'To gather data about table spacing in restaurants, online questionnaires are more effective than studying participants in actual restaurants.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you have studied to support your answer.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2018). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [X] For online questionnaires: Sample size can be very large and so the findings would be more representative (Robson et al. had 'more than 1000 participants').
2. [X] For online questionnaires: There is no restaurant needed (so effective for people who do not like going to restaurants); no tables to be moved; no participants to be experimented on or observed.
3. [X] For online questionnaires: Data gathered can be quantitative (closed questions / specific type of rating scale) and so statistically analysed; data could also be qualitative with open-ended questions.
4. [X] Against online questionnaires: Sample is self-selecting/volunteers and may not be generalised.
5. [X] Against online questionnaires: There is no guarantee that participants will provide honest answers; may respond to demand characteristics.
6. [X] Against online questionnaires: A questionnaire is 'artificial' in that estimations of distance may be inaccurate.
7. [X] Against online questionnaires: Sitting at actual tables spaced at different distances is real and will produce valid data.