Questionnaire method with both multiple choice responses and open ended options to have an exhaustive data collection for analysis of perception is well suited

http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/handouts/28251_10H.pdf

Krishnan:

Thank you for the response and excellent resource. These were really applicable and help to clarify which method is better suited for measuring perceptions.

Much thanks,

Debra

I think that the fundamental difference is between open-ended and close-ended questions. In qualitative interviewing, the strong emphasis is on open-ended questions -- some times just a few questions for a one-hour interview. In contrast, survey researchers rely primarily on close-ended questions.

These two methods pursue different goals. Survey research is typically used for quantitative purposes such as measurement and hypothesis testing, and often requires samples of 200-300 to get good estimates. Qualitative research is typically used to get at issues of meaning and interpretation or to do exploration and discovery with poorly understood topics, and it usually gathers in-depth data from 20 or so participants.

So, a lot depends on both your goals and your resources.

David:

Thanks for making this distinction between survey and interviewing as data collection methods for examining "perceptions" in answering my question.

Survey research suggest that studies of place will have limited explanatory value unless researchers examine the social processes (the perceptions and behaviors of persons who frequent the places) that occur within these physical environments 

http://www.popcenter.org/library/crimeprevention/volume_04/13-resonbaum.pdf

I'll add on to what the others have said.  It depends largely on the core motivation for you research and the current state of affairs.  If there isn't a great deal known about the phenomenon you are interested in measuring people's perception's of (sorry that was convoluted way of saying it), then qualitative interviews might be more appropriate.  If you have a decent handle on the state of things (from previous work or existing publications), then you may be able to develop some sort of questionnaire to use.  As others have said, questionnaires can include open-ended questions to allow more qualitative work.  

I will say that case study as a methodology is a bit more involved than we sometimes make it seem.  There are quantitative and qualitative and mixed methods case studies.  You can check out the work of Robert Yin.  He has several books describing case study methods and how to implement them.

I am going to add what other collegues are making remarks over the questions whether 'perceptions' study is 'survey' or 'case study'. It could be both. It depends upon the research focus on making a generalised theory  or understanding. It depends upon the focus of problem statement and the researcher confidence in using quantitative and qualitative research. If researcher is well versed in quantitative techniques and frame the research problem in this line survey would be fine. Perception study can be survey, case study and mixed method depending upon the nature of the problem.

Recent Technologies affecting Perception

Social media is ‘any form of online publication or presence that allows end users to engage in multi-directional conversations in or around the content on the website. Most definitions of social media emphasise its interactivity: unlike the passive nature of the ‘old’ media such as newspapers and television, social media is a ‘two way street, which allows individuals to shift ‘fluidly and flexibly between the role of audience and author. Social media can take many different forms, including internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, microblogging, wikis and podcasts.

Beverly Duffy and Madeleine Foley (2011), Social media, community engagement and

perceptions of parliament: a case study from the NSW Legislative Council, Australasian Parliamentary Review, Autumn 2011, Vol. 26(1), 198–206.

In those two types of research context you tend to use both empirical (Qualitative) and and non empirical (Quantitative). A Case study for instance uses both including a narrative analysis in Action Research as you dig into your Teaching Monologue to dig out some of the most interesting lessons you had in the past. And it is worth noting as cases.

in educational Research we normally use all three types: That is empirical, non-empirical and action research. In fact Action Research is both combined

how would you write a statistical analysis for this?

Statistical analysis would require the construction of a set of survey items that were designed to test hypotheses about perceptions.

It is both, for example - Measuring Job Content: Skills, Technology, and Management Practices 

http://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/dps/pdfs/dp135708.pdf

Case studies may be quite exaggerating like a shadow, which the real count of quantity in a survey may not project, but can flow another thought process..

For Example - see the picture enclosed (zoom and watch, the real camels are bright ones)

It could be both but a questionnaire largely limits the perception to what the researcher perceives. For instance 5 or 6 options in multi-choice questions are subject to the 5 or 6 possible answers the researcher can conceive and actually provides. The study is therefore controlled by the researcher which is not the philosophy behind perception studies. Kindly review the works of authors on Phenomenology.

Open-ended questions are an improvement on structured questionnaires for perception studies as respondents are able to comment freely albeit within the context and framing pattern of the questions so this is also somewhat limiting for perception studies.

Focus group discussions and stakeholder consultation are excellent and my preferred approach for 'perception' type investigations. I have found them to be very useful as the participants can unearth issues which the researcher may never have considered and many follow-up issues can emerge which enrich a qualitative type study.

I would generally start with a focus group, proceed to open-ended interviews and then for triangulation proceed with structured interviews where the questions and possible answers are grounded in the findings of the Focus group and open-ended questionnaire results.

I have worked with focus groups extensively and developed a content analysis tool - the BB Model for analyzing focus group interview data and introducing an element of quantitative thinking into the analysis. See attached.

Article A phenomenological approach to valuing contaminated farmland...

Conference Paper Qualitative Research Strategies and Data Analysis Methods in...

Method Phenomenological Analysis of Focus Group Interview Data usin...

Maybe more appropriate for examining "perceptions" is Experimental research.

Experimental research it s a collection of research designs which use manipulation and controlled testing to understand causal processes. 

A very wide definition of experimental research, or a quasi experiment, is the research where the researcher actively influences something to observe the consequences.

What about using a combination of likert-type scales and open-ended questions in a questionnaire for gathering perceptions?  Can the likert-type data be analysed descriptively/statistically (quant) and the open-ended section using phenomenological discourse (qual)?

Has anyone done this? does it constitute mixed-method research or a single exploratory study?

Yes. The link below show both the likert-type data and the open-ended data can be analysed in a Within-Stage Mixed Model design.

Best regards,

Debra

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~dillon/CI%208148%20Qual%20Research/Session%2014/Johnson%20&%20Onwuegbuzie%20PDF.pdf#page=8

Are "perceptions" survey research or case study or both?

It depends how you want to investigate the "perceptions".  E.g. if you want to apply a deductive approach i.e. suspecting perception of construct A, B & C are influencing X but you are not very sure, then you will develop your own hypotheses & applying quantitative research through surveyed data collection.  

If you want to understand the "perceptions" from inductive angle, then you will interview participants by asking open ended questions on what are the possible factors / constructs that might be related to X.  Then participants might tell you from their experience / reasoning etc. that constructs L, M, N, O & P are related to X.  Once you received the above answers, you might ask further questions like why, how etc. to qualify each construct etc. until you have some final propositions that e.g. only O & P are related to X.  In inductive research, you don't suspect / hypothesize anything but you go in with an open mind to listen the input carefully from the participants to form you insight understanding.  

If your intention is e.g. to conduct an inductive / qualitative research then follow by a deductive / quantitative research for generalization to the entire population, then you might need to conduct a mixed method research.  Continue from the above example, based on the output from your qualitative research, you'd discovered that constructs O & P are related to / influencing X, then you can form 2 hypotheses to conduct a quantitative research whether respective O & P is actually influencing X by collecting some random sample from the population.

I think both.

How would you measure perception in a research?

perception can be measured by the use of questionaire in a case study. This is so because, open ended questionnaire will best fit a perception study in a case study.

I think both. Because some foundational questions about perception are not empirical questions.

It is likely both. Respondents often use perception (providing response according to his views, perspectives, feelings, insights or experiences) in answering a research survey whether it is carried out through an interview or via a questionnaire. In a case study, the researcher makes use of his perception (observation through what he sees, feels, understands, and interprets) to describe the participant/s' behavior.

Its both. Perception is relied upon in the use of questionnaire and case study

It can both be applied to survey and case studies. What is important to remember is getting a full understanding of your research design.