TLH251 Research Methods: Qualitative Portfolio Service Sector USL

This qualitative research portfolio for TLH251 (Research Methods for the Service Sector) includes several key items demonstrating the application of qualitative techniques. It features an interview checklist designed to gather socioeconomic and experiential data from tourists at Windsor Castle, followed by a participant observation analysis detailing visitor reactions and interactions within the castle grounds. A visual methodologies section analyzes photographs of Windsor Castle, exploring how they convey the palace's beauty and historical significance. The portfolio also includes a coded interview transcript using R programming, and concludes with a research proposal outlining the aim, objectives, rationale, methodology, and analysis for a study on tourist experiences at Windsor Castle. This portfolio showcases the practical application of qualitative research methods in a service sector context.

DIMITRIOS- TLH251: RESEARCH METHODS FOR
THE SERVICE SECTOR (USL)
QUALITATIVE PORTFOLIO

Table of Contents
Assessment 1: Qualitative Research Portfolio.................................................................................3
Item 1: An Interview Checklist:.......................................................................................................3
Item 2: Participant Observation:......................................................................................................7
Observation Participant Checklist...................................................................................................8
Short Commentary:........................................................................................................................10
Item 3: A Visual Methodologies Practical:....................................................................................11
Item 4: A Coded Interview Transcript:..........................................................................................15
Output of the Source Code:...........................................................................................................18
Item 5: Research Proposal.............................................................................................................19
Introduction:..................................................................................................................................20
Research Aim:................................................................................................................................20
Research Objective:.......................................................................................................................20
Rationale:.......................................................................................................................................20
Research Methodology:.................................................................................................................21
Research Analysis:.........................................................................................................................23
Conclusion:....................................................................................................................................24
References:....................................................................................................................................25
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Assessment 1: Qualitative Research Portfolio
Item 1: An Interview Checklist:
Research project: “Windsor Castle”
Main questions Specific topics and issues
Introduction of the researcher I am going to take an interview as it is part of
my research project which is undertaking for
my academic research objective.
Goal of the research project The prime goal of this research is to
understand Windsor Castle. Windsor Castle is
the favourite tourist spot in London.
Socioeconomic background of the
participants
What are the average age group of most of
the tourists?
o 18 to 30
o 31-50
o 50-80
o All age groups
What is the gender of most of the tourists?
o Male
o Female
o Other
Do most of the tourist are employed?
o Yes
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o No
Do most of the tourists are from the UK
itself? If not specify the country name.
o Yes
o No
o Other
Tour arrangement Do the tourist are aware about the historical
heritage of Windsor Castle?
o Yes
o No
Which medium is used by tourists to visit
Windsor Castle?
o Travel agency
o Tour guides
Where else would tourists like to go?
o Buckingham palace
o Trafford Centre
o Other_____
Does this tour is economical for the tourists?
o Yes
o No
Tourist activity What is the most attractive part about the
Windsor Castle?
o Location
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o Historical background
o Infrastructure
Does the historical heritage the reason behind
the frequent visit by tourists?
o Yes
o No
Which mode of transportation is being used
by the tourists?
o Public transportation
o Private transportation
Recent experience of the tour Is the United Kingdom’s historical heritage
attracting tourists?
o Yes
o No
Does the tourist follow the guidelines
provided by the Windsor Castle
management?
o Yes
o No
What will be the tourist's experience after
visiting Windsor Castle? Was it memorable
for them?
o Yes
o No
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Item 2: Participant Observation
I have observed the place while conducting participant observation of the experiences of the
visitors at Windsor Castle. I have conducted observation on the outskirts of Windsor Castle and
the streets leading to the Castle. The observation I have conducted by entering the surrounding of
the castle and I will observe the visitors. I have observed the participants maximum for the
length of 2-3 minutes to ask questions about the visitor's experience and to observe the visitors at
Windsor Castle. While conducting the observation, the I was able to gain access to the place
easily, as the tickets for visiting the place are available and for performing the observation, thus I
have taken permission from management to observe the visitors and write down the reactions
and conversations. The purpose of my observation is to observe the reactions of the visitors
visiting the destination and the visitor's behaviour through audience view. The behaviour that I
observed while conducting the participant observation was that the visitors that visited Windsor
Castle were amazed by the strong presence the castle creates with its exceptional architecture. I
was being observant that the visitors seemed to have a good experience while knowing the
history behind the Windsor Castle architecture and also knowing more about the historical and
royal stories from the guides.
The Windsor castle royal palace is basically famous for the royal weddings being held there and
especially famous for Prince Harry and Megan's wedding, which makes the place more exciting
for the visitors, and thus it was able to observe the excitement of the visitors while having
conversations while visiting the exact location of the royal weddings (Nicholson, 2022). While
performing the participant observations, I observed the interactions between the visitors, those
who were families, couples, and friends. The visitors had conversations about how the visit to
Windsor Castle was worth keeping in mind the beauty and scale the castle offers to the visitors
(Bartlett, 2019). The children among the visitors were excited to see the 1,000 statues of Order of
the Garter knights in shining armour decorating the walls, which was observed by the researcher
as a part of participant observation and were also excited to see Queen Mary’s Doll’s House,
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which is considered to be the largest doll house in the world, which was observed that it was
exciting and fun for the children and engaging enough to visit the royal place.
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Observation Participant Checklist
Items Never Often Always
Did the researcher
participate, observe
or somewhere in
between? Does this
have any
implications for
data?
Was the setting for
research project
open or closed??
Were some parts
inaccessible to the
researcher?
Did the researcher
have to negotiate
access to the field?
Does accessibility
have any
implications for
your research?
Did the researcher
have the consent of
the participants who
came to visit the
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✔
✔
✔
✔
✔

Castle?
Was the place
accessible to the
researcher for
conducting
observation?
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✔

Short Commentary:
In this participant observation, the researcher was the observer, and the data collected through the
observation explains the experiences of the visitors visiting Windsor Castle and contributes to the
research with more relevant and firm information and data which explains its implications for the
observation data(Le Nguyen, X., 2023).
For conducting the participant observations, the researcher had no setting arranged, but the
researcher visited Windsor Castle and asked for permission from the management to include the
observation in the research (Blamire et al., 2023). The visiting place was accessible to the
researcher for the observation, and the observation was conducted with the following ethical
considerations and asking permission from the management (Roy and Uekusa, 2020).
To conduct the research and the participant observation, the researcher didn't have to negotiate
access to Windsor Castle. The researcher was able to get access as a visitor to Windsor Castle
and was able to get permission for conducting the participant observation and use the observed
data for the research.
The accessibility of the location has implications for the research, as to observe the participants,
the researcher should have access to visit the location and observe the visitors to gather the data
and information for the research (Thomer, 2022). The accessibility for the royal palace was on
weekdays and for a few hours, and the castle was possibly closed on royal ceremonies, which
made the location for the researcher accessible but with a few limitations (Boulos, 2023).
While performing the participant observation for the research, the researcher was nervous as the
observation was being taken at a public place and observing people without their consent was
something unethical despite being asked for permission from the participants after observing and
the management (Talebzadeh et al., 2023).
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Item 3: A Visual Methodologies Practical
Visuals and photography are important for advertising and promotion of any product or service
provided by organizations (Wawrowski and Otola, 2020). The visuals and photography convey
the message the organization aims to communicate to its consumer base. The visuals of the
posters play a significant role in attracting the audience and creating an impact that can enhance
the value through visuals.
Figure 1: Windsor Castle
(Source: windsor.gov.uk, 2023)
This picture of Windsor Castle takes the whole view of the palace and also showcases the beauty
of the architecture of the palace by including the palace view in the photo (Ronnes and
Haverman, 2020). The picture includes the long-distance perspective of the palace and which
also includes the crowd coming to visit the destination, and it conveys that despite the picture's
long-distance perspective, the volume of the crowd is convincing enough to convey the worth of
visiting Windsor Castle.
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Figure 2: Windsor Castle
(Source: London-tickets.co.uk, 2023)
This picture of Windsor Castle also has a long-distance perspective for the view, where the
picture focuses on bringing the castle, the long road surrounded by trees, and the people walking
around and enjoying the view in the frame (Pennock, 2020). The picture shows tries to explore
the emotions of the viewer by showcasing how the visitors in the picture are enjoying and
exploring the magnificent view. The picture showcases the people at Windsor Castle and how
they are enjoying their time there like a normal day while getting enough view and experience of
nature and excellent architecture at the same time (Akhtar, 2023). The picture has a long-distance
perspective view for the viewers to showcase both the palace and the greenery of the palace, the
grey and green colour palate balances the frame and sheds light on the magnificent view of
Windsor Castle.
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