Theme 4 – Reflection

I liked this week seminar in form of a workshop. The discussions around quantitative methods were intense and the fighting spirit was on the highest level even though the student’s wouldn't show it, it shone through. I think everyone wanted to win. At the same time I learned a lot about the others thoughts, and it brought second thoughts.

When the discussions started, the quantitative method grown and the amount of different kind of approaches increased for me. It was so many different types of the same methods that have significant impacts of the data collection and to find the respondents.

In a data collection with quantitative method the responsibility to get the right data are high. You have to respect many factors that have a specific impact of the result, like if they have capability and availability to a computer or others devices to participate, the target group and whether it reaches the numbers of participators. But it’s also a lot of disadvantages and advantages by using quantitative methods. I think I depends a lot of the research area.

Some of the disadvantages with web vs. paper questioner that I haven’t think of; the layout cannot be controlled, lower responding frequency and to reading from a screen can be hard and feel usuriously. These factors are important to reflect up on in the way of adapt to the target group. I would be difficult to use participators between 70-90 years to fill in a web survey and so on. It’s easier to learn these things in a discussion, because of the amount of aspects to respect. These discussions took place at the seminar and I think most of them were interesting.

But it’s not that bad to send surveys via Internet. Its much easier to send them back, its faster, you can send much more in small costs, and the best, its good for the environment etc. And hopefully you will receive more answers.