Self Report Techniques

Question 1

Questionnaires

Answer 1

A set of written questions used to assess a persons thoughts and/or experiences

Question 2

Questionnaires (strengths)

Answer 2

Cost effective
Gathers large amounts of data
Can be completed without the presence of a researcher
Data is easy to analyse
Data lends itself to statistical analysis and can be presented in graphs and charts

Question 3

Questionnaires (weaknesses)

Answer 3

Responses may not be truthful
Social desirability bias and demand characteristics
Response bias

Question 4

Interview

Answer 4

A face-to-face or telephone encounter, where the interviewer asked a set of questions to assess the interviewees thoughts and experiences
Maybe structured or unstructured

Question 5

Structured Interview

Answer 5

Has a set of pre-determined questions that are asked in a fixed order

Question 6

Structured interview (strengths)

Answer 6

Easy to replicate
Reduces interviewer bias

Question 7

Structured interview (weaknesses)

Answer 7

Interviewers cannot deviate from the topic for further explanation, which limits the richness of data
Interviewees can lie
Social desirability bias

Question 8

Unstructured Interview

Answer 8

No set questions just a general aim to be discussed
Interviewee is encouraged to expand on their responses

Question 9

Unstructured Interview (strengths)

Answer 9

More flexibility
Can do follow-up questions for more detail

Question 10

Structured Interview (weaknesses)

Answer 10

Interviewer bias
Data analysis is not straightforward
Interviewees can lie
Social desirability bias

Question 11

Semi-Structured Interview

Answer 11

There is a list of questions that have to be asked, but then also time for follow-up questions if appropriate

Question 12

Social desirability bias

Answer 12

Tendency to respond in a way that makes the participants look good or positive

Question 13

Acquiescence bias

Answer 13

Tendency to agree with all the items regardless of the content

Question 14

Response bias

Answer 14

Respondents tend to reply in a similar way (for example all ‘no’ or all ‘yes’)

Question 15

Interviewer bias

Answer 15

The influence of the interviewer on the interviewee

Question 16

Likert scale

Answer 16

Respondents indicate their agreement or disagreement with a particular statement on a scale
Strongly agree — Strongly disagree

Question 17

Rating scale

Answer 17

Respondents, identify a value that represents the strength of a feeling about a topic
0 — 10

Question 18

Fixed choice option

Answer 18

Includes a list of possible options and respondents are required to indicate those that apply to them or the one they think is correct

Question 19

Open question

Answer 19

No fixed range of answers and respondents can respond in any way they wish
Tends to produce qualitative data that can be difficult to analyse

Question 20

Closed question

Answer 20

A fixed number of responses that produces numerical data and quantitive data
Easy to analyse but may lack depth