 What research interests have you? Write your thoughts in the space below.

At this stage, just keep

your ideas broad and general.
- I’m typically interested in product design and development research.
 Why are you interested in the above subject or topic?
- I’m interested in it because I want to grow our business by developing our products into
innovative products.

Title Approach Methodology The ‘tools’ or methods

Rice Cake for Health Survey, Cross- sectional Questionnaires,
Positivistic Approach
wellness studies interviews

 What was the purpose of the previous study and how does it differ from other studies I have
encountered and my own research ideas?
 How was the previous research conducted and how does it differ from other studies and my own
proposed research?
 What were the findings and how do they differ from other studies, and what I expect to find?
 What were the limitations and weaknesses of these previous studies?
 What types of research project might favour a structured interview approach?
- Structured interviews are commonly used in quantitative research.
 What types of research project might favour a semi-structured or unstructured interview approach?
- Semi-structured or unstructured interviews are typically used in qualitative research.
 Interviews, whether they be structured or semi/unstructured, can sometimes be problematic. What
factors might affect the outcome of any particular interview?
- The factors that may affect the outcome of a particular interview are the interviewer itself and
the design of interview.

Interviewer

The appearance or the behaviour of an interview may influence the answer of the respondent.
The gender, ethnicity, body language, age, and social status of the interview can all create an
interviewer effect.
Design of Interview

 There are a number of variables to consider:

 Gender and age: This can have a big effect on respondent's answers, particularly on personal
issues.

 Personal characteristics: Some people are easier to get on with than others. Also, the accent
and appearance (e.g. clothing) of the interviewer can have an effect on the rapport between
the interviewer and interviewee.

 Also, the language the interviewer uses should be appropriate to the vocabulary of the
group of people being studied. For example, the researcher must change the language of
questions to match the social background of respondents' age / educational level / social
class / ethnicity etc.

 The interviewer must ensure that they take special care when interviewing vulnerable
groups, such as children. For example, children have a limited attention span and for this
reason, lengthy interviews should be avoided.

 Ethnicity: People have difficulty interviewing people from a different ethnic group.