Research Methods

What are research methods and which should I choose?

Research Methods

Difficult to follow up or clarify responses

May have low response rates

Limited depth of information

Relies on self-reporting, which may be biased or inaccurate

Good for collecting data on attitudes and opinions

Can gather both quantitative and qualitative data

Relatively low cost

Can reach a large number of people quickly

Surveys involve collecting information from a large group of people by asking them questions about their experiences, opinions, or behaviors.

Surveys

Participants may provide socially desirable responses

Normally small sample size which affects generalisabiity

Requires skilled interviewers to avoid bias

Time-consuming to conduct and analyze

Flexible structure can adapt to each participant

Can explore complex topics in depth

Allows for follow-up questions and clarification

Provides rich, detailed information

Interviews involve one-on-one conversations between a researcher and a participant, where the researcher asks questions to gather in-depth information about the participant's experiences, opinions, or knowledge.

Interviews

Difficult to determine cause-and-effect relationships

Limited control

Observer bias may affect results

Time-consuming

Good for studying processes over time

Minimal interference from researcher

Can reveal unexpected patterns or behaviors

Provides data on actual behaviors in real-world settings

Observations involve watching and recording behaviors & events in their natural setting.

Observations

Research Question What do people in Hanoi think about local healthcare services?

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Research Question How do Horizon students look after their health in school?

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Research Question How do patients with back pain describe their experiences of massage therepy?

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Research Question What are the eating habits of Horizon students at school lunch time?

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