BAPP Task 6b: Inquiry Tools

When deciding upon which tools/methods to utilise for my Professional Inquiry, it is worth looking at both the merits and limits of the various tools/methods that are generally used. By doing this, I can clearly identify those tools/methods that will help me throughout my inquiry process. Below I have listed what merits and limits exist, in my opinion, for interviews, surveys and documents as these are what I feel best relate to my inquiry topic (legal advice/aid for dancers): 

1) Interview

Merits

• Information collected is accurate as you are personally witnessing it
• Capture verbal and non-verbal communication (emotions, behaviours) as well as body language
• You, as the interviewer, are in control
• You can tailor the questions to your interviewee and allow conversation to develop that could be useful (new questions/information could result)
• You can collect far more detailed answers
• You can directly select who you want to interview for example; a practicioner with expertise in your field of research

Limits

• May have to enter the data collected manually
• Can be time consuming
• They can be difficult to organise and you are reliant on the interviewee being available
• Interviewees may feel trepidation or worry about expressing themselves, especially if it is a topic they do not know much about
• You, as the interviewer, could interpret the interviewees responses incorrectly

2) Survey

Merits

• Collect results from a wide range of people
• Efficient data collecting that does not require so much manual work
• Anonimity often makes participants feel as though they can be more honest
• Easy to develop especially with the online resources we have available
• Easy to share with, for example, your SIG, other bloggers or a wider community via email, social media etc. 
• Less time consuming

Limits

• Participants may become bored or dispondent whilst completing a survey causing them to rush through and not answer honestly
• It is a challenge to keep participants interested and willing to continue
• Answers can be too general ("yes" or "no") making the data difficult to accurately interpret
• It is hard to create questions that are not too vague or too detailed
• If particpants do not understand something they cannot ask you directly for help

3) Documents

Merits

• Existing knowledge, previously conducted studies and solid expertise are available
• Hard evidence of what already exists
• Helps to expand your knowledge and build your confidence in your chosen area of research
• Solid basis upon which to conduct your own research
• Can find documents that back up your research and agree with your opinions/arguments

Limits

• Danger of incorrect interpretation 
• Document could be out of date or not recognised as valid
• Documents could have errors
• Documents could reflect only one person's opinion or be open to bias
• Documents may be difficult to source and could be limited in the area in which you want to research

First to consider interviews. Having the opportunity to conduct an interview for my inquiry will be relevant in that it will allow me to access professionals who are experts in their field of practice. For me this means contacting a legal professional (solicitor) who specialises in areas of law relating to the arts. I hope to gain some valuable insight into what legal advice/aid exists and how it is administered. Similarly speaking to professionals within the dance sector will be really useful as I can gather information from dance organisations who perhaps offer legal advice/aid and ask how they go about doing this. I aim to focus my interviews on individuals within a dance organisation workplace environment who have legal knowledge, to varying levels of expertise, and how they offer this knowledge to dancers. I also aim to lead an interview with a professional dancer to get their take on my topic area and what it could mean for them.     

In terms of conducting a survey, I have already created one of my own which has been posted on a previous blog and also amongst my SIG members for piloting purposes. For my inquiry, a survey means that I can easily share a range of questions in a simple format with a variety of participants. I am hoping to eventually collect data results that will give me a strong indication as to how legal advice/aid is viewed through dance education and into life as a professional dancer. I will have to ensure that I am asking the right questions and aiming the survey at the correct group of individuals so as to gain as accurate and valid data.

Finally, regarding sourcing documents, this is incredibly useful to me in terms of referring to legal documents such as contracts and codes of ethics. Legal literature will be very detailed and complex so I will have to be careful to interpret it correctly. Documents will also provide me with already established information that will help in shaping my inquiry and providing evidence that supports my chosen topic. 

After clarifying my thoughts on the tools/methods above, I feel better prepared to approach the different research procedures and implement them into my Professional Inquiry planning and eventual conducting. 

Lil' Blogger






























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