Abstract
The research was conducted to find out the opinion of the Inhabitants of the outside islands on the negligence by the government which is investing all the BIV income in the capital city, Tortola. The purpose of the investigation is to ensure that the methodology for the study is justified. A qualitative descriptive methodology was used to conduct the study. The study involves a survey which is conducted with the use of a questionnaire. The Questionnaire is a more confidential method of data collection and is less costly as compared to other methods of data collection. The questionnaire is derived from the objectives and the goals of the study, and the literature review conducted during the study. By using effective questionnaires and the use of a pilot test, the questionnaire becomes an instrument for the study. Analysis of the data should be conducted throughout the process of the study, and should correspond with the goals and objectives of the study. The results of the study should be represented in a simpler manner such as percentages which paints a more vivid picture of the results.
Introduction
This qualitative study is designed to illustrate the various reasons and factors contributing to the reality that individuals living outside the capital island of Tortola are expressing displeasure with the larger government of the British Virgin Islands. Specifically, a survey will be formed that studies the displeasure that residents outside of the capital express regarding the manner in which investment dollars are not flowing equally throughout the island region. One factor is the low level of investment into the growth and development of infrastructure and tourism in the outlying islands when compared to the high level of investment being realized on the capital island of Tortola.
Purpose of investigation
The purpose of this study is to identify if the research methodology used to conduct the study was justified. The study was aimed at identifying the opinion of the people who lived in the outside parts of the BIV islands. Outside islands in BIV are responsible for half of the income which the country receives from the tourism sector. However, the capital city is more developed as compared to other islands. These islands are left underdeveloped with most government projects targeting the capital city of Tortola.
The purpose of this investigation is to confirm that the methodology used for the study was effective and is justified. Research design and methodology influence the reliability and the validity of the results derived from a certain study. The data collection methods should correspond with the goals of the study. The researcher should consider the type of information they wish to collect from the study population. The instrument used for the study should be able to acquire the desired information from the target audience and designed in such a manner that it will ease data analysis. The conclusions from the data should be presented in a manner that is easy for the reader to understand the results of the survey.
Choice of Research Approach
Qualitative research methods were used for the purpose of the study since the research was interested in understanding the experience of the people living in the outside islands of BIV. The reaction of the people of the outside island after the government had embarked on numerous projects to improve the infrastructure of the capital island of Tortola was studied. The qualitative research method was selected since it can gather emotions and reactions of people concerning matters of public affairs and those which affect the society as a whole. No statistical data will be used for this study since the research design is meant to collect data that explains the feelings and opinion of the people on a matter which is affecting them even though they have no power over the matter. The method will also use methods that will protect the identity of the participants in the study. A descriptive research design was adopted for this study to ensure that the research captured the emotion of the people living in the outside islands to the negligence by the government.
Surveying method was used to collect the opinion of the people living on the outside islands. The survey was administered to selected samples of people from the three islands. The survey is an effective method for research which targets a particular part of a population. The survey involved the use of both questionnaires and interviews instruments for the study. Surveys are an efficient method to use when one intends to gather information from people which concern them and matters concerning the wider community. Polls are popular in social sciences as a method used to collect information on a selected sample and analyze it to come up with a conclusion.
Researchers interested in the reaction of projects such as government projects, marketing, and advertising projects are keen on using the survey research method. Polls have become a common phenomenon when the research target to understand the opinion of the people about matters which affect them as a community. Most companies are conducting annual surveys to monitor the behavior of the society. Questionnaires present certain advantages as a research method. When compared with other methods questionnaires can be administered in the absence of the researcher.
Since the researcher was dealing with samples from different islands, questionnaires were mailed to the participants to cut on time and cost. Questionnaires are also likely to acquire honest answers since they are a more confidential method of conducting research, many questionnaires can be mailed at once minimizing the time needed to complete the study. The questionnaire was available for the respondents online, for the respondents who had access to the internet and preferred to download it from the internet. Interviews were also conducted over the phone to reach part of the sampling sample. Telephone interviews are effective since it is the fastest method used to gather information. Unlike other methods, the researcher does not have to wait for feedback. People are also able to express themselves more verbally unlike physical questionnaires which might pose legibility issues.
The questionnaires were prepared with the goal of identifying the reaction of the people and their opinion on the infrastructural and technological development of the capital city Tortola, while the other islands were neglected, despite the fact the individual islands were responsible for over half of the tourism income in BIV. How the decision by the government was affecting them and their opinion on the funds allocation was also studied. The people of the three Islands, Anegada, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke, were also expected to give their opinion on autonomy, which would allow each state to manage their monetary funds.
Sampling methodology
For the study, a thousand members from each of the three islands were selected, making a total sample of 3000 participants. The participants had to be educated and members who well aware of current affairs in BIV. The members are individuals in the society who were in the tourism sector. This includes hoteliers, managers and business people in the three islands. The individuals were then selected randomly. Random selection is an advantageous sampling method since it comes with a population which is a representative of the population. No sampling technique can give an accurate representative of the study population, but the random sampling technique produces a sample that is a closer representative of the study population.
Some highlands had varying intensities of their opinions. The random sampling method produces a more accurate representative sample and increases the probability of getting the desired information from the study population. The samples for the study were separated for each island to ensure that each island was studied separately. Random samples were selected from the population and questionnaires mailed to them. Members were identified through the referral method. Assistance was requested from figures of authority in the islands, who made various referrals to the researchers.
Methods of Data Collection
Questionnaires are effective when the researcher wishes to find out opinion attitudes and opinions about other individuals on matters affecting them in the community. There are common and effective research methods for researchers with the intention of studying behavior in certain populations. Of 748 research studies on agriculture and agricultural extensions, 64 % of them used the questionnaire method. Another third of these studies failed to indicate the procedure they used to access the reliability and the validity of the research methods they chose to use. A valid and reliable questionnaire takes a considerable amount of time to prepare which involves a step by step process. A questionnaire should be able to address important issues of the study such as the objectives of the study, the content of the study, correspondence with the study population, structure and the ability of the questionnaire to capture all the necessary information. Unlike other methods such as observation, it is difficult for the researcher to leave out information since the questionnaire acts as a checklist. A pilot test of the questionnaire was conducted. The purpose of the pilot test is to access the reliability of the questionnaire.
The questionnaire was developed from the objectives of the study. Conceptualization is important in instrumenting the questionnaire. Content acquired from the literature review was used and converted into questions for the research study. The questionnaire was then formatted to come up with various variables upon which to measure the behavior of the respondents. The variable yes, not sure and no were used for most of the questions in the questionnaire. This is referred as the ANOVA model of data analysis or Analysis of variance. This mode of data analysis are measured upon a certain scale, for example strongly agree or strongly disagree.
Analysis of data
The reliability of the method to be used for analysis is checked during the pilot test. The questions in the questionnaire were arranged in a systematic order which allowed the information to flow. The questions were asking in a gradual manner in which one fact led to the identifying a factor in the next stage of information. This makes it easier for the researcher to interpret the information acquired. The analysis method was designed and considered throughout the entire process of preparing the questionnaire. One of the factors that was put into consideration was the method to be used. Analysis of the questionnaire was conducted through the pattern identification software program. After the study, information from the research was fed into a computer system which kept track of the opinions and behavior of the population. This was made possible by the use of the ANOVA model of data analysis which limited the number of possible responses to a maximum of three.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the kind of methodology used for a certain study is determined by the kind of study being conducted. Research in social sciences is more successful when descriptive qualitative research design is used. This method is effective when the researcher intends to study the behavior and opinions of a certain part of the population. Surveys are used especially when the researchers intend to conduct a study on a large sample. The research involves approximately 3000 participants. The questionnaire method was used since it is cheaper and can be administered within a short period with the utilization of the mailing service. The questionnaire method is also a more confidential method of collecting feedback. The objectives of the study is an important factor to consider throughout the process of developing the questionnaire. The research design should correspond with the goals of the study. The demographics of the sample population should be understood to both the researcher and the reader of the research. Though sampling cannot guarantee an actual representative of the study population, a combination of the random sampling technique and the stratified sampling increases the probability of getting a representative sample.
References
"A Practical Guide To Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis In Qualitative Research Psychology". CPPJ 20, no. 1 (2014).
Bowen, Glenn A. "Preparing A Qualitative Research Based Dissertation: Lessons Learned". The Qualitative Report (2005).
Gill, P., K. Stewart, E. Treasure, and B. Chadwick. "Methods of Data Collection in Qualitative Research: Interviews and Focus Groups". BDJ 204, no. 6 (2008): 291-295.
Lotto, Linda S., Matthew B. Miles, and A. Michael Huberman. "Qualitative Data Analysis: A Sourcebook of New Methods". Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 8, no. 3 (1986): 329.
"Methods for Testing and Evaluating Survey Questionnaires". Technimetrics 47, no. 2 (2005): 246-246.
Miller, W. L. "Book Review: Qualitative Data Analysis; Interpretive Interactionism". Qualitative Health Research 1, no. 1 (1991): 131-133.
Price, Kay. "A Guide to Qualitative Field Research [Book Review]". Qualitative Research Journal 6, no. 2 (2007): [209]-210.
