FINAL EXAM

Research and Evaluation in National Security Affairs

Research and Evaluation in National Security Affairs

Answer No. 1: Reasons for Choosing a Qualitative Research Design

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The first reason for choosing the qualitative research design is to explore unknown phenomena, facts, opinions and to make sure about the interpretation of the behavior and actions of people. The basic research question is: why? Of course, no qualitative studies are used to extrapolate the results to the population, although it is assumed that the results of 20 focus group interviews should confirm in quantitative research. The advantage of qualitative research is its relatively low cost, speed of obtaining results and the ability to correct problems and research questions during the interview. Besides it, most importantly, it is the best research design for finding answers to new problems emerging (including the introduction of new products), finding motifs behavior and responses to questions about the reasons for these actions (Gougeon, 2011). The qualitative tests used are:

Group interviews (Focus Group interview that is FGI) usually 8 person groups, but according to the research problem can be divided into so-called. Mini group (4 to 6 people), affinity group (or relationship between the studied subjects know each other)

In depth interviews of individual (IDI)

The biggest weakness of the recruitment focus group interview is that very often, it is studied in particular group of persons who does not fully meet the recruitment criteria. Therefore, the resulting expression can be classified as a response to those who speak out on any subject. The second drawback is the non-utilization of research focus of all people involved in the study. There will always be a leader or a few dominant individuals whose behavior and expression make others limit their activity in the group. A lot depends on the moderator, but not always possible to avoid failure. Therefore, if the dynamic group is not needed, individual depth interviews seem preferable. Without a doubt, a key element of qualitative research is the moderator, which alone will decide on the course of the study; moreover, pre-prepared script is only a sketch plan of the interview (Gougeon, 2011).

Inherent in qualitative research are projective techniques which are very large sets, whose objective is to facilitate the persons surveyed expressing opinions concerning explored the subject and allow for a projection characteristics of the product/ service to the research material; for case in point, pictures, photos and people). The problem is the interpretation of the results; it is quite simple in the case studies which aim is to evaluate the product/ service. It is quite difficult, if the investigation concerns a newly introduced product. In addition to this, the most popular projection techniques are the personification of (a product or service are assigned human characteristics), the planet (the product or service is presented as a kind of universe), collage, drawing tests. We also recommend the use of different types of challenge (of course within reasonable and ethical limits). Provocation can declare how much a particular statement or opinion is stable and there is a ...