Introduction
Thesis statement: Portuguese government decriminalized the use and possession of illicit street drugs.
Research Question: How to address the ‘drug problem” is an area of contentious debate?
Proposed Hypothesis: Decriminalizing the use and possession of illicit street drugs would decrease the number of drug-related deaths and HIV infections. There would be a decrease in the number of new drug users and a decrease in the stigma leveled at all drug users.
Methodology
There are two basic methods of conducting research, qualitative and quantitative. Quantitative research would depend on statistical interpretations. The method would include the collection of data and using the data to interpret the results. On the other hand, qualitative method would involve descriptive and exploratory data. The results of a qualitative research study are based on the interpretation on the descriptive and exploratory data gathered during the study. Qualitative data is the preferred choice by most researchers since it helps them to answer key questions based on descriptive and exploratory data. The importance of qualitative methods in research is the interpretation of data that was not included prior to the commencement of the study. Qualitative method is considered to be the best research study for population-based research analysis. Hence, qualitative method can be used to interpret the drug problems associated after the decriminalization of the possession and use of illicit drugs by the Portuguese government. The method would involve gathering data from the population and interpreting the data based on the descriptive and exploratory analysis. In 2001, the Portuguese government decriminalized the use of illicit street drugs to decrease the number of new drug cases and to decrease the stigma level in all drug users. (Sofaer S. 2002)
Population
The target population would include all Portuguese citizens and legal residents in Portuguese. Legal residents would also include students and working class people who have a student’s or work visa respectively.
Sample
Randomization of a sample population may serve the purpose to conduct a qualitative study. Randomization would prevent selection bias based on race or ethnicity. The simple randomization system would ensure all participants are included in the study with minimal bias. The inclusion criteria of the study would include all Portuguese citizens and legal residents of Portugal (Student and employees). The exclusion criteria for the study is non-residential people and people with no legal documents.
Data collection procedures
Since the study is based on a large population, the best method to gather information (data) would include a survey. The survey is considered to be the best method to gather data from a large population in less time. Moreover, conducting a survey is simple and cost-effective. In the past ten years, more than 70% of the population have access to the internet. With the inclusion of an online survey, the target population could be studied in a cost-effective and time-saving manner. (Denscombe, M. 2004).
The survey would consist of a series of questions related to the research study. People who have access to the internet could participate in the survey. Permissions related to the publication of the results would be taken before participating in the study. A set of questions and permissions will be obtained from the administrators of the survey. After the successful completion of the survey, permission regarding the publication of the results without the disclosure of personal data would be needed by the participant.
Instrument
The research study is based on a qualitative analysis and the target population (Large sample size). The instrument would consist of a survey that would target the population as a whole. The survey would consist of a questionnaire that is applicable to the study. In this case, the main research question is whether decriminalization of illicit drug use and possession has decreased the number of new drug cases. The study would also evaluate the success of decriminalization policy drug use by the Portuguese government. The survey would consist of questions that would take account of the dependent and independent variables in the study.
The identification of variables is important to conduct a qualitative research study. Variables are considered to define the problem or research. The independent variable can be operated on its own without affecting the results of the study. On the other hand, dependent variables function during the research process and are likely to affect the results of the study. In this case, the people are considered to be independent variables irrespective of the research process. The use of drugs and its impacts on the psychology and psychology of the body is considered to be dependent variables of the study. The impacts of drug use and abuse would have direct impacts on the end results of the research study. Since the study is associated with the description or explanation of different people, these factors could also be considered as dependent variables. On the other hand, the rate of drug abuse (new cases) are not directly related to the dependent neither independent variables, but do have some value in the research questions, that must be addressed when designing the questionnaire. The rate of new drug users is considered as intervening variables since they are not directly related to the dependent and independent variables.
(Denscombe, M. 2004).
Data analysis procedures
Survey monkey is considered to be the best survey tool for large-scale population data collection and interpretation. In this case, there are many dependent variables that need to be calculated. The MarketSlight software is easy to use and available as an open source software for small-scale population analysis. Scientific-data analysis software are easily performed by the marketsight software. On the other hand, SPSS program can be used for data analysis. However, the cost of the SPSS software is high. The data acquired after SPSS analysis is considered to be accurate and precise. However, the use of the marketsight software is preferable for qualitative analysis. The marketsight software would also ensure the user to build and export charts to obtain precise and accurate end results. The software also enables the user to create crosstabs and use statistical tests as and when required.
(Survey monkey 2014).
Conclusions
The study analyzed data based on the description and explanation of the citizens and legal residents of Portugal. The study gathered information based on the descriptions of people associated with the policy of decriminalization of illicit drug use and possession. The research question (how to address drug problem in the area of contentious debate) was successfully completed. The methods of data collection and interpretation was included in the research study. The use of different software were also mentioned in the study. The end results of the study would be based on the results obtained after statistical analysis of the data (Survey monkey and marketsight software). The use of SPSS software is optional. Data analysis is considered to be accurate in both cases (Marketsught or SPSS). The results are based on the impacts of the policy on the rate of new drug users, decrease in drug-related deaths and HIV infections. (Laranjeira R. 2010).
References
Denscombe, M. (2004). The Good Research Guide for small-scale social research, (2nd ed)
Open University Press.
Laranjeira R. (2010). [Drugs legalization and public health]. Cien Saude Colet. 2010 May; 15(3):621-31. Retrieved: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20464172
Sofaer S. (2002). Qualitative research methods. Int J Qual Health Care. 2002 Aug; 14(4):329-36. Retrieved: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12201192
Survey monkey (2014). SurveyMonkey® Data Analysis with MarketSight. Retrieved: http://www.marketsight.com/SurveyMonkey-data-analysis.html
