Qualitative Research//Quantitative Research

Primary Research:

The data was then processed by the website and then allowed me to display the data visually trough a graph   

I posted the questionnaire on social networking sites such as Facebook, it was also sent out via email,and handed out at the local skatepark to try and get a wide range of target audience.  

I put together a questionnaire as a source of some primary research 

 the questions where created to give me an overall view on how many people ride rollerblades and how they stopped, and even a chance to give examples of injuries sustained on rollerblades when trying to stop.

Primary Research:

Brakes

A hard rubber brake attached to the heel of the frame allows the skater to stop by lifting the toes of the skate, forcing the brake onto the ground. Learning how to use the heel brake is very important for beginners, as it is the most reliable, safe way to stop in emergencies and to control speed on downhills.

Heel brakes can interfere with a useful technique called a crossover turn, in which a skater crosses one leg over another to make a sharp turn without losing much speed; for this reason, some users prefer not to use heel brakes. Skaters in the freestyle slalom and aggressive inline skating disciplines also tend not to use heel brakes, since they can limit the skater's ability to perform tricks effectively. Most aggressive inline skates and racing skates have no heel brake, thereby permitting extra speed and control. Inline skaters lacking a heel brake can use various other methods to stop, such as the T-stop in which the skater moves one skate perpendicular to the other, making a "T" shape to increase friction and reduce speed, or the more advanced maneuver of a hockey stop, in which the skater quickly moves both skates perpendicular to the path of motion.


I have looked at the anatomy of a roller skate and what parts enhance stopping.
as you can see the brakes have been circled and highlighted red, I have found there are many different styles of roller skate some have a brake attached to the back however in some cases there are no brakes at all this is used to reduce the overall weight of the roller skate or used to make the skate more appropriate to do tricks in. 

   


This information was from:
www.wikipedia.com

ROLLER SKATING INDUSTRY FACTS & STATISTICS

A Belgian inventor introduced the first recorded roller skate in 1760. The first patent ever taken out on a roller skate was in 1819 for an inline skate. In 1863, a Massachusetts businessman invented the first roller skate that allowed skaters to turn. Within 20 years, roller skating had become a popular pastime for men and women, with people participating in speed, dance and figure skating contests, and roller polo.

With the 1970s came significant improvements in the roller skating industry. Skating floors improved, resulting in easier maintenance, and plastic wheels enabled smoother skating. Music and lighting systems at skating centers were also modernized. By 1977, disco’s popularity spread to rinks, and another big skating boom exploded, especially among adults.

After the disco boom, roller skating among adults began to diminish, although the industry remained a consistent source of indoor entertainment for children – especially between the ages of 7-14 year olds. Today, 73 percent of individuals who skate indoors are between the ages of five and 15. Even with changing times, kids view roller skating as a fun activity where they can listen to popular music, hang out with friends, and play games.

• Roller skating centers host 23 million visits per year from kids in grades fifth through seventh and 18 million visits annually by kindergarteners through fourth graders.

• A National Sporting Goods Association report revealed that over 2.5 million individuals participate in roller hockey. Other roller skating team sports like rollerball have also increased in popularity.

• An American Sports Data survey revealed 10.8 million people roller skate (traditional quad skating). Another 29 million inline skate.

• Most skating center facilities range anywhere from under 14,000 square feet to more than 21,000 square feet.

• Birthday parties are very popular at skating centers. Members of the Roller Skating Association (RSA) host about 47,000 parties each month or 564,000 parties each year nationwide. The average RSA member rink hosts anywhere between 20 and 40 birthday parties per month with 11-15 children attending each party. Many of the larger skating centers host 50 or more parties every week.

• More than 20 percent of indoor skaters skate between 31 and 99 times per year, while 12 percent go at least 100 times per year, according to a study conducted by the Matrix Group.

• Participants in the Matrix Group’s survey ranked the following reasons as to why they go skating: It is fun (94%); My friends go (82%); I like the music (82%); I want to get out of the house (79%); I meet new people (70%); and, It is a healthy activity (67%).

Information was sourced at 

www.rsa.web-pros.com/assets/files/industry%20statistics.pdf

Instructions

1. • 1
     Begin to move your feet closer together, slowly, if you would like to stop while skating. Try to stop by beginning to bend your knees and putting some of your weight down. This should begin to slow you down so that you can come to a stop.
   • 2
     Try a move called the "T-Stop." As you are skating, bring one of your skates behind your other skate as you horizontally create a "T." This will help you stop slowly.
   • 3
     Find a wall or rail to hold on to if you are not moving at a fast pace. While skating, reach out to hold onto a rail or a wall. You will not be able to do this if you are moving quickly though, because it could cause you to fall. This step is only done if you are moving at a gradual pace.
   • 4
     Turn a 360 degree turn if you are an advanced Rollerblader. By turning at a quicker pace, this also allows you to stop abruptly in one place.
   • 5
     Keep trying the different ways to stop that are listed above. If you fall, just get up and try again until you find the correct way to stop that works for you.
     
     
     Instructions where found at
     www.ehow.com
     
     
     The information below was found on wikipedia and various other websites
     It looks at Qualitative and Quantitate research and the advantages and disadvantages they both have. 

Quantitative market research: asking the right questions

Answers on a structured questionnaire are usually closed — in other words they require respondents to choose from a specific selection of answers and do not allow for the respondent to qualify their answer or elaborate. So a garden centre owner might ask, “How often do you buy plants and gardening supplies?” and respondents would have to choose between five options: never, once a year, 2-3 times a year, once a month, every week. A semi-structured questionnaire will ask one or two questions where the answers are open-ended.

By asking lots of people the same questions, it’s possible to build up a clearer picture of how customers behave.

You can also use quantitative research to compare sub-groups of customers. For instance, if you run a local café or deli, you will probably find that you are catering to a range of different customers, all with different needs — from mums meeting for coffee to local workers popping in for a sandwich to ethical shoppers that buy your Fair Trade products to keen cooks that are looking for specialist ingredients. It’s worth using surveys to find out about your customers so that you can analyse the results of each group. Make sure you speak to a good number of each type of customer so you get the clearest view.

Moreover, if you repeat your surveys regularly, you can monitor how opinions are changing and how your new initiatives are being received. Try to keep some of the questions the same so you can make true comparisons with previous research.

Quantitative market research: surveying your customers

Choosing how to conduct your survey is another important issue. Face-to-face works well if you need to explain anything or show a product to the respondent. Telephone surveying can also be very effective but it can be hard to catch people when they have time to talk. If you are sending out surveys by post and email, you may find you have to offer an incentive in order to persuade people to take the time to fill out the questionnaire.

A good time to ask a customer to fill in a questionnaire is when you have finished a job for them. A customer satisfaction survey gives customers the chance to point out any quibbles they might have and also to praise good work. It can be a good way to gather positive testimonials that you can use in your marketing. At the same time, take the chance to gather contact details and add the customer to your mailing list so you can get in touch with them in the future (make sure you get their permission).

If you want to survey a large number of new prospects and don’t know how to reach them, you can contribute questions to an online Omnibus survey. These are general surveys that are completed by large groups of pre-selected consumers online. By adding two or three questions of your own to the survey you can tap into that consumer panel and get some useful feedback. This kind of exercise is ideal if you are thinking of going into a new consumer market.

What can quantitative research tell you?

• Is there a market for your products and services?
• What awareness is there of your product or service?
• How many people are interested in buying your product or service?
• What type of people are your best customers?
• What are their buying habits?
• How are the needs of your target market changing?

Analysing the results of your quantitative research

Collecting data is just one part of the research task. You have to collate it and analyse it as well. With a complex survey, this can be a specialist task in order to extrapolate all the findings and drill down into the data to see how different groups have responded. However, a simple survey can be very effective and highly revealing and small firms can always benefit from asking their customers what they think.

What is Qualitative Research:

Qualitative research seeks out the ‘why’, not the ‘how’ of its topic through the analysis of unstructured information – things like interview transcripts, open ended survey responses, emails, notes, feedback forms, photos and videos. It doesn’t just rely on statistics or numbers, which are the domain of quantitative researchers.

Qualitative research is used to gain insight into people's attitudes, behaviours, value systems, concerns, motivations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles. It’s used to inform business decisions, policy formation, communication and research. Focus groups, in-depth interviews, content analysis, ethnography, evaluation and semiotics are among the many formal approaches that are used, but qualitative research also involves the analysis of any unstructured material, including customer feedback forms, reports or media clips.

Collecting and analyzing this unstructured information can be messy and time consuming using manual methods. When faced with volumes of materials, finding themes and extracting meaning can be a daunting task.

Primary Research:

Primary research consists in research to collect original primary data. It is often undertaken after the researcher has gained some insight into the issue by collecting secondary data. This can be through numerous forms, including questionnaires, direct observation and telephone interviews amongst others.

The term primary research is widely used in academic research, market research and competitive intelligence.

There are advantages and disadvantages to primary research.

Advantages:

• Addresses specific research issues as the researcher controls the search design to fit their needs
• Great control; not only does primary research enable the marketer to focus on specific subjects, it also enables the researcher to have a higher control over how the information is collected. Taking this into account, the researcher can decide on such requirements as size of project, timeframe and goal.

Disadvantages:

• Compared to secondary research, primary data may be very expensive in preparing and carrying out the research. Costs can be incurred in producing the paper for questionnaires or the equipment for an experiment of some sort.
• In order to be done properly, primary data collection requires the development and execution of a research plan. It takes longer to undertake primary research than to acquire secondary data.
• Some research projects, while potentially offering information that could prove quite valuable, may not be within the reach of a researcher.
• By the time the research is complete it may be out of date.
• Low response rate has to be expected.

An example of primary research: the government wants to know if people are pleased with how the government is being run, so they hand out questionnaires to the public asking if they are happy and, if not, how to improve.

Secondary research:

Secondary research is much more easier but often not as reliable but as long as you stick with trusted sources is usually good. There is not as much preparation, time and cost put into secondary research but another disadvantage is not getting the exact research you want. You cannot make it yourself, you need to search for something that has already ben curated by somebody else.