Pros • Opportunity to build relationships with those interviewed. • Direct/Indirect nonverbal communication will allow you to pick up additional information. •Details can be clarified when necessary. •You can get a lot of data in a short period of time. •Group synergy can lead to deeper inquiry. •Allows you to obtain several points of view. •You can get a lot of data inexpensively, from many people. •You can get information from people who may otherwise be inaccessible. • Anonymous answers promote greater openness. •Can be used to alert the organization as part of an intervention. • You get first-hand information from what you personally observe. •There is less chance of misunderstanding from someone else’s observation. •You can redirect your focus as situations change. • Saves time, money, and resources. • Data may be more respected from primary researcher. • You may get information that you would not otherwise have access to. •What others don’t see as relevant may be vitally important.
Cons • Getting access to the people you need to interview may not be easy. •Telephone interviews sometimes catch people off guard and keep them from communication. •Those not interviewed may feel “discriminated against”. •Scheduling may be difficult. •There is a risk of “groupthink” or self-censoring in front of the group. •Strong or vocal leader may dominate process. •Questions cannot be clarified. •You can’t identify the exact sources of the responses, so they may be difficult to interpret. •You may not receive open and honest answers to all questions. • Require attention to design and implementation. •You may not have access to the situations that need to be observed. • Direct observation may alter the situation being observed. • It may be difficult to observe enough situations to be able to make generalizations. •The data may be incomplete, unreliable, or out of date. •The data may be difficult and/or time consuming to obtain or understand. • Data obtained may be irrelevant to your research.