The research process is used to learn about the big universe of problems and issues, narrow down options to one problem, and finally solve it. As you know, research requires lots of thinking and rationalization, but that doesn’t mean you cannot do it if you are socially illogical or emotional person. You can easily learn all research methods and thinking techniques with these.
What is research tools and techniques? This article explains basic research techniques for conducting research. An organization must use many methods to learn about its market, public, and competitors. Tools provide an overview of what is entrepreneurship? The possible technique used to answer the question above depends on the type of information needed.
Research techniques or research methods are the different ways that researchers explore and acquire new knowledge. Although investigation methods vary depending on the subject under investigation, there are some research methods that commonly appear across all disciplines. Essentially, these methods help scientists perform experiments to prove their hypotheses.
- Qualitative Research Method
The qualitative research methods of data collection do not involve the collection of data that involves numbers or a need to be deduced through a mathematical calculation, rather it is based on the non-quantifiable elements like the feeling or emotion of the researcher. An example of such a method is an open-ended questionnaire.
- Quantitative Method
Quantitative methods are presented in numbers and require a mathematical calculation to deduce. An example would be the use of a questionnaire with close-ended questions to arrive at figures to be calculated Mathematically. Also, methods of correlation and regression, mean, mode and median.
INTERVIEW
An interview is a face-to-face conversation between two individuals with the sole purpose of collecting relevant information to satisfy a research purpose. Interviews are of different types namely; Structured, Semi-structured, and unstructured with each having a slight variation from the other.
- Structured Interviews – Simply put, it is a verbally administered questionnaire. In terms of depth, it is surface level and is usually completed within a short period. For speed and efficiency, it is highly recommendable, but it lacks depth.
- Semi-structured Interviews – In this method, there subsist several key questions which cover the scope of the areas to be explored. It allows a little more leeway for the researcher to explore the subject matter.
- Unstructured Interviews – It is an in-depth interview that allows the researcher to collect a wide range of information with a purpose. An advantage of this method is the freedom it gives a researcher to combine structure with flexibility even though it is more time-consuming.
Pros
- In-depth information
- Freedom of flexibility
- Accurate data.
Cons
- Time-consuming
- Expensive to collect.
What are the best Data Collection Tools for Interviews?
For collecting data through interviews, here are a few tools you can use to easily collect data.
- Audio Recorder
An audio recorder is used for recording sound on disc, tape, or film. Audio information can meet the needs of a wide range of people, as well as provide alternatives to print data collection tools.
- Digital Camera
An advantage of a digital camera is that it can be used for transmitting those images to a monitor screen when the need arises.
- Camcorder
A camcorder is used for collecting data through interviews. It provides a combination of both an audio recorder and a video camera. The data provided is qualitative in nature and allows the respondents to answer questions asked exhaustively. If you need to collect sensitive information during an interview, a camcorder might not work for you as you would need to maintain your subject’s privacy.
Want to conduct an interview for qualitative data research or special report? Use this online interview consent form template to allow the interviewee to give their consent before you use the interview data for research or report. With premium features like e-signature, upload fields, form security, etc., Formplus Builder is the perfect tool to create your preferred online consent forms without coding experience.
QUESTIONNAIRES
This is the process of collecting data through an instrument consisting of a series of questions and prompts to receive a response from individuals it is administered to. Questionnaires are designed to collect data from a group.
For clarity, it is important to note that a questionnaire isn’t a survey, rather it forms a part of it. A survey is a process of data gathering involving a variety of data collection methods, including a questionnaire.
On a questionnaire, there are three kinds of questions used. They are; fixed-alternative, scale, and open-ended. With each of the questions tailored to the nature and scope of the research.
Pros
- Can be administered in large numbers and is cost-effective.
- It can be used to compare and contrast previous research to measure change.
- Easy to visualize and analyze.
- Questionnaires offer actionable data.
- Respondent identity is protected.
- Questionnaires can cover all areas of a topic.
- Relatively inexpensive.
Cons
- Answers may be dishonest or the respondents lose interest midway.
- Questionnaires can’t produce qualitative data.
- Questions might be left unanswered.
- Respondents may have a hidden agenda.
- Not all questions can be analyzed easily.
What are the best Data Collection Tools for Questionnaire?
Formplus lets you create powerful forms to help you collect the information you need. Formplus helps you create the online forms that you like. The Formplus online questionnaire form template to get actionable trends and measurable responses. Conduct research, optimize knowledge of your brand or just get to know an audience with this form template. The form template is fast, free and fully customizable.
- Paper Questionnaire
A paper questionnaire is a data collection tool consisting of a series of questions and/or prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Mostly designed for statistical analysis of the responses, they can also be used as a form of data collection.
REPORTING
By definition, data reporting is the process of gathering and submitting data to be further subjected to analysis. The key aspect of data reporting is reporting accurate data because of inaccurate data reporting leads to uninformed decision making.
Pros
- Informed decision-making.
- Easily accessible.
Cons
- Self-reported answers may be exaggerated.
- The results may be affected by bias.
- Respondents may be too shy to give out all the details.
- Inaccurate reports will lead to uninformed decisions
Research Tools
1. Think With Google Research Tools
Wish you had information on your product’s likelihood of success? Think With Google’s marketing research tools offer interesting insights on whether anyone is looking for your product (Google Trends), which markets to launch to (Market Finder), and what retail categories rise as the months and seasons pass (Rising Retail Categories).
If you’d like to market your product through YouTube, the Find My Audience tool allows you to investigate what your potential viewers are interested in and what you should discuss in your brand’s YouTube channel.
Pricing: Free
2. Census Bureau
The Census Bureau offers a free resource for searching U.S. census data. You can filter by age, income, year, and location. You can also use some of its shortcuts to access visualizations of the data, allowing you to see potential target markets across the country.
One of the best ways to use this tool is by finding the NAICS code for your business, then accessing the Tables tool, then clicking Filter on the sidebar and searching for your industry. Easily find out where your target industry is most popular — or where the market has been oversaturated. Another helpful tool is the Census Bureau Business and Economy data, where you can also target premade tables depending on your industry.
Pricing: Free
3. Make My Persona
Make My Persona is a proprietary tool that allows you to create a buyer persona for your potential new product. Defining who might benefit from your product is key to marketing it in an effective way. In this tool, you pick a name for the persona, choose their age, identify their career characteristics, and identify their challenges, allowing you to pinpoint both demographic and psychographic information.
This tool is most suited for B2B product launches, because you’ll be prompted to document your buyer persona’s career objectives and role-specific challenges. As such, your product would ideally solve a problem for them in the workplace or help their company achieve revenue goals.
Pricing: Free
Conclusion:
Research tools and techniques. Research tools and techniques are considered as research instruments. The use of these tools and techniques helps in getting the required data according to the needs of the business. Research is an activity that’s carried out to find or evaluate information in order to make decisions.There are two types of research: the primary and secondary.