SELF REPORT DESIGN

• Any method in which a person is asked to state or explain their own feelings, opinions, behaviours or experiences about a given topic. 
• Questionnaires – a set of written questions used to assess a person's thoughts and/or experiences. 
• Interviews – a face to face/telephone encounter where the interviewer asks a set of questions to assess the interviewees thoughts and experiences – may be structured or unstructured. 
• Questionnaires


  Open questions – no fixed range of answers and respondents can respond in any way they wish. They tend to produce qualitative data that is rich in depth but may be difficult to analyse. 
• Questionnaires


  Closed questions – a fixed number of responses e.g. yes or no. They produce numerical, quantitative data that is easy to analyse but may lack depth. 
• Strengths of questionnaires: 

  • Cost effective 
  • Large amounts of data  
  • Can be completed without a researcher present 
  • Data is easier to analyse esp. if it’s a closed questionnaire 
  • Leads to statistical analysis that can be presented in charts or graphs 
• Weaknesses of questionnaires: 

  • Responses may not be truthful due to social desirability and demand characteristics 
  • Response bias – participants tend to reply in the same way 
  • May be asked intrusive questions about mental health or family 
• Social desirability bias – the tendency to respond in a way that makes you look desirable to the researcher 
• Acquiescence bias (yea-saying) - the tendency to agree with all items on the questionnaire  
• Response bias – the tendency to respond in a similar way (all yes or all no) 
• Interviewer bias – how the interviewer influences the responses 
• Design issues:

  Closed questions can be further divided into different types: 

  1. Likert scale – respondents indicate their agreement or disagreement with a particular statement usually on a 5- or 7-point scale. 
  2. Rating scale – respondents identify a value that represents their strength of a feeling about a topic 
  3. Fixed choice option (multiple choice) – includes a list of possible options and respondents are required to indicate those that apply to them or that they think is right. 
• Interviews


  Structured interview – a set of predetermined questions that are asked in a fixed order 
• Interviews


  Unstructured interview – no set questions, just a general aim to be discussed. The interviewee is encouraged to expand on their responses 
• Interviews


  Semi-structured interview – a mixture of the above. There is a list of questions that must be asked but then also time for follow up questions if appropriate. 
• Structured interviews

  Strengths: 

  • Easily replicated as there are set questions – reduces interview bias as interviewer must follow set questions 
  • Quicker to complete and analyse the data 

  Weaknesses: 

  • Can't deviate from the topic so limited detail  
• Unstructured interviews

  Strengths: 

  • More flexibility in choosing and asking different questions 
  • More detail in responses 

  Weaknesses: 

  • Interviewer bias – has control over the conversation 
  • Analysis of information may not be straightforward 
• Designing interviews - questions to consider

  • Is there going to be an interview schedule? A list of questions to be covered? This should be standardised to reduce interviewer bias 
  • How is the data going to be recorded? Notes taken or recorded? (to be analysed later) 
  • Is it going to be a group interview or individual? May be appropriate in some cases 
• Designing interviews - questions to consider

  • What about the interview environment? - quiet and away from distractions – make sure the interviewee is comfortable 
  • Begin with neutral questions to make the interviewee feels relaxed and comfortable and to establish rapport with the interviewee 
  • Ethical issues? Confidentiality of answers, especially if it’s a sensitive topic – not disclosing any personal information 
• Writing good questions

  Avoid... 

  • Using too much jargon – keep questions simple and easy to understand  
  • Using leading/suggestive questions - don’t put words into people's mouths 
  • Emotive language (e.g. words like destroy, murder, horrific) 
  • Double barrelled questions (two questions in one) - confuses respondent – make the questions clear 
  • Double negatives (e.g. I am not unhappy in my job – agree/disagree)