other researcher and the quality of the work they have done. For this reason, these results should be
critically evaluated and the method that was followed should be carefully analyzed.
Surveys involve asking a number of fixed and predefined questions to a sample of stakeholders.
The sample should be chosen very carefully and meet specific demands. It should be large enough and it
should be selected in order to be representative of the total population. Surveys are extremely useful,
when secondary data are not available and the project demands for specific and precise data, which can
help to better understand the target market. Another advantage of surveys is that they are inexpensive and
quick and can be easily controlled remotely, something that reduces effort. Surveys are capable of
producing very large samples, something that makes the results statistically reliable. Additionally, the fact
that the majority of the questions are standardized, makes the measurements more precise and more easy
to quantify and the results more objective.
There are some key disadvantages of questionnaires. They are not suitable to provide information on
some intangible issues, like behavior and emotions. Moreover, the questions, which are created by the
researcher, are mainly standardized, something that makes the results highly dependent on the
researcher’s view of the subject. The researcher is the one that judges what is important, but this may lead
to missing some key points that they have overlooked. Standardized questions create some more
problems, since the participants may interpret some questions differently and this will result in different
answers. Furthermore, this misinterpretation cannot be passed to the researcher and the subjective view
of the participant on some points is ignored. Finally, the fact that the researcher usually has no contact with
the respondents, when they complete the questionnaire, results to uncertainty about how much thought
each one has put in answering the questions and how valid the results are.
Focus Groups is very popular and effective technique. Morgan (1996) defines focus groups as “a
research technique that collects data through group interaction on a topic determined by the researcher.”
Focus groups are also defined as “small group discussions, addressing a specific topic, which usually involve
6-12 participants, either matched or varied on specific characteristics of interest to the researcher". (Fern,
1982; Morgan & Spanish, 1984).
An advantage of focus groups is that participants’ replies are less standardized. Surveys can be much
better to elicit yes/no answers but discussions in focus groups can be more open-ended. Additionally, focus
groups can help to get more in depth information. Interaction between participants plays a key role in focus
groups. Morgan and Krueger (1993) emphasize that “such interaction offers valuable data on the extent of
consensus and diversity among the participants.” Focus groups are a flexible method both in terms of
questions asked and in terms of desired results. The discussion between the participants, which is the key
aspect of focus groups, demands from them to seriously think their responses and results in higher quality
data. Furthermore, participants do not have to answer standardized questions, something that allows them
to better understand the context of each question and better formulate their opinions in the subject.
Additionally, the researcher is able to better explain his questions and his points of focus. Moreover, the
researcher who assembles the focus groups can invite people of specific background and knowledge on the
domain of research. This eliminates the risk of getting data of poor quality.
There are some issues and problems with focus groups. One disadvantage is that focus groups
depend highly on the moderator and his ability to guide the discussion (Morgan, 1996). He has to be
experienced and know exactly what he is trying to get out of the discussion, otherwise this may lead to lose
of focus from the participants. Furthermore, the moderator needs to make sure that all participants
express their own opinions and views and the discussion is not dominated by a few of them. Also focus
groups demand more time from the participants so it might be more difficult to assemble proper groups.
The results of the discussion are not statistical data and need more effort to be properly analyzed. Finally,
the nature of focus groups demands for fewer people to take part, so the results are not representative of a
big sample of the population.
Personal Interviews is a method that also involves unstructured, open-ended questions. The main
advantage of this method is the additional information that the interviewer can extract from the face-toface
communication. Interviews help the researcher to gain deeper understanding of the participants’