Research Sources Essay Example for Free

Research Sources Essay In reference to our text book, primary sources of secondary research include audio, video, or written transcripts of original research speeches in entirety, and raw data that has not been interpreted. Primary sources serve as the best sources as they have not been diluted with thoughts or interpretations of another source. Laws, court documents, census, human resource records, are primary sources. Primary sources are most trustworthy and valuable sources of data. Secondary sources are the interpretation of the primary sources listed above. Secondary sources come in the form of newspaper articles, textbooks, and the news reports that we are able to watch daily. Secondary sources are filtered primary sources and the second most valuable source of information. Examples of tertiary sources are represented by what we use today on the internet such as Google and Bing. Tertiary sources of secondary research are the least valuable resource. The problems of secondary data quality that researchers must face concern the data’s integrity. The effective researcher would want to evaluate their information sources such as the internet. The important aspects of such an evaluation are; the source’s purpose, the researcher wants to uncover its agenda and whether or not the purpose is affected by biases; the scope, in which the researcher determines the inclusion of details such as the depth of the criteria, how updated it is and whether or not the information provided is biased; authority, which lets the researcher know the level of data and credentials of the source or author; the audience, which explains the background of those whom the information is intended for; and the format, which explains how the information is arranged, and whether or not it was presented in a helpful and easy to locate design for the researcher to obtain. Qualitative research differs from quantitative research in that quantitative research dealt with the precise measurements of the subject, whereas qualitative research goes deeper into exp laining or focusing on the why and how situations happen the way they do. Some examples of the qualitative research include focus groups, individual interviews, and observations. Qualitative research focuses on the feelings, emotions, perceptions, and motivations of situations. Quantitative research on the other hand measures opinions, behaviors, and knowledge. In this week’s reading, it was confirmed that some managers prefer quantitative data, because it is less likely subjected to human biases and errors. Quantitative research is used greatly for testing theories, while qualitative research is used primarily for the development of new products, managing benefits, and performance management functions such as boosting productivity. The book describes qualitative research as being based on the aspect of phenomenon in a situation, versus the quantitative or mathematical aspect. Data from qualitative research differs from data from quantitative research, because quantitative data is solely rooted in the aspect of probability; and qualitative data deals with the methodologies, which incite better and deeper understanding. Qualitative data explains how and why things are happening, and does not sample the probable. Qualitative data comes from sources such as anthropology, psychology, sociology, communications, economics, linguistics, and semiotics. Qualitative data comes from focus groups and sometimes interviews. The Gallup workplace survey is considered qualitative researched data. In my o rganization, we have to develop focus groups to develop ways to give our organization superior scores, so we have to develop ways to make the employees â€Å"feel good† about where they work. The survey asks questions that have to do with the way people feel. Like, someone encourages their development at work, they have a best friend at work, and if they trust their employer. Being a manufacturer of small kitchen electronics such as Hamilton Beach or Proctor Silex, and I want to determine if some innovative designs with unusual shapes and colors developed for the European market would work for the U.S. market, the qualitative research I would most likely recommend is sampling. More specifically, I would choose purposive and convenience sampling. This way, we would have access to new and willing consumers, with a fresh mind to the organizations creative new products. Interviewing individual people or focus groups do not seem promising when there is the introduction of a new product to consider, because many people are less likely to express their creativity in using unconventional products with others. However if offered the ability to sample a new product, people are more likely to try it before they buy it, most people can be talked out of buying a new product