The application of Personal reflection should come naturally in your PIP. Anything that you recall, memories or values, is part of personal reflection. The way to use this methodology effective is not only to recall specific events, but to evaluate them. Don't overly rely on this methodology though.
Interviews
Researchers use interviews as a research tool alone, or in combination with a questionnaire. Interviews may range from structured to unstructured and can vary tremendouly in the length of time taken to administer.
Structured Interviews are usually brief and fairly formal; and the wording of the questions is pre-determined and the questions should be asked in the same manner and in the same order for all respondents.
Unstructured Interviews do not usually have specific questions but rather areas of discussion. A lot of information can be obtained from unstructured interviews; however, the analysis of the data collected requires a carefully constructed guide.
Advantages of interviews may include:
- High proportion of returns as repondents are usually willing to co-operate.
- Information obtained can provide the basis for the development of a questionnaire.
- Interviewers can judge which areas are sensitive and ask or phrase questions accordingly.
- Information obtained is usually more complete than from other methods if rapport is established between the interviewer and the interviewee.
- Misinterpretation of questions can be avoided as the oppotunity is available to clarify questions.
Disadvantages of interviews may include:
- Cost of interviews in terms of time and money is usually higher than for other techniques.
- Interviewer may inconsciously bias the responses through the way questions are asked or phrased.
- Questions on attitudes and opinions may reflect either what the respondent thinks the interviewer wants to hear or what he/she thinks would be an acceptable opinion.
- Age, sex, ethnicity and socio-economic status and personality of the interviewer may affect the responses of the interviewee.
- Problems with coding data and drawing comparisions.
Participant observation
Participant observation is a broad term referring to a variety of research activities. The name itself implies the the researcher involved in the observation is also a participant. This is sometimes the case and even when the observer intends to remain removed from the social group he/she is observing, it is often very difficult to do so.
In all cases of participant observation there is a possibility that the observer, through interaction with others in the research setting will affect the data collected and thus the conclusions reached. This is not a major problem provided the issue is addressed in the final report.
Techniques of participant observation include the following.
Identified participant observation situation
In this situation the identity of the person who is doing the observing is known to others in the social situation. The problem in this situation is that the people being observed may not act as they normally would, but rather how they think they should act.
Unidentified participant observation situation (not to confuse with Observation)
The identity of the observer is not known and he/she is free to interact in the situation. However, if he researcher is a stranger entering the social group, interaction may be affected and thus the observations made. If an individual is a member of a social group that he/she wishes to study, the effects on the group of his/her observations may be less, providing the members of the group are not aware that they are the subjects of research.
