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CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Given the need to establish how awareness of the
Home Reading campaign has changed over time,
mruk research recommended that the same
in-home methodology as the previous research exercise
should be adopted.
3.2 As such a quantitative approach of in-home
face-to-face interviews was also adopted for this wave of
research.
SAMPLE STRUCTURE
3.3 A total of 400 in-home interviews were conducted in
line with the previous research project.
3.4 Given the precise nature of the target group, a
series of quotas were imposed on the interview sample
structure. Such an approach ensured consistency over time,
in order for comparisons to be made. The following table
details the target number of interviews (in line with the
previous wave of research) and the actual number of
achieved interviews.
Table 3.1 Research sample
| Target No of Interviews | No of Interviews Achieved |
|---|
GENDER OF PARENT |
|---|
Mothers | 240 | 240 |
|---|
Fathers | 160 | 160 |
|---|
SEG (SOCIOECONOMIC
GROUP) |
|---|
C1/C2 | 260 | 259 |
|---|
DE | 140 | 141 |
|---|
AREA |
|---|
Glasgow | 100 | 100 |
|---|
Edinburgh | 100 | 100 |
|---|
Aberdeen | 100 | 100 |
|---|
Dundee | 100 | 100 |
|---|
Parents with children aged 2-8, 1 of which
being a boy | 400 | 400 |
|---|
TOTAL | 400 | 400 |
|---|
SAMPLING APPROACH
3.5 All interviewers were given a starting address point
and a set of rules to ensure no interviewer-related bias
impacted on the research.
3.6 Within each sample point each interviewer was given
a random address point to start interviewing. This was
where the first interview was attempted by each interviewer
(bearing in mind selection criteria), thereafter they
followed a set of rules to locate other addresses. The
interviewer requested an interview at predetermined
intervals in the street, alternatively turning left and
right into other streets wherever they were encountered.
Each interviewer was given a different starting address
point, thus ensuring a geographic spread of interviews
within the areas of interest.
3.7 The interviewing was scheduled to cover three time
bands; weekday daytimes, weekday evenings and weekends, to
ensure an appropriate mix of individuals.
A series of selection questions were used to ensure
respondent eligibility.
3.8 All interviews were undertaken by trained and
experienced
mruk research interviewers, operating to
IQCS (Interviewer Quality Control
Scheme) standards.
QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
3.9 Question areas were fairly consistent over time, to
allow for easy comparison.
mruk research developed the questionnaire
used in previous waves, incorporating it into our in-house
style (
Appendix 1).
3.10 The questionnaire was agreed with the Project
Manager within the Scottish Executive prior to fieldwork
commencing.
DATA ANALYSIS
3.11 All survey data analysis for the project was
conducted by
mruk's in-house data processing and
analysis team using
SPSS for Windows software. Based in our
group head office in Glasgow, they were responsible for
running a number of range and logic checks on the data to
the ensure its validity.
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