different sources of secondary and primary data, differences in scales, sampling, and questionnaires in research

different sources of secondary and primary data, differences in scales, sampling, and questionnaires in research

Introduction

There are different methodological approaches and tools to use in research. It is important to take field notes during research as they act as discussion notes which bring in new ideas. Research is used to establish or confirm facts and to reaffirm the results of other peoples works. This essay describes different sources of secondary and primary data, differences in scales, sampling, and questionnaires in research.

Observational research or field research is a type of correlation research in which a researcher observes without contact behavior or a phenomenon. Observational research can be classified into different varieties depending onto the extent to which the researcher controls his environment and its most common in marketing. The types include non-participant observation and participant Observation. Where a researcher decides to be a non-participant, he/she has no intervention on the environment thus researches its natural occurrence. In participant observation, the researcher intervenes in the group mostly by taking part in the activities being carried out. This helps the researcher to gain a better understanding of what is going on in the environment. After the research, a hypothesis is generated and tested by analysing data that has already been collected. The data is then stored in databases. Experimentation refers to a study that strictly adheres to scientific research design. It incorporates a hypothesis, a variable that a researcher can manipulate, variables that can be measured, calculated and compared. It mostly takes place in a controlled environment such as a laboratory. It aims to establish a relationship between two variables, one which is an independent variable and the other which is an independent variable. After the experimental study has been conducted, a correlation between a specific aspect of an entity and the variable being studied is either supported or rejected. Some of the experiments considered to fall in this category include forensic studies, product effectiveness, and microbiology

There are two main sources of secondary data, and they are internal sources and external sources. Internal sources of data in an organisation may include sales data, and every organisation has its daily records of goods sold, goods delivered and also cost invoices. This type of data is mostly used to identify organizations most profitable products and customers. Financial data is also an example of an internal data source where an organisation has a great deal of data within its files on the cost of production, storage, transport and marketing. A transport data source is efficient in identifying which routes are more fuel-efficient. This can help cut the cost of fuelling vehicles in organisations that keep good transport records. Lastly, storage data being an example of an internal data source, helps in assessing the efficiency of certain marketing strategies and the efficiency of a marketing system as a whole. External sources of data include Government statistics such as population census, social services(family expenditure surveys), import/ export statistics, production and agricultural statistics. Trade associations, Commercial services, National and International institutions also make up external sources of secondary information.

There are notable differences between nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales. In terms of the “true” zero, division and multiplication, it is only present in ratio scale but absent in all the other scales making a notable difference. The “order” of values is known in the Ratio scale but absent in all the other scales. Addition and subtraction of values are only possible in interval and ratio scales. (Lassiter, 2017)

Sampling is a method that allows researchers to infer information about a population from a subset of the population without necessarily having to investigate every person. (Lassiter, 2017) This reduces the cost and workload of the researchers and also saves on the time taken. If samples are taken they should be a true representative of the entire population the data was derived from. Census refers to data collection about all people and items in a population. (Swanson & Tayman,2012) Each individual is accounted for to make the census effective. It differs from sample surveys in the aspect that it ensures every person or item is counted. Unlike sample surveys where a portion of the data is taken to represent the whole data. Sampling is classified into two whereby there’s probability sampling which utilises samples from a larger population using a method based on the criteria of sampling.  Non-probability sampling is a technique where the samples are gathered in a process that doesn’t give all the individuals in the population equal chances of being selected.

Types of probability sampling include simple random sampling, whereby it’s a completely random process of acquiring a sample, Stratified random sampling, cluster random sampling, and systematic sampling. Non-probability sampling methods include convenience sampling, quota sampling, judgment sampling, and snowball sampling.

Direct question is that which seeks to know the views of the interviewee or their behaviour directly. Such questions express one’s deeper feelings in order to identify their feelings as a person They use interrogative pronouns. Indirect questions are embedded within a statement and are meant to get views on a research study indirectly without asking questions that the person being interviewed might term personal.