Pros Cons Cost Time to Response rate Expertise needed Methods complete Interviews – Gather in-depth, Takes much time Inexpensive if About 45 People usually Requires good face-to-face detailed info. and expertise to done in-house min. per agree if it fits skills and open conduct and interview. into their Info can be used to Can be expensive Formal analysis ended analyze. schedule. generate survey to hire outside Analysis can methods are questions. Potential for interviewers be lengthy, difficult to learn. interview bias. and/or depending transcribers. on method Open-ended Can add more People often do Inexpensive Only adds a Moderate to Easy to analyze questions on detailed not answer them. few more low content a written info to a structured minutes to a May be difficult to survey survey written interpret meaning survey. Quick of written analysis time. statements. Participant Can provide Observer can be Inexpensive if Time Participants Requires skills to observation detailed biased. done by staff or consuming may not want analyze the data information about volunteers to be observed Can be a lengthy a program process. Same as paper Same as paper and More than Moderate to Moe than Need some and pencil, but you pencil but requires telephone and high administered expertise to structured can clarify more time and staff self-administered survey (same as implement a surveys responses time surveys telephone survey and to survey) analyze and interpret the data Record Objective Can be difficult to Inexpensive Time Not an issue Little expertise interview interpret. consuming needed. Quick Often is Coding scheme Does not require incomplete. may need to be new participants developed
Methods Pros Cons Cost Time to complete Response rate Expertise needed Interviews – face-to-face and open ended Gather in-depth, detailed info. Info can be used to generate survey questions. Takes much time and expertise to conduct and analyze. Potential for interview bias. Inexpensive if done in-house Can be expensive to hire outside interviewers and/or transcribers. About 45 min. per interview. Analysis can be lengthy, depending on method People usually agree if it fits into their schedule. Requires good skills Formal analysis methods are difficult to learn. Open-ended questions on a written survey Can add more detailed info to a structured survey People often do not answer them. May be difficult to interpret meaning of written statements. Inexpensive Only adds a few more minutes to a written survey. Quick analysis time. Moderate to low Easy to analyze content Participant observation Can provide detailed information about a program Observer can be biased. Can be a lengthy process. Inexpensive if done by staff or volunteers Time consuming Participants may not want to be observed Requires skills to analyze the data structured surveys Same as paper and pencil, but you can clarify responses Same as paper and pencil but requires more time and staff time More than telephone and self-administered surveys Moderate to high Moe than survey (same as telephone survey) Need some expertise to implement a survey and to analyze and interpret the data Record interview Objective Quick Does not require new participants Can be difficult to interpret. Often is incomplete. Inexpensive Time consuming Not an issue Little expertise needed. Coding scheme may need to be developed administered
GTO_Homelessness_Manual.docx