Research Method
The nature of the final research strategy was decided upon following discussions between the members of the NATFHE Health and Safety committee. A survey mechanism (see Appendix 1) incorporating a combination of quantitative and qualitative questions was chosen to elicit the information required. We used a blend of closed and open questions. The closed questions allowed the respondents to provide us with basic details including their gender, ethnic origin and employment status.
The open questions were chosen to allow respondents the opportunity to provide us with more detailed, qualitative information regarding the particular circumstances affecting their work. As Cassell and Symon (1994) point out, qualitative material provides an extremely important means of understanding the working environment and the experiences of people in the workplace. A covering letter (see Appendix 2) accompanied the questionnaire.
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