When gathering information from different sources, there are numerous possible ways to go about this. Some such ways are interviews, surveys and questionnaires, inquiries, gathering information from public records and organizational publications, and delving into personal observations and experiments.
Key Points:
Guidelines for Informative Interviews:
- Planning the Interview
- Know exactly what you're looking for
- Do your homework
- Make Arrangements by Phone
- Preparing the Questions
- Make each question clear and specific
- Avoid loaded questions
- Save the most difficult, complex, or sensitive questions for last
- Write out each question on a separate note card
- Conducting the interview
- Make a courteous start
- Respect cultural differences
- Let the respondent do most of the talking
- Be a good listener
- Stick to your interview plan
- Ask for clarification if needed
- Repeat major points in your own words and ask if your interpretation is correct
- Be ready with follow up questions
- Keep note taking to a minimum
- Concluding the interview
- Ask for closing comments
- Request permission to contact your respondent again, if new questions arise
- Invite the respondent to review your version for accuracy
- Say your thank-yous and leave promptly
- As soon as possible, write a complete summary (or record one verbally)
Surveys and Questionnaires
- Defining the Survey's Purpose and Target Population
- Why is this survey being done?
- What, exactly, is it measuring?
- How much background research do you need?
- How will survey findings be used?
- Who is the exact population being studied?
- Identifying the Sample Group
- How will intended respondents be selected?
- How many respondents will there be?
- Will the sample be randomly chosen?
- Defining the Survey Method
- What type of data will be collected?
- How will the survey be administered: in person, by mail, by phone?
- How will the data be collected, recorded, analyzed, and reported?
- Phone and in-person surveys yield fast results and have high response rate but are considered annoying
- Electronic surveys are inexpensive but duplicate entries cannot be controlled
- Guidelines for developing a questionnaire
- Decide on the types of questions
- Develop an engaging introduction and provide appropriate information
- Make each question unambiguous
- Avoid biased questions
- Make it brief, simple, and inviting
- Have an expert review your questionnaire before use, whenever possible
Inquiry letters, phone calls, and email inquiries to experts listed in web pages can yield useful information from various agencies, legislators, companies, and other institutions.
Public Records and Organizational Publications
- Through the Freedom of Information Act, public records and organizational documents have been made available
- Example questions:
- Which universities are being investigated by the Department of Agriculture for the mistreatment of laboratory animals?
- Are auditors for the Internal Revenue Service required to meet quotas?
- How often has a particular nuclear power plant been cited for safety regulations?
Personal Observations and Experiments
- Final step since you know what you're looking for
- Experiments are controlled forms of observation designed to verify an assumption or to test something untried
- Access to needed information through interviews or published reports may be available in the workplace
No comments:
Post a Comment