National Junior College

Guidebook for Students:

Research Methods for Collection of Primary Data

Guidebook for students: Research Methods

PW Committee 2016

Research Methods
An important process of project work is research and the use of data/information. Data can be classified as
primary and secondary data. You are required to carry out BOTH primary and secondary research for
your project.

Primary data refers to information collected by the researcher himself. For example, data collected by
the immediate user through a survey and observation.
Secondary data refers to information obtained from previous research done by other people. The most
significant secondary data sources include official (primarily government departments and statutory
authorities) and unofficial sources (research carried out by private firms, academic research papers,
market research etc.).

Section 1: Research Methods for Collection of Primary Data

Various research methods may be used to collect primary data.
a) Survey
b) Interview
c) Observation
These methods are explained in the following pages and guidelines are provided for each method.
You need to decide which research methods best serve your purpose in Project Work and to use them
appropriately.

Guidebook for students: Research Methods

PW Committee 2016

A) Surveys
Useful for:
o gathering statistical information
o getting a general idea of a situation
o establishing trends about a population / community
o getting a total count of specific aspects concerning a population / community
The information gathered is limited and easier to analyse, but with little or no explanation of the reasons behind
the results. A census is an example of a survey.
Type of information best gathered: standardised, written, brief, simple, self-reported. Either quantitative
(numerical) or limited qualitative (attitudes, behaviours, beliefs, activities, etc.)
Best type of respondents: literate, willing to take the time to answer truthfully and to return the survey.
Types of Surveys
The common types of surveys are:
i.
mail surveys
ii.
interview surveys
iii.
online surveys
iv.
telephone surveys
i) Mail Surveys
Mail surveys are more appropriate for dealing with sensitive issues.
Advantages
Wide
coverage,
less
costly,
easier
to
analyse, can be anonymous
Greater
uniformity
in
the
manner
questions are posed
Eliminates interviewer bias
Detailed written answers are possible

Disadvantages
Sometimes difficult to get people to complete and
return surveys
Lacks flexibility
Some questions may be unanswered
Cannot record spontaneous answers

ii) Interview Surveys

Interview surveys are more effective in dealing with complex issues.
Advantages
Flexible
Higher response rate
Control over question order
Records spontaneous answers
Respondent alone answers
Can observe and ask questions

Disadvantages
More costly and time consuming
May involve interviewer bias
Less anonymity

3. Telephone Surveys
A quick way to obtain data from open-ended questions without face-to-face interview
Advantages
Flexible
Can ask open-ended questions
Fast response time

Disadvantages
Sometimes difficult to get people to do telephone
surveys
Could be costly if done on large scale
Visual presentation of questions not possible
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4. Online Surveys
Uses technology to collate data easily.
Advantages
Sampling of respondents can be done quickly.
Hundreds or thousands of respondents can be
recruited in one day, compared with weeks for a
traditional survey.
Less costly compared to live telephone or mail
interviews

Disadvantages
The nature of 'anonymity' of online users adds to the
difficulty of evaluating the quality of the respondents
and obtaining representative results
Difficulty of conducting long or complex surveys as
respondents tend to lose interest after 25 to 30
questions

Guidebook for students: Research Methods

PW Committee 2016

Planning the Survey and General Pointers

1. What is the purpose of the survey?
o Be clear about the purpose of the survey.
o How do you intend to use the survey information? Ask only questions that directly address the purpose
of the survey.
o If you cannot specify how you intend to use the information from the question asked, leave the
question out.
2. Who are the people I need to survey?
o Define the target sample population that suits the purpose (age group, profession, gender, etc).
o Define terms like general public, average Singaporean.
o You need to consider where you can locate these target interviewees so that any biasness in data
may be reduced. For example, if you want to sample expenditure of average Singaporeans, will
obtaining data from shoppers in Orchard Road be representative?
o Does this location consist of only a specific type of Singaporeans that may not be so average?
o Decide on the sample size. The data size used for analysis should exceed 30 for a more meaningful
representation. The total number of interviewees should exceed this number.
3. What type of survey should I use?
o This will depend on the type of data to be collected.
o You should also weigh the relative advantages and disadvantages of the various types of surveys.
4. Keep your questionnaire short.
o If you decide to use a questionnaire, keep it short to get the most response.
5. Use simple and direct language. Avoid emotive language.
o Do not use unfamiliar words, jargon, slang or abbreviations.
o Remember who your audience is and write your questionnaire for them.
o Write short sentences.
o Abbreviations are okay if you are absolutely certain that every single respondent will understand their
meanings.
o Avoid using emotive language as this may manipulate your respondents answer. E.g. Everyone likes
Coke, dont you?
6. Order your questions carefully. Questions should flow logically.
o Items on a questionnaire should be grouped into logically coherent sections. Grouping questions that
are similar will make the questionnaire easier to complete, and the respondent will feel more
comfortable.
o Questions that use the same response formats, or those that cover a specific topic, should appear
together.
o Transitions between questions should be smooth. Questionnaires that jump from one unrelated topic
to another feel disjointed and are not likely to produce high response rates.
o Place the most important items first.

Guidebook for students: Research Methods

PW Committee 2016

Developing Survey Questions

1. Introductory statement (either spoken or written)
o Your introduction must include:
who you are
what is the purpose of the survey
the assurance that the responses will be kept confidential
how many minutes the whole procedure will take
2. Type of questions
Open-ended questions
E.g.
What are the reasons for students being stressed?
Advantages
Unanticipated findings can be discovered
Permits respondents self-expression and richness of detail

Disadvantages
Difficult to code and analyse

Closed-ended questions
E.g.
What is the most important reason for students being stressed?
a.
Too many parties
b.
Too many exams
c.
Too long school days
d.
Project work
Advantages
Quick and easy for respondents to answer
Quick and easy for you to code and analyse

Disadvantages
Manipulated answers, forced choices
Simplistic responses to complex issues

Statements to rate on a scale

E.g.
Project work is the most useful academic school activity.
a.
Strongly agree
b.
Agree
c.
Disagree
d.
Strongly disagree
e.
Dont know
Notes:
Deciding whether to include or exclude a middle category such as undecided, neutral, or no opinion is
always a dilemma. It does allow you to avoid false positives (falsely stating an opinion when one does not
know).
Make answers mutually exclusive; they should not overlap
Poor examples:
Do you live in:
or
How old are you?
a) Johor Bahru
a) 1-10
b) Singapore
b) 10-20
c) Malaysia
c) 20-30

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PW Committee 2016

Response should include all possible answers

Examples: What brand of computer do you own?
a) HP
b) Dell
c) Others
d) Do not own a computer
3. Wording
Be as clear as possible
Avoid jargon, slang, and abbreviations
Avoid ambiguity (e.g.Do you exercise regularly? What does regularly mean; how is exercise defined?)
Avoid double negatives (e.g.Do you not know about the dangers of smoking?)
Dont manipulate the answers
Avoid emotional language (e.g. What do you think about murderous terrorists, who threaten to steal the
freedoms of peace-loving people?)
Avoid prestige bias (e.g. Doctors say that. Do you agree?)
Avoid leading/loaded questions (e.g. You really like project work, dont you?)
Avoid false premises (e.g. Nobody likes the gray school uniform. Do you prefer a blue or a brown one
instead?)
Include only a single concept/issue/meaning in a question
Bad e.g. Is project work the most useful and fun school activity in which you have participated?
Perhaps useful, but not fun or vice versa
Bad e.g. Do you rate a teacher better if the teacher tells many jokes?
This question measures whether or not students believe that they rate teachers based on the telling of
jokes; it does not measure the actual relationship. The correct way is to ask two separate questions: what
criteria do you use to rate a teacher, and how many jokes does the teacher tell in class?
Ask about current or recent attitudes and behavior
Bad e.g. If NJC installed a modern coffeeshop, would you buy your coffee there?
Avoid asking people what they might do under hypothetical circumstances.
Answers to a hypothetical situation are not very reliable and are poor predicators of actual behavior.
4. Sequence of questions

Ensure question topics flow smoothly and logically

Organise questions so that they assist the respondents memory as he / she goes through the survey.
Think of your respondents comfort level and try to make your questions pleasant, interesting and easy.
Do not include threatening questions.
Always end with thank you.
Review your objectives and check your questions against them.
Did you ask what you want to find out, or will the questions solicit irrelevant information?

Guidebook for students: Research Methods

PW Committee 2016

Pilot Test the Survey

Pre-testing, or pilot testing, is an important part of the research process. In a pilot test, the questionnaire is
administered to a small group similar to the target sample.
This allows you to:
ensure that the survey is asking the right questions, the questions make sense, and the instrument is
working correctly.
check on the logical sequencing of questions
ensure that respondents understand the directions and instructions in the survey. (Pilot surveys also
provide good interviewer training opportunities.)
check for the adequacy of the sampling frame. (Can you get a true cross-section of the target population?)
check for the expected non-response rate and the suitability of the method in collecting the data and
observations desired. (e.g. the success rate of mailed questionnaires versus cost and accuracy)
check for the adequacy of the questionnaire in measuring intended variables
check the codes chosen for pre-coded questions; whether these are clear to respondents or whether
they reflect all the possible responses the interviewee can give. (e.g. strongly agree/disagree; once a
year/never)
check the probable time frame for the survey. (How long it takes to administer and the total time
needed?)
The pre-tests and pilot survey generally will not reveal all the potential pitfalls of the main survey. However
they will certainly result in important improvements in the quality of questions and may influence the scope of
items needed for the main survey.
Determining a Sample
It is impossible or very costly to include everyone in your survey. One way to get round this problem is to
select a sample from the population of all respondents you are interested in surveying.
Sampling is the act, process, or technique of selecting a suitable sample, or a representative part of a
population for the purpose of determining parameters or characteristics of the whole population.
1. What is a sample?
A sample is a small, limited part of a statistical population whose properties are studied to gain information
about the whole. When dealing with people, it can be defined as a set of respondents (people) selected from
a larger population for the purpose of a survey. A population is a group of persons, objects, or items from
which samples are taken for measurement.
2. What is the purpose of sampling?
To draw conclusions about populations from samples, we must use inferential statistics which enable us to
determine a populations characteristics by directly observing only a portion (or sample) of the population.
Obviously, it is cheaper to observe a part rather than the whole, but we should prepare ourselves to cope with
the dangers of using samples. Some sampling procedures are better than others but all may yield samples
that are inaccurate and unreliable. You can minimise these dangers, but some potential error is the price we
must pay for the convenience and savings samples provide.
3. The advantages of using a sample in research
Obviously, taking a sample requires fewer resources than a census. For example, let us assume you want to
know what all the students at NJC think about the quality of teaching in the school. All the students are different
and they are likely to have different perceptions and you believe you must get all these perceptions. So you
decide because you want an in-depth view of every student, you will conduct personal interviews with each
one of them and you want the results in 20 days. Let us assume that at this point in time, NJC has more than
1800 students. Can you complete all interviews in 20 days? There are only 5 of you; each of you will have to
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interview 360 students. If each interview takes 20 minutes, each of you will need to interview for 6 hours a
day, for 20 days! This illustrates the very high cost, in time certainly, of census. For the type of information
desired, a small wisely selected sample of NJC students may be the only way to get the information required.
A sample may actually be more accurate than a census. A sloppily conducted census can provide less reliable
information than a carefully obtained sample.
5. Sample size
Before deciding how large a sample should be, you have to define your study population. The question of how
large a sample should be is a difficult one. Sample size can be determined by various constraints. As a
general rule of thumb, a sample of less than 50 is not likely to be of use for drawing convincing conclusions.
Sample size depends on the nature of the analysis to be performed, the desired precision of the estimates
one wishes to achieve, the kind and number of comparisons that will be made, the number of variables that
have to be examined simultaneously and how heterogeneous a population is sampled.
6. Errors in Sampling
What can make a sample unrepresentative of its population? One of the most frequent causes is sampling
error. You get a sampling error if the group you choose for your sample is different in some way from the
general population; in other words, they are not truly representative. For example, suppose that you select a
sample of 100 American women, measure them and find all of them are over six feet tall. It is very clear, even
without any statistical proof, that this would be a highly unrepresentative sample, and any conclusions you
then drew about the height of American women would be invalid.
The second cause of sampling error is sampling bias. Sampling bias is a tendency to favour/select people
who have particular characteristics. Sampling bias is usually the result of a poor sampling plan. For example,
you would like to know the average income of a diversified community and you decide to use a sample taken
from a locality where only the rich and middle class live. You will end up with high average income levels that
will lead to the wrong conclusions.
Students have an understandable tendency to only sample other students. Thus, unless they are working on
a project that focuses on youngsters or teens, their conclusions will all be invalid. For example, a group
studying marriage patterns, interviews their fellow JC students and concludes that marriage is no longer
popular because none of their respondents are married.
Another potential problem area is the bias of non- response. If a fair portion of your sample does not answer
your questions, then you no longer have a representative sample.
7. Non sampling error (measurement error)
A non-sampling error is an error that results solely from the manner in which the observations are made largely
due to poor measuring instruments for example, making errors when compiling the results from the surveys.
8. The respondent effect
Respondents might also give incorrect answers, for example, to impress the interviewer. This type of error is
the most difficult to prevent because it results from outright deceit on the part of the respondents. Individuals
tend to provide false answers to particular questions. For example, some people who want to feel younger will
tend to lie to you by understating their age, or some who want to impress you may lie about their occupations.

Guidebook for students: Research Methods

PW Committee 2016

Sample Guide on Improving Survey Questions

No.
1

Question
Which
government
body/
statutory board do you work in?
a. MOE
b. HDB
c. MOM
d. MOF

Possible Problem
Use of abbreviations

Possible Reworded Question

Which government body/statutory
board do you work in?
a. Ministry Of Education
b. Housing Development Board
c. Ministry Of Manpower
d. Ministry Of Finance

Do you render assistance

when you witness and perceive
that a physically-challenged
person is traversing the road?
a. Yes
b. No

Use of words that are

too difficult

Do you offer help when you see a

handicapped person crossing the
road?
a. Yes
b. No

In your opinion, which of the

following age-groups have the
greatest spending power?
a. Teenager
b. Young adult
c. Middle age adult
d. Older people

Use of words with

unclear meanings

In your opinion, which of the following

age-groups
have
the
greatest
spending power?
a. 13 to 19 years old
b. 20 to 35 years old
c. 36 to 60 years old
d. 61 and above

Should movie tickets on

weekends not cost differently
from weekdays?
a. Yes
b. No

The question is unclear

Should movie tickets cost the same on

weekends and weekdays?
a. Yes
b. No

How much do you spend on

shopping for clothes each
month?
__________dollars

Question
asks
for
information that is too
precise

How much do you spend on shopping

for clothes each month?
a. less than $200
b. between $200 and $400
c. more than $400

Body piercing is bad and

should be banned.
a. Yes
b. No

Question is leading a
view

What is your view

piercing?
a. Support it
b. Oppose it
c. No comments

How much did you earn last

year?
_________ dollars

Question
asks
for
sensitive information

Please indicate the income group that

you belong to:
a. below $1000 monthly
b. between $1001 and $3000 monthly
c. between $3001 and $5000 monthly
d. $5001 and above monthly

Do you like New Age and Jazz

Music?
a. Yes
b. No

Two subjects
question

Do you like New Age music?

a. Yes
b. No

in

about

body

Do you like Jazz music?

a. Yes
b. No

Guidebook for students: Research Methods

PW Committee 2016

Does the current operating

hours of the XYZ supermarket
satisfy your needs?
a. Yes
b. No

Question assumes too

much knowledge

The current operating hours of the

XYZ supermarket is from 11 am to 10
pm every day.
Does the current operating hours
satisfy your needs?
a. Yes
b. No

10

On average, what percentage

of your time is spent on
exercising per day?
__________%

Question is demanding

On average, how much time do you

spend on exercising per day?
a. less than 30 minutes
b. 30 minutes to 1 hour
c. more than 1 hour

Curriculum Planning and Development Division. Ministry of Education, Singapore.PW (Sec & Pre-U)
Learning Package. 2004

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Drawing Valid Conclusions from Survey Data 1: Case Study on Filial Piety
Exercise
A survey was conducted to identify the attitudes of different age groups in Singapore towards filial piety. The
data collected was tabulated and presented in the two bar graphs below.
Data: Children should take care of their parents when their parents are old.
Rating Scale:

Strongly
agree

Strongly
disagree

80
70
60

50

40

4
30

20

10
0
Rating (%)

Conclusion
Family ties in Singapore are still
strong.

Valid/Not Valid
Not valid

Reasons
The word still implies some historical
comparison which is not available. Without
the word still the statement would be valid as the
survey shows Strongly Agree across all age
groups. That would be a reasonable conclusion.
There is no information from the data to support
this conclusion.

Singapore children are more filial than

children from western countries.

Not Valid

Majority of respondents surveyed

agree that children should take care
of elderly parents.

Valid

Close to 90% of the respondents strongly agreed

or agreed that children should take care of elderly
parents.

The government should take care of

the parents of the 5% of respondents
who do not want to look after their
parents.

Not Valid

There is no information from the data to suggest

this conclusion.

Guidelines on Referencing Survey Data with Research Article Data: Case Study

Curriculum Planning and Development Division. Ministry of Education, Singapore.PW (Sec & Pre-U)
Learning Package. 2004
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Using the Case Study on Filial Piety, the table below shows how secondary research may verify some of the
ideas that the group had, but was unable to conclude based solely on their survey data.
Conclusion

Valid/ Not
Valid
Not valid

Reasons

Using Secondary Research Data

The word still implies some

historical
comparison
which is not available.
Without the word still the
statement would be valid as
the survey shows Strongly
Agree across all age groups.
That would be a reasonable
conclusion.

Research
data
can
provide
historical data, so that a comparison
may be made with current survey
data.

Singapore children are

more filial than children
from western countries.

Not Valid

There is no information from

the data to support this
conclusion.

The group may research on

information pertaining to children in
Western countries. However, care
must be taken when sourcing for the
data. Some questions to consider
are:
- Time: are the data current?
- Age group of participants.
Are they comparable?
- Background of participants?
Are they comparable? Were
the data biased?(e.g. single
parent families, troubled
families)

Majority of respondents
surveyed agree that
children should take
care of elderly parents.

Valid

Close to 90% of the

respondents strongly agreed
or agreed that children should
take care of elderly parents.

The government should

take care of the parents
of
the
5%
of
respondents who do not
want to look after their
parents.

Not Valid

There is no information from

the data to suggest this
conclusion.

Family ties in Singapore

are still strong.

The group may research on

information on governments stand
on the issue. Local newspapers
editorial page, Insight and Forum
may also provide information on
debates, views and reports on the
issue.

B) Interviews
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Advantages
Allows for the use of more complex and open-ended questions
Allows for longer, more detailed answers/information from the respondent
Allows you to select a sample for more detailed responses
Allows you to get on the spot feedback
Allows for direct, personal contact
Preparation Required
1. Select your target group/individual
Choose people whose knowledge/experience will be useful for your project. You will be putting a lot of
time and effort into this, and you do not want these to be wasted. Rather than targeting specific individuals,
you may select some sample households for door-to-door mini interviews. Many studies require
respondents who meet specific criteria. For instance your project may require that you speak with a male
head-of-household, between the ages of 30 and 40, who has children under 18 living in the same
household. Therefore you may have to ask a series of filtering questions before determining whether the
respondent fits your sampling needs.
2. Formulate your questions with care
Focus your questions. They should not be too broad or general.
3. Do not plan too many questions
Your respondents time is valuable. Do not take up too much of it.
4. Organise in detail
Things to know before you start:
o Previous work done in your project area
o Why your study is important/useful
o If you have selected a specific individual, know something about his basic background
5. Rehearse
You must be very familiar with the entire interview before facing a respondent.
6. The Interviewers Kit:
o A professional-looking notebook (ideal if you have one with the school logo clearly visible)
o A clipboard, pen
o Clear, easy to skim copies of the questions
o Official identification
o A cover letter of introduction from your Supervising Tutor
o Your full school uniform

The Interviewers Role

1. Locate and enlist cooperation of respondents
2. Motivate respondents to do a good job
If the interviewer does not take the work seriously, why should the respondent? The interviewer has to be
motivated and has to be able to communicate that motivation to the respondent. Often, this means that
the interviewer has to be convinced of the importance of the research.
3. Clarify any confusion/concerns
Interviewers have to be able to think on their feet. Respondents may raise objections or concerns that
were not anticipated. The interviewer has to be able to respond candidly and informatively.

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4. Observe quality of responses

Whether the interview is personal or over the phone, the interviewer is in the best possible position to
judge the quality of the information that is being received. Gestures and body language are 2 indicators
of how seriously the respondent took the task.
Conducting the Interview
1. Opening remarks
In many ways the interviewer has the same problem that a salesperson has. You have to get the
respondents initial attention for a sufficient period so that you can sell him/her on the idea of participating
in the study.
As you approach your respondent, you need to smile. You need to be brief. State why you are there and
what you would like the respondent to do. Do not ask. Suggest what you want. Instead of saying May I
conduct an interview with you?, you might try a stronger approach: Id like to take a few minutes of your
time to interview you for an important study.
2. Introduction
If you have gotten this far without having the person walking away from you or showing you the way of
the door, chances are you will be able to get the interview. Without waiting for the respondent to ask
questions, introduce yourself. You should have this information memorised so you can deliver the
essential information in 20-30 seconds at most. State your name and the name of the school. Show your
identification and the letter that introduces you. Have your clipboard and notebook clearly visible. You
should assume that your project is important and the respondent will be interested in participating.
Remember that people do not often get asked their opinion about anything and this, hopefully, will be an
event for them.
3. Explaining the study
Key is KEEP IT SHORT. The respondent does not have to, nor wants to know all the details of how and
why you are doing this project. You should have a one or two sentence description of the project
memorized (in 25 words or less). What you should spend some time on, is assuring the respondent that
you are interviewing him confidentially and that his participation is voluntary.
4. Use the questionnaire carefully, but informally
While you have to be ready to adapt to the needs of the setting, your first instinct should always be to trust
the instrument that you designed. On the other hand, you need to establish a connection with the
respondent. If you spend all your time looking at your question sheet and reading out the questions, you
will appear either nervous or uninterested in the person being interviewed. Memorise the first few
questions, refer to the questionnaire only occasionally, make eye contact and try to act as confidently as
possible.

5. Do not change the questions

You may think the change is unimportant, but it may change the entire meaning of the question or the
response.
6. Follow the order of the questionnaire
If a respondent brings up a topic that you know comes later, you may be tempted to jump to that section
of the interview. Do not jump the order of the questions as you are likely to lose your place and omit
important questions.
7. Ask every question

8. Do not finish sentences

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Practice the art of silence and patience. Silence is one of the most effective ways of encouraging people
to talk. If you finish the sentence for them, you imply that what they have to say is transparent or obvious,
or that you dont want to give them the time to express themselves in their own way.
9. Be non-judgmental
Do not reveal your opinions, either verbally or non-verbally. For example, do not reveal your feelings in
your facial expression or body language, even if what the person says horrifies you or seems idiotic. Treat
every answer in a matter-of-fact manner. If the respondent asks for your opinion, redirect him Right
now Im interested in what you think. If the person persists, give a totally non-committal answer, such as
I find the whole topic very interesting.
10. Obtaining adequate responses
If the respondent has given you a brief answer, inadequate for your purposes, there are several methods
you can use to get a more thorough response:
o Use silence pause and wait
o Ask for elaboration Would you like to elaborate on that?; Is there anything else you would like
to add?
o Ask for clarification
Repetition What Im hearing you say is . Then you should pause.
Examples of a probe: Respondents answer - I work at .
Probe What is your job; what type of work do you do there?
11. Record responses immediately
Note that taping their responses often makes people feel uncomfortable or inhibited. Using pen and paper
is best. Write while the person is talking. It conveys the point that you are interested in what he is saying.
You do not need to write down every word. You may want to write certain key phrases verbatim. Use
abbreviations where possible to help you capture more.
12. Concluding the interview:
Thank the respondent for his time and cooperation (even if he was not helpful!)
Do not rush the ending allow a few minutes of conversation while you pack up your writing materials.
The respondent may want to know a little about you, or how you plan to use his responses, for example.
Immediately after leaving, write down anything important, any observations you did not have time for
during the interview itself.
Record the time, date, place of the interview, and any information about the respondent that you feel
is important.

Potential Problems
1. Do not conduct an interview by yourself
Firstly, having 2 people will help in the recording of answers. Secondly, it is a matter of safety, for both
you and the respondent. The only exception is if you know the respondent well.
2. Interviewer bias
Interviewer bias can inadvertently influence the results. This is especially a problem if you are investigating
political or moral issues on which people have strongly held convictions. While you may think you are
helping society by slanting results in favour of what you believe to be the right answer, this will jeopardise
the validity of the entire project.

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Sample Letter For Requesting Interview

14 May 2016 [Date]

Mr. Mark Tan [Name of person to whom your letter is addressed]
Employment Development Center [Name of Company/Organisation]
30 Rosyth Road
Singapore 980763 [Address of Company/Organisation]
Dear Sir,
RE: Project on Job Opportunities for the Intellectually Disabled
We are a group of students from National Junior College currently doing a school research project on job
opportunities for the intellectually disabled entitled A Better Tomorrow and will appreciate it if you can kindly
grant us an interview/observation/staff survey [the particular research you are conducting] with the relevant
personnel.
This research project is in fulfilment of our A Level syllabus under Project Work (PW).
We understand that you have a busy schedule. As such, we would appreciate it if you can arrange a time slot
of about one hour for the interview. The information that you provide will be used purely for educational
purposes.
If you have any queries, please contact our Project Work Supervising Tutor, Mr. Henry Ong [Name of your
ST] at 64661589 [Staffroom number] or email Henry_Ong@moe.edu.sg [Email address of your ST].
We are looking forward to your favourable reply.
Yours faithfully,
[Signature of Leader]
Ho Pei Qi (Leader)
Ye Ying
Pradip Singh
Yeap Xin Wei [Names of group members]

Mr. Henry Ong

PW Supervising Tutor
National Junior College

Project Group NJ165

National Junior College

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Guidebook for students: Research Methods

PW Committee 2016

C) Observations
Overview
Observation is most useful when the researcher wants to document actual behaviour. The main purpose of
direct observation is to obtain a thorough description of the programme including programme activities,
participants and the meaning they attach to the programme. It involves careful identification and accurate
description of relevant human interactions and processes.
Observational evaluation is hard work that requires a skilled, trained and competent evaluator to ensure good
quality data. There are a number of variations in observational methods. The most fundamental difference
among them refers to the role of the evaluation observer either as a full programme participant, a detached
spectator or somewhere in between.
Types of Observations
1. Participant Observation
Participant observation consists of the evaluation observer becoming a member of the community or
population being studied. The researcher participates in activities of the community, observes how people
behave and interact with each other and outside organisations. The evaluator tries to become accepted as a
neighbour or participant rather than as an outsider. The purpose of such participation is not only to see what
is happening but also to feel what it is like to be part of the group. The extent to which this is possible depends
on the characteristics of programme participants, the type of questions being studied and the socio-political
context of the setting.
Advantages
Offers data when subjects are unable or unwilling to
offer information
Studies events as they evolve.
Offers first-hand information.
Allows collection of wide range of data even when
this information is thought to be, at the time of study,
irrelevant.
Economical way of obtaining basic socio-economic
information on households or communities.
If participants are not aware that they are being
observed, then they are less likely to change their
behaviour and compromise the validity of the
evaluation.

Disadvantages
Cannot be employed when large groups or extensive
events are studied.
Cannot provide information about the past, future, or
unpredictable events.
Cannot study opinions or attitudes directly.
Relatively laborious and time consuming.

Exposed to observers bias, selective perception and

selective memory.
Observer may become part of the situation that is
being observed.

Cannot offer quantitative generalisation on the

results.
2. Non-Participant Observation
Non-participant observation consists of the researcher observing the subjects from outside the group. The
researcher does not become involved in the lives of the observed. Observers are, ideally, unnoticed.
The advantages and disadvantages are similar to that of Participant Observation but the major difference is
that this method reduces or eliminates the possibility of the observer becoming part of the situation being
observed.

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Guidebook for students: Research Methods

PW Committee 2016

Recommended Internet Sites on Research Skills

The Big 6 Skills
http://www.big6.com
This site explains the Big Six model, a problem-solving approach towards information seeking, developed by
Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz.
Critical Evaluation of Resources
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Evaluation.html
In the research process you will encounter many types of resources including books, articles and websites.
But not everything you find on your topic will be suitable. How do you make sense of what is out there and
evaluate its authority and appropriateness for your research?
This site hosted by the UC Berkeley Teaching Library gives a broad framework for evaluating all types of
resources.
Evaluation of Web Pages
We can find a wealth of information on the Internet. But because anybody can post any information on the
web, easily and at very little cost (if at all), we need to be very discerning in our use of web information.
This site recommends techniques that you can apply and questions that you can ask in the course of
evaluating web pages.
o http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

A guide on evaluation of web pages by Dalhousie University

o https://libraries.dal.ca/using_the_library/evaluating_web_resources/6_criteria_for_websites.html

How Not to Plagiarise

http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.html
Some commonly-asked questions on how to avoid plagiarism are addressed in this article written by Dr
Margaret Procter of University of Toronto:
Can't I avoid problems just by listing every source in the bibliography?
If I put the ideas into my own words, do I still have to clog up my pages with all those names and numbers?
But I did not know anything about the subject until I started this paper. Do I have to give an
acknowledgement for every point I make?
How can I tell what is my own idea and what has come from somebody else?
So what exactly do I have to document?
Examples of plagiarism
http://www.oakton.edu/resource/iss/srcemate.htm
Do not know what plagiarism exactly means? This site gives you some examples.

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Guidebook for students: Research Methods

PW Committee 2016

2016
National
Junior
College
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication
may be produced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording or any other
information storage and retrieval system,
without prior permission in writing from the
copyright owner.

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