My email ; In terms of focusing on our primary data, I believe a questionnaire would be more beneficial and time efficient in comparison to an interview, as the questionnaire would allow me to reach more people across the region.
Concerning the target population, do I target people specifically working with GCC departments or normal citizens in investigating the effects of this relationship?
Teacher answer;
Dear Ahmed,
Thank you for being in touch.
During our last meeting, we discussed your research questions and their relationship to the research methods.
You stated that you wanted to explore the following research question: Why is the USA interested in a solid/constructive relationship with the GCC?
As a result, I suggested for you to read the existing literature on the relationship, identify specific gaps and also map the methods employed by scholars answering similar questions.
You then mentioned that you were keen on carrying out a survey, but you had not identified a sample population, platform, survey template and way of analysing the data. In particular, you did not clarify whether survey questions would be closed or open, and how many participants you would be targeting from what organisations/countries etc. These are severe limitations in a research design, as you may appreciate having reviewed all the material on your Canvas course.
Therefore, on the basis of my knowledge of the field, I suggested that this particular question may be answered most effectively though a limited number of semi-structured interviews with experts and a thorough analysis of the literature.
If you are determined to carry out a survey, I would recommend for you to decide:
What type of questionnaire you will write (closed, open, etc)
What countries and populations you would target with your survey, including how many people you want to participate
How you would analyse your responses
The answers to all these questions depend on your decisions as to the core research question for your thesis, so I cannot answer them for you, you will need to read and research enough to answer them confidently for yourself. As you know, the thesis is your independent research project, so while I am glad to offer my advice, you are free to choose the research question and methods you deem most appropriate and to pursue them independently.
