American Intercontinental University
Statistical Analysis
June 14, 2008
Discussion Board Unit 1
A personal interview is a type of data collection that is basically only as good as the sample of people being questioned, the way the interviewer asks the questions, and the knowledge that the interviewer has about the subject (Bluman, 2008). A disadvantage of this type of data collection is that the interviewer may be biased in the way that he or she selects the individuals to be interviewed.
Mailed questionnaires can be one of the more inexpensive ways to gather data. An advantage is that usually individuals can remain anonymous. People surveyed have a chance to think about what they write down before it goes down onto paper. Different geographic areas may be easily surveyed without as much travel expense as personal interviews. Disadvantages are that people reply with inappropriate or unreadable answers to the questions (Bluman, 2008).
When a researcher uses projective techniques, subjects may be required to respond to a verbal or visual stimulus. The other way that this method is used is by saying an incomplete sentence and asking the subject to complete it. Hypothetical or open ended questions can also be asked in order to get detailed answers to the survey questions (Bluman, 2008).
An observational study is one data collection technique that occurs when a researcher only observes occurrences from the outside, with little direct participation. Another method that can be classified as an observational study is when a researcher studies occurrences from the past and draws conclusions (Bluman, 2008)..
An experimental study co ...