Research Methodologies in Health Care

Full Answer Section

      Weaknesses

• Low response rate: Even well-designed mail questionnaire surveys may have low response rates.
• Response bias: Respondents who are more interested in the topic of the survey may be more likely to respond, which can lead to response bias.
• Limited feedback: Researchers cannot get immediate feedback from respondents to clarify questions or to probe for more information.
• Data entry can be time-consuming: Data from mail questionnaire surveys must be manually entered into a database, which can be time-consuming.

Personal and Telephone Interviews Strengths

• High response rate: Personal and telephone interviews typically have higher response rates than mail questionnaire surveys.
• Reduced response bias: Researchers can reduce response bias by asking follow-up questions and by probing for more information.
• Immediate feedback: Researchers can get immediate feedback from respondents, which can be used to clarify questions and to probe for more information.
• Data collection can be faster: Data from personal and telephone interviews can be collected and entered into a database more quickly than data from mail questionnaire surveys.

Weaknesses

• More expensive: Personal and telephone interviews are more expensive to conduct than mail questionnaire surveys.
• Less anonymous: Respondents may be less likely to answer sensitive questions in a personal or telephone interview, especially if they are being interviewed by someone they know.
• Less convenient: Respondents must be available for the interview, which can be less convenient than completing a mail questionnaire survey at their own convenience.
• Interviewer bias: The interviewer's own biases can influence the responses of the participants.

Situations Most Suitable for Each Method Mail questionnaire surveys are most suitable for situations where:

• The budget is limited.
• A large sample size is needed.
• Anonymity is important.
• Respondents are geographically dispersed.
• The survey is not time-sensitive.

Personal and telephone interviews are most suitable for situations where:

• A high response rate is needed.
• Response bias is a concern.
• Immediate feedback is needed.
• Data collection needs to be completed quickly.
• The survey is complex or requires in-depth probing.

Examples Here are some examples of situations where each method might be used:

• Mail questionnaire survey: A researcher wants to study the attitudes of medical students towards a new educational program. They send mail questionnaire surveys to all medical students at a large university.
• Personal interview: A researcher wants to study the experiences of patients who have been diagnosed with a rare disease. They conduct in-depth personal interviews with a small group of patients.
• Telephone interview: A researcher wants to study the public's opinion on a new political candidate. They conduct telephone interviews with a random sample of voters.

Ultimately, the best method for data collection depends on the specific research question and the resources available. Researchers should carefully consider the strengths and weaknesses of each method before deciding which one to use.  

Sample Answer

   

Mail Questionnaire Surveys

Strengths

• Cost-effective: Mail questionnaire surveys are relatively inexpensive to conduct.
• Anonymous: Respondents may be more likely to answer sensitive questions anonymously.
• Convenient: Respondents can complete the survey at their own convenience.
• High response rate: Mail questionnaire surveys can achieve high response rates, especially if they are well-designed and follow-up reminders are sent.