Quantitative data are

those which focus on

numbers and rather

than on in depth

meaning and

experience.

Quantitative methods

are very easy to

understand and also

quite reliable.

1. A advantage for

quantitative data is

that it is easy to

understand

2.An advantage for

this type of research

can be that it is very

to gain the

information which

1. A disadvantage

for Quantitative

data would be that

you would need to

study a large

sample of people

to gain a more

accurate result as

two or three

people would be

1.experiments

2.questionnairs

3.Polls

(http://www.holah.ka

roo.net/quantitativeq

ualitative.htm)

means it is less time

consuming and can

be done very easily.

3.An advantage for

quantitative data

would also be that it

doesn’t involve a lot

people and can be

done by yourself.

Even using social

networking sites

bias.

2. A disadvantage

for Quantitate

research would be

that you also get a

lack of information

from this type of

research.

3. A disadvantage

would also be that

it lacks the chance

of someone to

extend their

opinion or answer

and explain in

more detail.

Type of research

and sources

Definition and

types of data

generated by this

technique

Advantages of

method

Disadvantages of

method

Examples of

techniques

DATA

GATHERING

AGENCY - BARB

BARB was set up

in 1981 to

provide the

industry standard

television

audience

measurement

service for

broadcasters and

the advertising

industry. BARB is

owned by BBC,

ITV, Channel 4,

Channel 5, BSkyB

1. AN advantage

for having barb

would be that

Television

broadcasting

channels will be

able to see their

ratings for their

programs. This

means that they

will be able to tell

if a show is doing

good or not and if

they should

1. A disadvantage

for Barb is that

the correct

viewing figures

are not actually

given.

2. Another

disadvantage

would be that not

everyone in the

UK has this box

which means the

ratings can not be

Many TV

companies and

channels

destitute a special

box to people

who are willing to

take it This box

records what the

viewer is

watching and

then this

information is

transmitted to

barb which

and the IPA

(Institute of

Practitioners in

Advertising) and

is a not for profit

company limited

by guarantee.

remove the show

from their

schedule.

2. Producers can

keep track of

their

competitions

from other TV

shows and

channels.

shown fully.

3. Also not all

channels get the

privilege to see

their viewing

figures as this

service costs a lot.

calculate the

ratings.

Ethnographic

Ethnographic is a

qualitative

research design

aimed at

exploring cultural

phenomena. The

resulting field

study or a case

report reflects

the knowledge

and the system of

meanings in the

lives of a cultural

group.

Ethnography is a

means to

represent

graphically and in

writing, the

culture of people.

1. The advantage

of Ethnography is

that it is very

much first hand

research.

2. Also the

researcher gets

involved with the

research and can

also make sure

nothing bias is

going on.

1. A disadvantage

can be that it is

very time

consuming and

can take up to

months to gain

solid results.

2. Another

disadvantage

would be that

Invasion of

privacy can occur

1. Observing

2.Interviewing

3.Asking

questions

4.Reserach

5. Collecting and

Reading Cultural

Artefacts