Correct Survey Organization within Research - Essay Example

Peer review- question13.5 due: Peer review- question13.5 In regard to the ways of minimizing mistakes in research, the following strengths and weaknesses can be deducted. First, building a rapport with the respondent makes he/she feel freer to give honest answers. He/she may even give answers to sensitive questions. However, some respondents may be unresponsive irrespective of the rapport that the researcher tries to create. Second, redesigning the questions gives room for starting with the less sensitive ones.

This helps in encouraging the respondent to participate more and freely. This may not be enough to give the respondent freedom to really voice his/her opinion. Third, exploring alternatives to response strategies such as use of polite language may help in sustaining the interaction of the researcher and the respondent (Cooper & Schindler 2014). However, alternative response strategies may be limited to the researcher. Fourth, use of other methods such as secondary data may be cheap and less time-consuming.

However, some methods may be more expensive, time-consuming, and may not give first-hand data as survey does. Fifth, pretesting helps in identifying areas of weaknesses in questionnaires and the research is able to come with ways of improving on these questions. It should be noted that pretesting is time and resource consuming Feig & Stokes 2011). Concerning the opinion on the flaws in a survey instrument design, the following strengths and weaknesses can be pointed out. First, if the questions are irrelevant, the research will be ineffective.

However, when the research aims and objectives are well followed when formulating questions, such a problem cannot be observed. Second, it is true that failure to build rapport with the respondent before asking too hard and personal questions will put him/her off from answering any more questions. However, if the researcher is competent, creating rapport will be the priority once he/she come into contact with the respondent. After all, some respondents may be unwilling to cooperate, whether a rapport is created or not (Tourangeau, Roger, & Yan 2007).

Third, use of jargons may make the respondent not understand what is being asked. This is not a big problem because the respondent is made to understand the questions during introduction. Fourth, asking of pointless and low-quality questions puts the respondent off easily. In fact, quality collected data largely depends on the quality of questions asked. In most instances, this is not a big problem because questions are formulated based on the objective of the research (Mitchell & Jolley 2010).

Mathew 7:7 encourages the researcher to seek information. However, the verse does not encourage the researcher to be diligent. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3, KJV). This verse puts emphases on diligence in whatever one does. References Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2014). Business research methods (12th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Feig, A. D.

, & Stokes, A. (2011). Qualitative inquiry in geoscience education research. Boulder, Colo: Geological Society of America. Top of Form Mitchell, M. L., & Jolley, J. M. (2010). Research design explained. Australia: Wadsworth. Tourangeau, Roger, & Yan, Ting (2007). Sensative questions in surveys. American Psychological Association,133(5), 859-883. Retreived from http://psycnet.apa.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/journals/bul/133/5/859