I will assemble some sample items from mixed data that I plan to use in my following research about construction pollution in NYC. Mixed data refers to research data that combines both qualitative and quantitative elements. It involves gathering and analyzing different data types, such as textual information (qualitative) and numerical measurements (quantitative), within the same study or research project (Parylo, 2012).
Quantitative Example:
For the quantitative aspect of my project on construction pollution in NYC, I intend to employ a survey to measure the awareness and perception of construction workers, neighbors, and managers regarding environmental practices. The survey will be distributed to a population of construction workers, neighbors, and managers from various companies in the local area.
I will draw inspiration from a study by Cheriyan & Choi (2020) to design the survey. Cheriyan & Choi's survey utilized five items to measure environmental awareness, using a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). One sample item from the survey is: "I believe it is important for construction companies to implement eco-friendly practices to reduce pollution."
By implementing this survey, I aim to gather quantitative data that will help assess the level of environmental awareness and construction workers' perception of construction-related pollution.
Qualitative Example:
I plan to conduct focus group interviews to explore the experiences and perspectives of construction workers, neighbors & managers regarding the impact of construction activities on pollution. The focus group will consist of a diverse group of construction workers, neighbors & managers, including those from different trades and levels of experience.
A research article by Elnaga & Imran (2013) inspires the design of my focus group study. In this article, Elnaga & Imran conducted a focus group with managers to investigate the effects of training programs on employee productivity. Similarly, I will administer focus group questions to construction workers who have been with their respective companies for up to one year.
The focus group questions will be designed to elicit detailed responses from participants and encourage them to share specific examples. One sample question from the focus group is: "Can you provide examples demonstrating how construction-related training and practices have contributed to reducing pollution on your job sites?"
The relationship between qualitative and quantitative data:
In the context of a project on construction pollution, the qualitative component (focus group interviews) can support the quantitative component (survey) in multiple ways. Qualitative insights from the focus group interviews can provide a more profound understanding, context, and explanations for the quantitative survey results.
The qualitative data can help develop or validate the survey instrument, guide sampling decisions, interpret and contextualize the survey findings, and contribute to theory development. By combining qualitative and quantitative data, a more comprehensive understanding of training efficacy and awareness of construction pollution can be achieved, with the qualitative data providing depth and richness to complement the numerical analysis of the survey data (Creswell & Creswell, 2017).
Conclusion
By analyzing the responses and categorizing them into themes, I aim to gain qualitative insights into the effectiveness of current training programs and identify areas for improvement in addressing construction pollution. The findings from the focus group interviews will help inform recommendations and strategies to mitigate construction-related pollution and promote sustainable practices in the industry.
References
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage
publications.
Cheriyan, D., & Choi, J. H. (2020). A review of research on particulate matter pollution in the construction industry. Journal of
Cleaner Production, 254, 120077.
Elnaga, A., & Imran, A. (2013). The effect of training on employee performance. European journal of Business and
Management, 5(4), 137-147.
Parylo, O. (2012). Qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods: An analysis of research design in articles on principal
professional development (1998–2008). International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 6(3), 297-313.