Which data collection method uses questions asked by the researcher with responses coded for numerical analysis?

Which data collection method uses questions asked by the researcher with responses coded for numerical analysis?

• A. Structured interview
• B. Postal questionnaire
• C. Unstructured interview
• D. Semi-structured interview

Answer: (A)

The key idea is collecting data through an interviewer who asks a fixed set of questions with predefined response options so that the answers can be coded into numbers for statistical analysis. This approach standardizes every interview, making responses easily comparable and summable across a large number of participants. It also enhances reliability because the same questions are asked in the same way, reducing variation introduced by different interviewers. Other methods differ in how questions are delivered and how responses are treated. A postal questionnaire is self-administered, so there’s no researcher present to ask questions in person, even though it can yield numerical data. Unstructured interviews rely on open-ended, flexible questions, producing rich qualitative material rather than easily quantifiable numbers. Semi-structured interviews mix fixed questions with some openness, giving more depth but still not as readily codable into tidy numerical data as a fully structured interview.

The key idea is collecting data through an interviewer who asks a fixed set of questions with predefined response options so that the answers can be coded into numbers for statistical analysis. This approach standardizes every interview, making responses easily comparable and summable across a large number of participants. It also enhances reliability because the same questions are asked in the same way, reducing variation introduced by different interviewers.

Other methods differ in how questions are delivered and how responses are treated. A postal questionnaire is self-administered, so there’s no researcher present to ask questions in person, even though it can yield numerical data. Unstructured interviews rely on open-ended, flexible questions, producing rich qualitative material rather than easily quantifiable numbers. Semi-structured interviews mix fixed questions with some openness, giving more depth but still not as readily codable into tidy numerical data as a fully structured interview.