➢Qualitative Research (QR)
No.1: Personal Interviews
There are two main types of interviews: face-to-face and telephone. Face-to-face interviews allow in-depth observation of the other person’s reaction, which is very important for obtaining precise emotional information such as expression, body language, etc., but at the same time, it is more difficult to arrange the time and need to pay for the cost; telephone interviews are quick and easy to coordinate, but it is impossible to observe the facial expression and body posture of the respondent, and it is easy to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
No.2: Group Discussion
Derived from Professor Robert Merton, the “father of sociology”, participants sit in a circle and exchange opinions, while the researcher records and summarises the information, and the general method is to propose a theme for joint discussion. It is important to note that group discussions are not detailed interviews with individuals, but rather focus on analytical discussions. The aim was to provide a relaxed and free environment for people to express their views. In addition, it is strictly forbidden to dominate the discussion so as not to influence the views of the guests.
No.3: Behavioural Observation
Without the need for specific respondents, the researcher is interested in certain behaviours or decision-making processes in a specific context. This type of research is often time-consuming, e.g., the study of interpersonal interactions within a company, the selective behaviours of animals in different contexts, and so on. However, one of the major disadvantages of behavioural observation is that the presence of an observer may affect the true performance of the observed person, especially when it comes to humans, where a continuous observation of responses over a long period of time may be more natural.
