Surveys are instrumental in the understanding of the sample population thoughts’ about a given topic. Essentially, it is a research method in which the respondent’s interests or thoughts are gauged through self-reports. In describing police officer perception about the effectiveness of body cameras, the best data collection method would be surveys. Depending on the time taken to conduct surveys, they could be longitudinal or cross-sectional. Longitudinal surveys involve research that spans over a long period of time. The sample populations thoughts, attitudes or habits are observed over an extended time, which could span years or decades (Jones et al., 2013). On the other hand, cross-sectional surveys could be descriptive or analytical and can be used to collect data in a given interval of time.
One of the reasons that makes surveys the best in this scenario is the availability of various research tools that can be used to collect information. Given that some police might be highly busy to engage in face to face interviews, alternative methods such as phone calls and emails can come in handy (Jones et al., 2013). Other reasons are the diverse ways of sampling it presents, the possibility for follow-up, and the ability to see a trend in the data collected. The police force is not only diverse, but it is also significantly huge. Unlike other methods such as secondary data collection and making observations where it might not be possible to choose a representative sample of the whole country, surveys can easily be done on a vast police population by use of representative samples. Most importantly, longitudinal studies make it easier for follow-up research to be conducted; hence, trends in perception change could be realized in the long run. Another reason is that the method is replicable; hence, the possibility of objectively carrying out research without worrying about significant deviations due to the variables applied to the research process. Mixed research methods might not be replicable, hence, the possibility to find inconsistent information, one that might not give the real perspective of police thoughts of body cameras. The best research method in conducting a hotspot analysis on 911 calls pertaining to domestic violence would be secondary analysis. It is the use of secondary data to better understand particular phenomena in a research context (Wickham, 2019). In some cases, it entails consulting the primary source of information or using data that was initially collected in previous research, mainly to avoid duplication of research-related efforts. This is the best method because of the ease in assessing diverse information from different sources such as government publication and 911 call center statistics. This is also an ideal method because 911 calls are public records that can be obtained by the public whenever they request; hence, such data can easily be accessed by a researcher who wants to understand the prevalence of domestic violence-related calls made to 911. Compared to other methods, secondary analysis would be the best because it is challenging to undertake surveys to understand the frequency of 911 calls related to domestic violence. The individuals working at the various 911 call centers are likely to receive different unrelated calls every day; hence, they are unlikely to remember a hot spot for domestic violence-related calls. It is also impossible to observe the phenomena because calls are made randomly from different locations. Secondary analysis is also the best fit because it is likely to present diverse data sets that are unlikely to be obtained using triangulation. The different sources might be published or unpublished. Books, journals, podcasts, and blogs could be sources from which data can be obtained. Triangulation, observations and surveys are streamlined; hence, they might be limited in obtaining data from different sources. Triangulation combines both qualitative and quantitative research methods to gather data. The main aim of using this approach is to enhance research validity by reducing bias that might be prevalent when only one research approach is used(Thurmond, 2001). It would be best to use triangulation to research the prevalence of stalking in a small Midwest City because of the advantages that cannot be obtained from using only one research method. Stalking is an aspect that can quickly be subjective because of the inability of some individuals to draw a line between unwanted surveillance and other forms of attention a person could be given in a given locality. Furthermore, with technology, stalking is prevalent on social media platforms, and fine details about such a trend might be difficult to be captured by the probable victims. Since an individual in a Midwest City can be stalked by another person across the world, triangulation is the best because big data can be viewed as secondary data and can be combined with other forms of research to understand the extent of the issue. Additionally, since the city is small, observation can be undertaken, especially on individuals who claim to be victims of stalking. Also, it is easy to undertake random surveys online on individuals who meet the research criteria to understand the extent of the issue. Other than the possibility of using the different methods to collect essential data about stalking in a Midwest City, triangulation also best fits the case because it is likely to give reliable findings, especially because different individuals in this city might have divergent views about this phenomena. Also, using triangulation makes it possible to understand other dynamic elements that might directly or indirectly impact the prevalence of stalking. Finally, it is also worth noting that since this method allows the convergence of information from various sources, a given research method can be used to cover up for the weakness of the other (Thurmond, 2001). It is, therefore, possible to have a holistic view of the extent of the issue at hand. Observation involves examining people’s behavior in their natural setting (Kawulich, 2012). The different methods include controlled observations, naturalistic and participant observation. Regardless of the approach, the researcher sample population’s behavior within a particular time. Some researchers might be interested in the frequency of a given behavior, the general trend in the occurrence of a specific phenomenon, among other traits of interest. To analyze the nature of prostitution at truck stops along 1-9, the best method would be field research. Prostitution is one of the highly debated topics, and there is a high level of stigma related to this behavior; hence, to collect objective data, the best approach is field observation. It is easier for the researcher to stand at the station making observations than undertaking other data collection forms such as surveys that might attract biased replies. This method is also the best because one can observe dynamic elements and trends of prostitution at the truck stops. Being present in the environment helps one to understand how different variables influence such behavior, how the other players that influence the scope of the issue and aspects such as the body language, the atmosphere, and other instrumental pieces of information that it is impossible to collect using other types of research methods such as surveys and triangulation. In this case, observation is the best of the other three methods because it is likely to reinforce research accuracy, particularly because the observed population is oblivious of what is happening and are unlikely to behave in a particular manner as influenced by research methods such as surveys and mixed methods that are likely to influence the sample population to act when being watched. Also, it enables the observer to see what is currently happening at the given locality, which is impossible with secondary analysis because it is susceptible to being outdated or inability to capture current trends.
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References
Jones, T. L., Baxter, M. A. J., & Khanduja, V. (2013). A quick guide to survey research. The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England , 95 (1), 5-7.
Kawulich, B. (2012). Collecting data through observation. Doing social research: A global context , 150-160.
Thurmond, V. A. (2001). The point of triangulation. Journal of nursing scholarship , 33 (3), 253-258.
Wickham, R. J. (2019). Secondary Analysis Research. Journal of the advanced practitioner in oncology , 10 (4), 395.
