Utilizing Data Collection—Pros and Cons

There are pros and cons to any method of utilizing data collection. For example, many researchers think individual interview takes a great deal of time and, even money (Brannen, 2005 ). Individual interviews help access the context of people’s behavior and thereby provide a route for researchers to comprehend the meaning of such behavior. In qualitative research method, understanding behaviors of people and the motive individuals make of their experience correlate the way they undertake that experience (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015 ).

      The research question and the availability of researcher’s thesis statement tell a lot about what type of data collection method to employ. Furthermore, the availability of research approach depends on the purpose of the research and the questions being asked (Seidman, 2015). For example, if a research question reads as “how do people behave while smoking?” then participant observation might be an ideal form of analysis.

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. John Wiley & Sons.

Brannen, J. (2005). Mixing methods: The entry of qualitative and quantitative approaches into the research process. International journal of social research methodology, 8(3), 173-184

Seidman, I (2015). Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences, 4th Ed. Teachers College Press