Discussion board quantitive methds and analysis common assessment Essay

Discussion board quantitive methds and analysis common assessment - Essay Example The method has many advantages and disadvantages. One of its advantages is its flexibility that allowed for data collection at research participants’ convenience. This could have also facilitated response rate. Another advantage of the phone interview method is its speed in data collection relative to other methods such as written interviews because it offers instant response. Phone interviews are also cheaper than other methods because its cost is limited to phone call rates. Other advantages of the method are ability to record responses without negative implications on research participants, ability to explain research requirements to the interviewees, and eliminated need of research assistants (Kothari, 2004). There are, however, challenges of limited time for data collection and limited scope of a study to individuals with phones. The method may also be restricted in geographical scope due to call rate factors. Phone interviews are also not suitable for interviews that require comprehensive responses and are susceptible to interviewer bias. The method may also dictate that interview questions are brief due to cost (Kothari, 2004). Qualitative data was used for the study and the study’s objective informed the data type. The study aimed at understanding people’s beliefs, which are subjective, and therefore require qualitative approach and measure (Kothari, 2004). Stratified random sampling was used for recruiting research participants. The method involves identification of participants in groups with similar and distinguishing characteristics and then generating participants from each of the groups. In the study, participants were grouped by counties and then by age groups, adolescents and adults. Samples were then dawn from each sub groups (Kothari, 2004). The method was used because of anticipated cultural differences across generations and across geographical