Provide a 5 pages analysis while answering the following question: Data Collection Methods. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is required. As a common data collection method, interviews will be used in this research. Precisely, this research will overly rely on semi-structured interviews where participants will be asked predetermined questions. Apparently, the prearranged questions used in semi-structured interviews allow the researcher to probe interviewees beyond the answers they give regarding the prearranged questions, thus clarifying on various issues that might often be belligerent or not clear to the researcher (Berg, 2009. Gall, Gall & Borg, 2007).My decision to use semi-structured interviews is informed by the ostensible fact that since each interviewee is asked the questions in a methodical and steady manner, the researcher can easily compare the responses from various respondents. Moreover, Berg (2009) affirms that its structure allows the elucidation of issues, and allows the researcher to delve into the specific issues presented by individual participants.
An equally strong advantage of semi-structured interviews is that they are adapted to the specific needs of each participant making the interviewee reveal even the most sensitive information that would not have been obtained through any other data collection method (Gall, Gall & Borg, 2007).Apparently, the best time to conduct the interviews will be the academic year 2014-2015 since the RET program will have ended and instructors will have, supposedly, reaped from the program. As a way of preserving the information collected, I will take brief notes during the interview. Moreover, the entire interview sessions will be audio recorded. While Gall, Gall and Borg (2007) consider recording and note-taking to be antique methods of preservation of data, I believe that they are still efficient in capturing the necessary details and provide a reference when and if the need arises. Additionally, the audio-recorded interview provides a comprehensive vocal record enabling a researcher to conduct a thorough study of the information as asserted by various scholars including Borg (2007) and Gall, Gall and Borg (2007).