nicole kotras masters thesis

Stage 2
During this stage, the experimental pictures were forwarded to the Executive
Committee of the ARICD as well as, to a selected number of participants throughout
South Africa, for their comments and suggestions.
Stage 3
Stage 4
Taking the limitations of time available and geographical distances of the targeted
respondents, an open-ended questionnaire was developed and mailed with the
experimental pictures, to the selected respondents, as was discussed in the
Measure section above. The format of the questionnaire was discussed with an
expert in research, in order to ascertain whether the questions would elicit the
relevant information.
This stage involved the collection of data. A return date (approximately 5 weeks from
the time of sending the questionnaire and pictures), together with an addressed and
stamped envelope was enclosed for each of the selected participants. See Appendix
A for the questionnaire utilized.
Seventy-five percent of the mailed questionnaires were returned. Barbie (1972 , in
Bailey, 1987) reported that a 50 % return rate of questionnaires is considered
adequate. Hence, the present study received an above adequate response rate,
which in turn adds to the value of the findings. The questionnaires were content
analyzed. Marshall and Rossman (1989) highlight the challenge to the qualitative
researcher, describing data analysis as,
the process of bringing order, structure, and meaning to the mass of collected
data. It is a messy, ambiguous, time-consuming, creative, and fascinating
process. It does not proceed in a linear fashion; it is not neat. Qualitative
data analysis is a search for general statements about relationships among
categories of data; it builds ground theory (p. 112).
Content analysis is referred to in this study, as a method for making inferences by
objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics in the communicated
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