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CHAPTER: 6

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN : SURVEY AND


OBSERVATION

Descriptive research : Descriptive research is defined as a research method that


describes the characteristics of the population or phenomenon studied. This
methodology focuses more on the “what” of the research subject than the “why” of the
research subject.

The descriptive research method primarily focuses on describing the nature of a


demographic segment, without focusing on “why” a particular phenomenon occurs. In
other words, it “describes” the subject of the research, without covering “why” it
happens

Means of obtaining primary quantitative data in descriptive research and survey is:

1. Survey method
2. Observation
1. SURVEY METHOD
Survey research, respondents answer through surveys or questionnaires or polls. They
are a popular market research tool to collect feedback from respondents.

Structured data collection: Use of a formal questionnaire that presents questions in a


prearranged

Telephone method: Traditional telephone interviews involve phoning a sample of


respondents and asking them a series of questions. The interviewer uses a paper questionnaire
and records the responses with a pencil.

Personal in-home interviews : In personal in-home interviews, respondents are interviewed


face-to-face in their homes. The interviewer’s task is to contact the respondents, ask the
questions, and record the responses.

Mall intercept personal interview : In mall-intercept personal interviews, respondents are


intercepted while they are shopping in malls and brought to test facilities in the malls. The
interviewer then administers a questionnaire as in the in-home personal survey.

Computer assisted personal interview: In computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI),


the third form of personal interviewing, the respondent sits in front of a computer terminal
and answers a questionnaire on the computer screen by using the keyboard or a mouse.
Mail interview: In the traditional mail interview, questionnaires are mailed to preselected
potential respondents. A typical mail interview package consists of the outgoing envelope,
cover letter, questionnaire, return envelope, and possibly an incentive.

Mail panel: consists of a large, nationally representative sample of households that have
agreed to participate in periodic mail questionnaires and product tests. The households are
compensated with various incentives.

E-mail interview : To conduct an e-mail survey, a list of e-mail addresses is obtained. The
survey is written within the body of the e-mail message. E-mail surveys use pure text (ASCII)
to represent questionnaires

Internet interview : Internet or Web surveys use hypertext mark up language (HTML), the
language of the Web, and are posted on a Web site. Respondents may be recruited over the
Internet, from potential respondent databases maintained by the marketing research firm,
from an Internet panel, or they can be recruited by conventional methods (mail, telephone).

The various methods may be compared in terms of task, situational, and respondent factors.
Task factors relate to tasks that have to be performed to collect the data and to the topic of the
survey. These factors consist of diversity of questions and flexibility, use of physical stimuli,
sample control, quantity of data, and response rate.

Situational factors comprise control of the data-collection environment, control of field force,
potential for interviewer bias, speed, and cost. The respondent factors pertain to survey
respondents and include perceived anonymity, social desirability, obtaining sensitive
information, low incidence rate, and respondent control.

1. OBSERVATIONAL METHOD:
They are of following types:
 Personal
 Mechanical
 Audit
 Content
 Trace
The observational method is the most effective method to conduct this research, and
researchers make use of both quantitative and qualitative observations.
A quantitative observation is the objective collection of data, which is primarily
focused on numbers and values. It suggests “associated with, of or depicted in terms
of a quantity.” Results of quantitative observation are derived using statistical and
numerical analysis methods. It implies observation of any entity associated with a
numeric value such as age, shape, weight, volume, scale, etc. For example, the
researcher can track if current customers will refer the brand using a simple Net
Promoter Score question.
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
They permit measurement of actual very little can be inferred about
behaviour. motives, beliefs, attitudes, and
preferences
There is no reporting bias. there is the potential for observer bias
There is less potential for interviewer Most methods are time consuming and
bias expensive
It is difficult to observe some forms of
behaviour.

DISADVANTAGES OF DISCRIPTIVE RESEARCH:


1. The researcher may decide to influence the result of the research due to
personal opinion or bias towards a particular subject. For example, a
stockbroker who also has a business of his own may try to lure investors
into investing in his own company by manipulating results.
2. A case-study or sample taken from a large population is not representative
of the whole population.
3. Limited scope of descriptive research is limited to the what of research,
with no information on why thereby limiting the scope of the research.

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