Introduction > Different Research Methods > Opinion-based

Opinion-based Opinion-based data can be collected in a number of ways, the most popular being through the use of surveys and focus groups. Surveys/questionnaires Surveys and questionnaires can enable a large volume of information regarding past behaviour, values, attitudes and beliefs of participants to be collected. Surveys are frequently used to collect political, health and marketing data. In a survey, participants are asked structured, unbiased questions and the responses are usually rated eg on a scale of 1-5, where 1=strongly agree and 5=strongly disagree. Surveys can be a one-off or they can be used to monitor attitudes/behaviour over a period of time. It can sometimes be difficult to recruit participants for surveys, although a financial incentive is always helpful! A possible solution to this is to personally ask (interview) the participants, although this can be a very time-consuming exercise. In a face-to-face situation (rather than in an anonymous survey), participants may also give the answer they think you want to hear, rather than what their honest opinion is. It's also important to remember that people's attitudes are not always reflected in their behaviour! Focus groups Focus groups can be used to stimulate discussion and gauge views on a particular topic. As with surveys/questionnaires, focus groups are often used to gauge the public's perception of issues, including politics, education and the environment. Focus groups are chaired by a 'mediator' who ensures that the conversation stays on-track; the mediator may also be the one to ask the structured questions. The size of the focus group is important - too few people and there can be an uncomfortable atmosphere, whereas with too many people it can be chaotic and may become dominated by a few of the louder participants. In general, focus groups of between 5-10 people are ideal. Focus group discussions are often recorded using either a video camera or a dictaphone, and in large organisations they may be conducted in a dedicated room with one-way mirrors. There are several ways of avoiding one person dominating a focus group, such as the nominal group technique.

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