Primary data collection method
This I have not carried out yet but will have to create and test this myself. As I have already collected my secondary research I will now have to get some primary research to make my research more reliable and accurate. I have decided to carry out a questionnaire for my primary research. The reason I have chose to do this is because it will provide me with a wide range of data and will be fun and simple for the user to fill in. it will also be comfortable for the user to fill in as they wont have to move around or log on the computer to fill it in, they could just fill it in there are then, wherever they are. If they are with their friends they may find it more interesting to fill it in as they can discuss the issue while filling the questionnaire or after they have filled it in. it will also be an advantage for me as I will be able to analyse and evaluate the data much quicker once it is filled in. Another reason why I think questionnaires will be a good idea is because I could hand them out to more than one person to fill in at the same time, whereas an interview will take a very long time as I will only be able to interview one person at a time therefore the others will have to wait until I have finished interviewing each person this could cause the others to get fed up and bored. Another disadvantage of interviews would be the people being interviewed may get nervous or may not want to answer some of the questions correctly due to personal reasons therefore may lie about some of the information asked. Whereas a questionnaire will be confidential as their names will not be asked on the sheet it questionnaires will anonymous. To make my primary data collection research more accurate I will also carry out an observational research this will involve me witnessing the data myself and will gave me a more accurate result. I will do this by watching how many smokers go out to smoke at recess times in school and will keep an eye out on them and will have an checklist with me at all times to note down how many males and females I see smoking everyday for two weeks.
Methodologies that I will use
For my research methods I will start by using the Action research, in this research I will carry out 50 questionnaires and will split them 25/25 for both teenage girls and boys to fill in. The questionnaires will be on smoking and will give me a clue on what the rates of smoking are between teenage boys and girls.
The second research method I will carry out will be the Ethnographic study research, I will do this research by observing how many smokers go out to smoke whilst in school. This will give me a more accurate result as I will have seen the smokers smoking myself and so I will know for a definite whether the results are true or not whereas the questionnaire may not be filled in accurately and truthfully by the individuals.
I think primary research is more likely to be a very reliable and accurate research compared to secondary research. I think this because for primary research you have proof that the information provided is correct and you also witness it yourself whereas secondary research you cant trust much as you may not be 100% sure whether its true or not as you haven’t carried out the information yourself. The information provided can also be out of date as things change from time to time. So I think primary research is much more reliable than secondary as you know the data is correct as you have collected as you have collected it yourself. Whereas secondary research you may not know where it has been collected form and when it has been collected.
How I will carry out my plan
As my secondary research shows that teenage boys smoke more than teenage girls, my aim will be to research if this statement is true. I will aim to find out how many cigarettes each sex smoke a day and what influences them to smoke. This will give me an idea of why they smoke and what influences them. The first methodology I will use is questionnaires, I will carry out a questionnaire in Clayton regarding smoking within teenagers. I will carry out 50 questionnaires dividing 25/25 for both teenage males and females to fill in, I will then double the score of the questionnaires so I can get a percent out of a 100. Although I will use this research method to find out whether my hypothesis is correct or not I can not guarantee 100% that all information provided by the teenagers in the questionnaire will be correct as they may not be truthful. Therefore for my second methodology I will use observation research this way I will have witness the data myself and will know for a definite whether my results are correct or not. I will observe how many pupils go outside to smoke from my school in the morning at break time, dinner time and after school. I will do this by going to their secret smoking area which is known as the “snicket” and will count how many boys and girls I see smoking every time I go there. I will jot down the results on a piece of paper. I will do this for a couple of weeks and finally make a table and add up the scores to find out the results of who smokes more teenage boys or girls.
How I will collect and use my data
Firstly I will do my plan by carrying out my questionnaires that I have made relating to the health issue I have chosen which is smoking. I will then have a look at the results of the questionnaires and will make a table out of these results and analyse them to see whether my hypothesis is true. Information given by people is not always truthful and accurate therefore to make sure my results are accurate I will also do an observational research. I will do this by keeping an eye on the smokers in my school. There is a secret place around school where the smokers go to smoke in their recess times such as break, dinner and after school, this place is known as the snicket. The reason the smokers smoke in this place is because they are not allowed to smoke within the school premises so they all gather up here in their secret place to smoke, where the teachers cannot see them. I know this because I have friends who go there to smoke and have witnessed it myself. I have also seen children from other years such as year 10 and 11 go there to smoke at break and dinner times. What I will do is count how many male and female smokers go out to the snicket to smoke in their recess times. I will do this for about two weeks and then finally add up the scores to see what my observational research results showed. I will then make a table out of these results and compare them with the questionnaire results to see any differences and to see whether my hypothesis is proved true or not.
