Research Methodology Essay Sample

Observation is used to collect data when it is possible for the researcher to observe directly the data they wish to collect. For instance, it is easier to observe people’s behavior instead of asking them (Beri 15). Observation has the advantage of allowing the researcher to record behavior as it occurs instead of recording it retrospectively (Beri 15). Another advantage of observation is that it allows the researcher to carry out research even when the respondent is unwilling to participate in the survey. Therefore, observation is particularly useful in situations where the respondents are hostile or in situations where the subjects cannot respond such as animals or infants (Beri 15).
However, observation suffers a number of drawbacks. First, a researcher can only gather data about the current behavior and not past or future behavior. Second, observation does not provide the researcher with explanations of their behavior. Third, observation is a slow method of collecting data and therefore, observation is inappropriate when the researcher has to collect data from a large sample (Beri 15).
Observation is an appropriate research method since Siphwe was studying about the consumers’ poultry-buying behavior for both her own organization as well as for the competitors. By using observation Siphwe was able to record the consumer poultry-buying behavior without influencing their behavior. However, she was not able to get explanations on some of the peculiar habits she observed on some shoppers.
Covert observations give rise to ethical issues in that the researcher invades the privacy of the person under observation since the researcher engages the people without their consent (Kirby 9). Covert observations violate the principle of informed consent and are considered an invasion of privacy of those being studied (Kirby 9). Covert observation should only be limited to those situations where it is inappropriate to use other means, or where seeking consent is likely to cause a change in the behavior of the respondent and thus affect the validity and reliability of the data.
In Siphwe's case, her covert observation may be considered unethical because she did not obtain informed consent from her subjects. However, there is a genuine risk that if she sought consent from the subjects, the subjects may have modified their behavior which would have affected the reliability and the validity of the data. So she may use this as a justification for her covert observation on the shoppers.
In a survey, the researcher uses interviews or questionnaires to collect data from respondents. In an interview the researcher asks the respondent a series of questions in order to gather the necessary data. Interviews have several advantages that include high response rate, faster method of collecting data, high flexibility, and the researcher can make other observations (Brown 75). However, interviews have limitations that include, time-consuming, possibility of interviewer bias, and restricted to a small geographical region (Brown 75).
On the other hand, a questionnaire is a structured list of questions on which data is to be collected on. The main advantages of using questionnaire include: cheap method of collecting data, can be anonymous, can be done at the convenience of the respondent, and they can be standardized across respondents (Brown 75). However, questionnaires suffer from limitations that include, low response rate, relatively rigid, and the researcher cannot make additional observations (Brown 75)
Siphwe could have used interviews to carry out a small-scale survey. She must however bear in mind the potential problems that may arise in use of interviews and in particular, the possibility of interviewer bias such asking leading questions, or the respondent bias where respondents may give false answers in order to impress Siphwe. On the other hand, Siphwe can use questionnaires for a large-scale survey. She must however, bear in mind that questionnaires have a low response rate and she may have to send a large number of questionnaires in order to obtain a reasonable sample size. The data Siphwe obtained through observations is still of value except in a few instances when she was not able to explain some peculiar behaviors.
Siphwe presence in the shops did not affect the shoppers because they were unaware that she was covertly observing them. So the shoppers did not modify their behavior and went on with their shopping in their normal manner. Reliability means that the data collected is consistent, truthful and accurate, (Curwin and Slater 72). When data is reliable it means that if another researcher were to repeat the research process they would obtain the same data. For instance, if another different person other than Siphwe were to conduct the covert observations they would end up with the same data.
Validity of the data is the extent to which the data collected is suitable to the research question (Curwin and Slater 72). Siphwe collected data on the shopping habits of those who buy poultry and thus her data is valid for her research question. An analysis of the data she obtained can help answer her research question. There are various biases that can affect the quality and hence the reliability and validity of the data these biases include, researcher bias, respondent bias, and the methods of data collection and analysis (Curwin and Slater 75).
In the case of Siphwe where she used observations to collect data, the quality of the data could have been influenced by her own factors as a researcher such as incompetence or observer bias. Observer bias arises when an observer makes a wrong interpretation of particular behavior, or fails to gather sufficient explanation for a particular behavior. For instance she may neglect to seek an explanation on some peculiar habits she observed from some shoppers. Siphwe could avoid some of the observation biases if she were to create a rapport with the respondents and seek clarifications for their behavior.
Siphwe carried out her research using observation as a method of collecting primary data. While observation results in factual data, the method is prone to observer bias and gives rise to ethical issues. Siphwe should consider using observation in conjunction with other methods of survey such as interviews and questionnaires so long as she bears in mind the limitations inherent in these methods.