Accountinga Is Al; Sdasl; Dfj L; Ajs; F
220
CHAPTER 8 UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH METHODS, POPULATIONS AND SAMPLING
What sampling method was used in the above study? Could you write a short critique of that sam pling method? What population was used in the study? How well do you think the sample selected represents the population? Do you agree with the authors' claim that there was a close fit between the population of the study and the sample of that population included in the study?
What do the authors mean when they state that this close frt helped to confirm the robustness of findings from the data?
References
Dermody, J, and Scullion, R, (2004) 'Exploring the value of party political advertising for youth electoral engage ment: An analysis of the 2001 British General Election advertiSing campaigns', International Journal of Non profit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 9(4): 361-379.
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
The researcher is, as stated, a pragmatist when it comes to gathering data. The techniques that provide the most useful data, the most appropriate data, are the methods used. There are very many data collection methods at the disposal of the researcher, including those described in this chapter. In fact, the researcher is limited only by their own imaginations, and by the issue of validity, in terms of the data collection method(s) they use in their research project. Table 8.4 contains short descriptions of different data gathering methods. You will notice that some of the data gathering methods listed below are also listed in Tables 7.1 and 7.2 in Chapter 7 of this textbook. This is because these approaches to research can be used as research methodologies andlor as data collection methods. Some of them, such as discourse analysis, content analysis and narrative analysis can also be used as approaches to data analysis. We will encounter these terms again when we explore data analysis in later chapters of this textbook.
Table 8.3
Observation PartiCipant observation Covert observation
CHAPTER 8 UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH METHODS, POPULATIONS AND SAMPLING
What sampling method was used in the above study? Could you write a short critique of that sam pling method? What population was used in the study? How well do you think the sample selected represents the population? Do you agree with the authors' claim that there was a close fit between the population of the study and the sample of that population included in the study?
What do the authors mean when they state that this close frt helped to confirm the robustness of findings from the data?
References
Dermody, J, and Scullion, R, (2004) 'Exploring the value of party political advertising for youth electoral engage ment: An analysis of the 2001 British General Election advertiSing campaigns', International Journal of Non profit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 9(4): 361-379.
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
The researcher is, as stated, a pragmatist when it comes to gathering data. The techniques that provide the most useful data, the most appropriate data, are the methods used. There are very many data collection methods at the disposal of the researcher, including those described in this chapter. In fact, the researcher is limited only by their own imaginations, and by the issue of validity, in terms of the data collection method(s) they use in their research project. Table 8.4 contains short descriptions of different data gathering methods. You will notice that some of the data gathering methods listed below are also listed in Tables 7.1 and 7.2 in Chapter 7 of this textbook. This is because these approaches to research can be used as research methodologies andlor as data collection methods. Some of them, such as discourse analysis, content analysis and narrative analysis can also be used as approaches to data analysis. We will encounter these terms again when we explore data analysis in later chapters of this textbook.
Table 8.3
Observation PartiCipant observation Covert observation