Research bias is a serious issue in scholarly writing. The researchers sometimes, in the name of systematic investigation, influence the research process intentionally or unintentionally. When this happens in a research study, it is termed research bias. Research bias is one of the primary reasons for the poor validity of the study results. There are different types of research bias depending on the way of doing research. Procedural bias is one of those types, and in today’s article, we will explore this type in detail. So, let’s start with the definition of this particular type of bias in the dissertation.
What is procedural bias in a dissertation?
This is a type of bias that mostly occurs due to the time limit. It occurs when the research participants or the survey respondents do not get enough time to fill out the survey. As a result of this, the respondents leave the survey half-filled as they do not find time to express themselves thoroughly. They fill out the survey in hassle and do not give proper answers to the survey questions based on their true thinking. Hence, this is what procedural bias is.
Example of procedural bias
For example, as a researcher, you want to know about the work-life balance of the employees of a company. You develop a questionnaire and ask the employees to answer the questionnaire during break time. This timeframe puts the respondents under pressure as they also have to eat their lunch during this time. Hence, the results may be faulty and biased because the respondents do not get enough time to respond.
Why is avoiding procedural bias important in a dissertation?
From the discussion above, you have got an idea of this bias. Have you ever thought about why it is important to avoid procedural bias in research? Most probably not. So, let’s learn why it is important to do so.
- It is important to avoid bias in research studies so that the stakeholders can make informed decisions based on the data you provide.
- Research bias prevents you from being objective in your research study, and it is another point explaining why you should avoid it.
- Avoiding this form of bias is also important so that the respondents have enough time to answer the survey questions.
- Lastly, it is important to avoid procedural bias in your dissertation because it allows the readers to critically evaluate the viewpoint.
How to avoid procedural bias in a dissertation?
After reading about the importance of avoiding this bias in a dissertation, you must be looking for ways to avoid this bias. Well, do not wander here and there. A brief description of all the ways to avoid this bias in a dissertation is as follows:
1. Set enough time limit for the respondents
The main cause of procedural bias in a dissertation is not giving enough time to respondents they can answer all the questions. Therefore, the first way to avoid this bias is to give enough legitimate time to the respondents. When they have plenty of time to answer the questions, they take things easily and think before answering. This produces more accurate and good results.
2. Do not use faulty equipment
Using faulty equipment is also a cause of this bias in a dissertation. Sometimes, researchers use faulty equipment to save resources, but little do they know that this practice can lead to inaccurate and biased results. Hence, it is important that you use good-quality equipment and perform all the procedures to get the results. Do not save yourself some pounds by using faulty equipment. Use quality equipment so that you can get quality results.
3. Formulate to-the-point questions
Another way to avoid this bias is that you must formulate to-the-point questions. It means that your question must be simple and straightforward. The respondent must not struggle to understand them. It is because if he struggles to understand the questions, he may not find time to answer them and commit procedural bias. Therefore, develop questions that are to the point and pose no difficulty. If you do not know how to make such questions, get dissertation help online.
4. Avoid questions that demand explanations
You must avoid questions that demand explanations or too many lengthy explanations. The explanatory questions demand extra time, which you cannot give to respondents. Also, most respondents do not like to write much in surveys, and they may give biased answers. Therefore, it is mandatory that questions should not be too explanatory.
Conclusion
Conclusively, procedural bias occurs when there the respondents face a scarcity of time to answer the questions. Other reasons are the use of faulty equipment and rushing to answer the question. The 4 ways to avoid this bias in a dissertation are explained above. You must pay dear attention to all the steps.
Learn more about the Important Factors That Affect the Quality of Assignments.
