Sociology uses two key approaches to identifying information about the state of society - qualitative and quantitative research methods. The quantitative methodology is based on the idea of the systematization of the human community. It is customary to think that the information obtained with the help of such methods can be ordered. When applying logical rules, on its basis it is possible to explain the reality around us. The most relevant development of this direction was in the sixties of the last century. To a greater extent, the use of such methods is typical for Western schools of sociology.
General view
Modern sociological approaches involve the use of rigidly structured quantitative research methods. There are three key classes of techniques that allow you to obtain data that form the basis for analysis:
- observation;
- poll;
- working with documents.
Many applications of these groups of techniques have been invented. Currently, individual modificationsresearch methods have already become independent approaches. This is the fate of questioning, interviewing.
This is important
If you pay attention to the whole range of quantitative research methods available to modern society, you will notice that the most important are:
- tests using psychology approaches;
- experimental approach.
Both options are based on two areas of work with facts: fixing, processing using strictly specified methods. These two processes run in parallel.
What's the point?
Quantitative research method - a sociological approach in which data are collected for subsequent analysis. Such studies are relevant if the task is to obtain the most accurate information, data, all the numerical parameters of which are verified with the utmost scrupulousness. Currently, it is customary to use statistical, mathematical models. This approach made it possible to ensure the exact effectiveness of the developed methods, the correctness of the indicators obtained during the calculations. This means that this information can be put into practice without fear of mistakes.
Why is this needed?
There is a strictly defined range of tasks that can be solved using quantitative research methods in sociology. Includes:
- assessment of market volumes, potentials (financial terms, in kind);
- assessing what percentage of the market shares are occupied by competing enterprises;
- identifying segmentation of the consumer sector;
- determining the client's readiness to buy goods, trends, prospects for a particular position;
- detection of a client portrait taking into account social, demographic, psychological factors;
- determine pre-defined parameters that allow you to identify how the buyer feels about the product.
Functionality extended
Professional processing and analysis of the results of the study allows you to get an accurate idea of which market niches are currently empty. Specialists can understand how the product meets the conditions, market requirements, and also evaluate the effectiveness of advertising, various channels that provide communication between the manufacturer and the client. On the basis of ongoing research, it is possible to understand what is the level of sales of the object of study, to what extent it is represented in points that work directly with the consumer (retail).
If an appropriate sociological research program has been chosen, specialists will be able to correctly formulate as:
- plan a system so that customers who have tried the presented product once will come back to it again;
- choose the optimal packaging;
- find the right price.
Both good and bad
As a result of surveys, it is possible to cover a large number of objects that are of interest to the customer within the framework of one study. In some cases, work will behard to reach segments. So, for the correctness of the result obtained, it is sometimes important to make a sample only for the lower social stratum or for the higher one. To achieve success, a specific program of sociological research is drawn up using all the capabilities of an enterprise offering research services. However, many agree that qualitative methods are more successfully applied when it comes to hard-to-reach sectors of work.
I will tell, but not all
When considering the characteristics of quantitative research methods, it is customary to pay special attention to the possible anonymity of participants. This rule is not mandatory for all studies of this kind, but in some cases only its observance allows obtaining reliable results. If preliminary assessments prove that anonymity will make the information more reliable, then the questionnaire for work is designed in this way.
There is also the opposite point of view. Many believe that the fact of anonymity has practically no effect on the level of reliability of information transmitted during a survey of citizens from respondents to researchers. This approach is also practiced: interviewers of a sociological agency ask each respondent a minimum set of identification information - name, phone number and address. Based on this information, one can understand how well the persons responsible for interviewing did.
Method benefits
When conducting surveys of citizens, you can resort to visual materials. However, qualitative research also allows this way of working.
Research work using quantitative methods can be built using different approaches. You can dwell on the tests developed by psychologists, psychographic programs, methods that allow you to get accurate factual information about the subjects, objects of research work. The fact of the possibility of obtaining factual data about the personality of the interviewee through the questionnaire is also important.
Sampling subjects
In order for the processing of questionnaires to give a good result, you need to be able to correctly form a sample of interviewees. If you organize a representative option, then it is enough to simply randomly select individuals, observing a certain step. It could be, say, one in three people walking past an interviewer on the street.
An alternative option is the formulation of quotas on the basis of which citizens are interviewed. You can set, for example, work with women aged about 35 years, who visit manicure procedures once a month and more often.
A lot of questionnaires can be collected during one project if the conditions of the study require it, but much is determined by the scale of the market. Usually 300-2,000 people are enough. If a complete survey is conducted with fewer participants, the information is likely to be unreliable, and it is risky to make management decisions based on such data.
Questions
In order for the results of the study to be correct, it will be necessarypre-create a questionnaire containing a given number of questions. They can be closed, when the respondent is immediately given several answers, or open, when everyone can elaborate on their position. When compiling a questionnaire, sociologists make a decision in favor of personification or anonymity, reflect this in a special field of the finished document.
Formation of the questionnaire and the definition of sampling rules are the key points that determine the quality of the study as a whole. If it was possible to successfully generate a questionnaire and select the target audience for filling it out, quantitative data will be useful for the customer.
Types of quantitative research methods
The following approaches are used to collect primary data:
- face to face;
- telephone research;
- interviewing on the streets;
- poll at points of purchase;
- apartment interview;
- product test;
- audit of commodity items;
- consumer panels;
- calling legal entities.
Quite often, monitoring is organized, within the framework of which it is permissible to additionally introduce the procedure for registering assortments and prices. Such registration can be a standalone approach providing data for quantitative research.
What to resort to?
One of the most common methods currently used is telephone surveys. To do this, they call employees of various enterprises, choosing low positions. This isallows you to quickly get the data you need for analysis. When working on a sample, you should have at your disposal a telephone list from which numbers are selected at random. The most commonly used technique is equal intervals.
If it was decided to resort to a target sample, then preliminary sociologists formulate selection criteria. This applies to enterprises whose employees will be interviewed, and not to individuals. They analyze the company's turnover, the number of employees and the area of activity.
Why and why?
Currently, telephone surveys are commonly used due to the cost-effectiveness of this approach. It is believed that the data transmitted by the respondent to the interviewer is quite reliable. On the other hand, the level of telephonization is relatively low. This problem is especially noticeable in small settlements, in rural areas.
To organize a quick data collection, you can use the services of a call center. Thanks to the technologies used by such enterprises, the work process is automated, it is possible to quickly call a large number of people. The developed control methods allow you to be sure that the telephone interviews were taken correctly.
Benefits of the approach
The main positive point of this approach is the high speed of work, that is, the necessary information can be obtained really quickly. In addition, by telephone it will be possible to obtain factual information on a par with those from which the relationship is characterized. Many positively assess the possibility of organizingworkflow control.
Weaknesses
You can't do without them. First of all, the already mentioned problem of telephonization, that is, in principle, it is impossible to get an opinion from those who do not have a telephone. It is also not possible to show illustrations, a questionnaire to the respondent, which significantly reduces the possibility of presenting information.
When choosing a telephone method of communication, you need to understand: the maximum duration of a conversation cannot exceed a quarter of an hour, and not everyone will agree to devote even such time. Moreover, even if the respondent has free time, he quickly loses interest in the event and can unpredictably end the conversation at any moment. The interviewer does not have the opportunity to reveal a deep attitude to the object under study, as well as to collect opinions on fairly extensive, diverse issues. And the questions themselves cannot be complex, the phone does not allow the use of a number of methods - tables, closed questions or options that require the respondent to compile a rank.
This is important
If the telephone survey method has been chosen for the study of legal entities, it is very difficult to obtain truthful data on some issues. In particular, this is due to the income component of the company. Employees will not disclose information about the clientele of the enterprise, suppliers over the phone.
Using the power of mail
This approach involves mailing questionnaires to recipients. Answers from them are obtained in the same way. Such a survey requires special attention to the formationsamples. You can use it only in the case when the sociological agency is firmly convinced of the quality of the address base. It is necessary to correctly compose accompanying materials in order to arouse in the recipient a desire to respond in detail.
This method is relatively cheap, and the costs are more associated with mail, courier services (delivery of completed samples to researchers). On the other hand, the return rate rarely exceeds one-fifth of all materials sent out. An increase in this percentage can be achieved by using e-mail rather than paper, however, the response is still quite low. Compliance with a number of specific requirements can increase the likelihood of an interviewee responding.
Pros and cons
Speaking of the benefits, it is necessary to mention the possibility of using illustrated materials. It is also possible to cover all regions of the country, including those where there is no telephone, no access to the Internet, no interviewers who can be involved in personal work. Establishing a mail survey is simple, there is no need to train numerous staff, and monitoring the results is a fairly easy task.
To improve the effectiveness of the email survey, you can send a notification about the planned event to all recipients a few days before the survey and a request to respond and participate. Official statistics showed that such a measure gives an increase in the frequency of responses by 15%. Another 18% increase is observed if, in the absence of a response to the questionnaire, a reminder is sent to the user a couple of weeks afterEvents. If there is no response, a second notification is sent after another two weeks. This increases responses by 26%.
