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When you already have respondents ready to do the job, it is important for you to have an open communication. Getting to know them is important because it would give you an idea on how to approach certain respondents, how to explain things to them and more importantly how and what to ask. Most of the preparations are made by the researcher and respondents normally wait for instructions, tasks and questions. What type of questions do you ask? In quantitative research, knowing the demographics of the members of your team is important. In order to gain a more precise number or percentage, knowing the number of people in a certain location would be very helpful. In addition, their ethnicity, gender and age may also play a big role in the numbers that come out in the result of your study. How do demographics help in quantitative research? Knowing their backgrounds would lead you to understand why or how they make their choices. You could also have an idea on what questions would be taboo, or an open book for them. You could classify some questions in to levels of sensitivity based on the demographics alone. In any kind of research whether qualitative or quantitative, the questions made must be simple to understand. It allows them time to think of their opinions and answers rather than focusing on what your question means or might mean. It also prevents misunderstandings especially if your respondents speak a different language as you. Questions must come from an objective perspective. If it might sound otherwise, then it must be balanced out, like answering questions from two or more views. This will avoid creating an atmosphere of unfairness or prejudice. The questions also mustn't sound like you are looking for a certain answer which is usually a case that happens when a researchers non verbal responses are mistaken as a ‘that’s-not-the-answer-I’m-looking-for’ look, so in waiting for answers, keeping a steady face is important. As respondents engage in continuous communication with the researcher, it is not uncommon or unusual for them to also ask questions to the researcher. Answering questions of your respondents should be a part every researcher must be prepared for too. It will tell your respondents how open you are to the discussion, and how much they can trust you to be honest with them in the process. They must also know why you can’t answer certain questions yet or simply not at all.
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