Types Of Research Analysis Methods
Different types of research analysis methods are used for different purposes. A lot of researches conducted today are in the management field. However, there are other non management fields that research can be conducted. The following are the different types of research analysis methods:
Survey Research
Survey research is one of the oldest types of research analysis methods which seeks to find out what a particular group of people feel about certain situations. It was developed in 1930 and has been used in marketing and politics. There are different types of research analysis methods in this category, including consumer surveys, telephone surveys, mail surveys, and public opinion polls. One thing about this type of research analysis is that the level of error is ascertained by the number of the surveyed groups (sample size). The higher the sample size the higher the error margin. So, when conducting a survey research analysis, it is important to take note of the sample size in order to keep the error margin to the barest minimum. In some situations, survey research can be biased when:
* The researcher has an influence over the respondent’s answers
* The research questions were unclear
* The population of the study was biased in some kind of way
* Questions asked in the questioner were leading questions that can help the respondents answer the questions in a particular way.
Case Studies
These types of research analysis methods aim at drawing reasonable conclusions on an organization or a strategy from available data. There is a wide range of information that are stored which can be drawn to make comparisons on the subject matter of the case study. Case studies are normally used to find out information on the past and compare it with present situations. In these types of research analysis methods, the researcher usually begins with series of research questions. For example, the researcher may want to find out the effect of colonial rule in Africa and Asia. In this regard, the researcher sources for information through different means such as internet hosts, tele-density, and other public domains. Form the information gathered from these sources, the researcher can now make qualitative conclusions. These types of research analysis methods are very important because the information drawn will be used in ways that the original creator of the information did not anticipate.
Delphi Method
These types of research analysis methods are used in cases where experts are needed to give their opinions on certain issues. In a Delphi research method, opinions are sought from experts because the researcher believes they are in the best position to render the most accurate information. After the information is gathered from the experts, there is always the feedback stage which will allow the researcher iron out issues that were left unattended to in the previous responses.
Content Analysis
This research analysis is most frequently employed in qualitative research techniques to study occurrences or trends of information. This is one of the types of research analysis methods that involve the use of television.
