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Research Methods Topic

The learning units in this topic are concerned with how you will be doing your research. There is a very wide range of research methods available to you, and you will have to spend some time deciding which method or methods are the most appropriate, both with regard to your topic and to the approach you have decided to take. If you are a student in the physical sciences then you will probably find you tend toward quantitative or positivist methods. If you are studying the social sciences then qualitative or interpretive methods may be more appropriate. But this is a generalization, and much of the really interesting and innovative research uses a blend of both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Research methods > Interviewing > Reluctant respondants

Reluctant respondants

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Gaining access to respondents and reluctance amongst respondents are the biggest problems faced by interviewers in terms of conducting the interview itself. There are many reasons why a respondent may be reluctant to be interviewed, either generally or in relation to a particular question. Adler and Adler (2002) suggest that unwilling or reluctant respondents are spread throughout society. They tend to fall into groups: secretive respondents (those with secrets who fear being found out), sensitive respondents (sensitive about personal matters such as financial matters, health and disease or sexual conduct), the advantaged (those in positions of wealth, status or power) and the disadvantaged (respondents may be at risk, may be engaged in criminal activity, or distrustful of the intentions of the interviewer).

Incentives such as money or gifts are often used to encourage respondents. This however, is a controversial subject amongst researchers, some believing that pay offs may provide access to respondents but do not necessarily build trusting relationships or guarantee good quality results.

It is important to remember that the vast majority of respondents will be willing to be interviewed but reluctance amongst respondents is something that you should consider when designing questions and selecting your population sample.

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