For each project company’s professionals select the most appropriate method of research, sample size, geographical coverage etc. Depending on aims of the project researchers widely use qualitative as well as quantitative methods.

Qualitative methods

Qualitative methods of research are aimed to obtain in-depth information. They allow to obtain information about motivation of people, their aims, thus to receive an answer to the question “why?”

Methods used by SIAR-Bishkek:

• Focus Group Discussions with various categories of respondents.
• In-depth interviews
• Expert interviews with politicians, scientists, journalists, managers and with representatives of any other category.

Focus Group Discussion

Focus group is a discussion among a particular group of people conducted by a professional moderator. The discussion is held on prepared moderator-guide.

Usually the work of a group is audio and video recorded and its results can serve as a basis for quantitative research.

Optimal size of a focus group is 8-12 people. The choice of participant of a group is determined by the goals of the research.

In-depth interviews

In-depth interviews are structured in a way that the interviewer not only gets respondent’s opinion on a particular issue but also gets the understanding of rationale behind it. Interviewer asks such questions as: "Why did you answer this way?", "What are the grounds for your statement?", "What arguments can you use to support your idea?".

Following stages of qualitative research are conducted by SIAR-Bishkek:

• The client participates in process of selecting the target group and the most appropriate method of research.
• The client is presented with a proposal describing the methods and schedule of the research, the guide for in-depth interviewing and group discussion.
• Our specialists recruit participants of focus group in accordance with the established criteria, make appointments for expert interviews.
• Qualitative research is accompanied with an audio and video recording. All records can be given to a client on his demand.
• The client can observe the focus group or an interview from a special room through a one-way mirror.
• After the analysis is completed, the client is presented with a final report in the language suitable to the client; the report includes the detailed analysis of the data received, basic results of the research, conclusions and recommendations as well as the description of the methods applied.
• Also printed transcripts of interviews and group discussions are available, translated into the language suitable to the client.
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Quantitative methods

Quantitative research is usually associated with various surveys, based on structured questions of a closed type, involving large number of people. Questionnaire serves as a tool.

Advantage of this method is that it almost has no limitations and can be used in any fields. This method also allows obtaining adequate information not only about current behavior of a person, but about his behavior in the past and future.

Sample should satisfy very exacting requirements, based on probability theory and mathematical statistics. The sample size of projects conducted varies from 80 to 5000 respondents. The overall sample of the projects is based on the multi-stage probability sample design. The company has enough resources to conduct surveys in any site of Kyrgyzstan, regardless of its remoteness, and also in any Central Asian country, Mongolia and Afghanistan
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Following stages of quantitative research are conducted by SIAR-Bishkek:

• Considering the goals facing our client we select the most appropriate, cost-effective approach, developing complex methods of research.
• We provide the client with a detailed research plan, a schedule and a description of all instruments including questionnaires.
• Data is collected by experienced trained interviewers
• 15-30% of interviews are double-checked by repeated visits or phone calls to respondents.
• Data entry and data processing. After mathematical and statistical analysis is completed, the data is summarized in tables to precede the final analytic report.
• The final analysis of the data received is then fulfilled according to the research goals. The client receives analytic report which includes a detailed description of the data received, its comprehensive analysis, basic results, conclusions and recommendations, as well as tables, charts and other illustrative appendixes.
• At the client’s request, the research can include a presentation of the basic research findings.
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