Sociology uses two key approaches to identifying information about the state of society - qualitative and quantitative research methods. The basis of quantitative methodology is the idea of the systematization of the human community. It is generally accepted that information obtained using such methods can be ordered. When applying logical rules on its basis, we can explain the reality surrounding us. The development of this area was most relevant in the sixties of the last century. To a greater extent, the use of such techniques is characteristic of 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;
- work with documents.
Many applications of these groups of techniques have been invented. Currently, individual modifications of research methods have already become independent approaches. That is the fate of questioning, interviewing.
It 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 proceed in parallel.
What is the point?
A quantitative research method is a sociological approach, during which data is 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 meticulously scrutinized. At present, it is customary to use statistical, mathematical models. This approach made it possible to ensure the exact effectiveness of the developed methods and the correctness of the indicators obtained during the calculation. 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. It includes:
- assessment of market volumes, potentials (financial expression, in kind);
- assessment of what percentage of the market is occupied by competing enterprises;
- identification of segmentation of the consumer sector;
- identification of customer willingness to purchase goods, trends, prospects for a particular position;
- identification of a client portrait taking into account social, demographic, psychological factors;
- the definition of pre-defined parameters to identify how the buyer relates to the product.
Functionality expanded!
Professional processing and analysis of research results provide 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. Based on the research, you can understand what is the level of sales of the object of study, to what extent it is represented at points working directly with the consumer (retail).
If a sociological research program suitable for the situation has been chosen, specialists will be able to correctly formulate how:
- plan the system so that once customers try the presented product, they return to it again;
- choose the best packaging;
- find the right price.
Both good and bad
As a result of surveys, it is possible within one study to immediately cover a large number of objects of interest to the customer. In some cases, work remains in hard-to-reach segments. So, for the correctness of the result obtained, it is important to make a selection only by the lower social layer or by the highest. In order to succeed, a specific sociological research program is drawn up using all the capabilities of an enterprise offering research services. However, many agree that high-quality techniques are more successfully applied when it comes to hard-to-reach sectors of work.
I will say, but not all!
Considering the characteristics of quantitative research methods, special attention is usually paid to the possible anonymity of the participants. This rule is not mandatory for all studies of this kind, but in some cases only its observance allows to obtain reliable results. If preliminary estimates prove that anonymity will make the information more reliable, then the questionnaire for work is drawn up in this way.
There is an opposite point of view. Many people believe that the fact of anonymity practically does not affect 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 the minimum set of identification information - name, phone number and address. Based on this information, one can understand how well the persons responsible for interviewing worked.
Method Advantages
Conducting surveys of citizens, you can resort to visual materials. However, qualitative research also allows this method of work.
Research work using quantitative methods can be built using different approaches. You can dwell on tests developed by psychologists, psychographic programs, and methods that allow you to obtain accurate factual information about subjects and objects of research. An important fact is the possibility of obtaining through the questionnaire actual data on the personality of the interviewee.
Subject sampling
For the processing of the 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’s enough just to randomly choose personalities, following a certain step. This may be, say, every third person walking on the street past an interviewer.
An alternative is the formulation of quotas, on the basis of which citizens are questioned. You can specify, say, work with women aged about 35 years, once a month and more often attending manicure procedures.
During one project, you can collect a lot of questionnaires, if the research conditions require it, but much is determined by the scale of the market. Usually enough 300-2000 people. If a continuous survey is conducted involving a smaller number of participants, it is likely that the information will be inaccurate, and based on such data it is risky to make managerial decisions.
Profiles
For the results of the study to be correct, you will have to draw up a questionnaire in advance containing a given number of questions. They can be closed when the respondent is immediately provided with several options for an answer, or open when everyone can deploy to substantiate their position. When compiling the questionnaire, sociologists decide in favor of personification or anonymity, reflect this in the special field of the finished document.
Formation of the questionnaire and definition of sampling rules are key points that determine the quality of the study as a whole. If it was possible to successfully form a questionnaire and select a target audience to fill 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;
- street interviewing;
- interrogation in places of acquisitions;
- apartment interviews;
- product test;
- audit of commodity items;
- consumer panels;
- dialing legal entities.
Quite often, monitoring is organized, within the framework of which it is permissible to additionally introduce a procedure for registering assortments and costs. Such registration may be an independent approach, providing data for quantitative research.
What to resort to?
One of the most common methods currently in use is telephone polls. To do this, phoning employees of different enterprises, choosing low positions. This allows you to quickly obtain the data necessary for analysis. When working on a sample, you should have at your disposal a telephone list from which numbers are randomly selected. Most often, the method of equal intervals is used.
If it was decided to resort to the target sample, then previously sociologists formulate selection criteria. This applies to enterprises whose employees will be interviewed, and not individuals. They analyze the company’s turnover, the number of employees and the area of activity.
Why and why?
Currently, telephone surveys are usually used due to the cost-effectiveness of this approach. It is believed that the data transmitted by the respondent to the interviewer is fairly reliable. On the other hand, the level of telephone service is relatively low. This problem is especially noticeable in small towns, in rural areas.
To organize quick data collection, you can resort to the services of a call-center. Thanks to the technologies used by such enterprises, the workflow is automated, and a large number of people can be phoned quickly. The developed monitoring techniques allow us to be sure that telephone interviews were taken correctly.
Advantages of the Approach
The main important positive aspect 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 along with those from which the characteristic of the relationship is made up. Many positively assess the possibility of organizing control over the work process.
Weaknesses
Do not do without them. First of all, the already mentioned telephone problem, that is, it is impossible, in principle, to get an opinion from those who do not have a telephone. There is also no way 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 even not everyone will agree to devote such time. Moreover, even if the respondent has free time, he quickly loses interest in the event and can unpredictably interrupt the conversation at any time. The interviewer does not have the opportunity to identify the deep-seated attitude to the object being studied, as well as to collect opinions on rather extensive, diverse issues. And the questions themselves cannot be complicated, the phone does not allow the use of a number of techniques - tables, closed questions or options that require the respondent to compose a rank.
It is important!
If the method of telephone survey was 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 revenue component of the company. Employees will not disclose information about the clientele of the enterprise, suppliers, either by telephone.
We resort to the power of mail
This approach involves mailing to the recipients of profiles. Answers from them are obtained in the same way. Such a survey requires special attention to sampling. You can use it only when the sociological agency is firmly confident in the quality of the address base. It is necessary to correctly compose the accompanying materials in order to arouse the recipient's desire for a detailed answer.
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 percentage of return rarely exceeds one fifth of all materials sent. The increase in this percentage can be achieved if you use e-mail, rather than paper, however, the response is still quite low. Compliance with a number of specific requirements increases the likelihood of an interviewee responding.
Pros and cons
Speaking about the advantages, it is necessary to mention the possibility of using illustrated materials. You can also 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. It’s easy to organize a mail survey, you don’t need to train a lot of staff, and monitoring the results is a pretty easy task.
To increase the effectiveness of the survey conducted via e-mail, you can send a notification about a planned event and a request to respond and take part in a few days before it. Official statistics showed that such a measure gives an increase in the frequency of responses by 15%. Another 18% growth is observed if, in the absence of a response to the questionnaire, send a reminder to the user a couple of weeks after the event. In the absence of reaction, a second warning is sent after another two weeks. This increases responses by 26%.