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Descriptive Research Methods

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Descriptive Research Methods Worksheet

Please list 5 research methods that you have reviewed from the book or video in the chart below. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages a researcher should consider when determining which methods to use.

|Research Methods |Advantages |Disadvantages |
|1. questionnaires |Ability to contact a large group of people quickly, get the | You do not get the questionnaires back all the time and some of them do not come |
| |quantitative method of what you need, everyone is having the |back complete, the questionnaire relies on how the questions are phrased, they are |
| |exactly same questions so it increases data, reliable. |shallow and only ask the questions they need to know. |
|2. interviews |Able to understand the respondent’s views, gather more valid |Interviews are hard to quantify, can be hard to interpret, and they are more |
| |information, and allow more flexibility. |difficult to replicate. |
|3. naturalistic observation |High ecological validity, have low demand characteristics and can |Lack of control, studies are hard to replicate and data collection and analysis is |
| |be the basis for further research. |not standardized. |
|4.case study method

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