Introduction
This paper is a
research work on the effects of noise on hearing, with a major focus on people
with hearing problems. As technology continues to improve, it becomes easier to
focus on finer details in many inventions, hearing aids not left behind. The
functionality of a hearing aid depends on the audibility of sound for the user (Ives,
Kalluri, Strelcyk, Sheft, Miermont, Coez, Bizaguet & Lorenzi 2014). One of
the major factors influencing the intelligibility of sound is background noise.
This noise distracts the sound thus reducing the efficiency of a hearing aid. Technicians
have been working to reduce noise effects on the effectiveness of hearing aids.
This process requires a lot of skill, as it is both necessary, as well as
difficult. The difficult task that involves noise reduction is the separation
between ordinary sound and speech. The equipment needs to be capable of
differentiating between useless noise and the one that is of importance to the
user of the hearing aid.
The noise-reducing
technique has got to be intelligent enough to differentiate between modulated
speech and noise that is insignificant to the user. The technology needs to
filter all sound until it leaves the most important one to the user. It is
worth appreciating the fact that this process requires a lot of precision in
order for it to be successful. There is the need to use state-of-the-art
equipment for the sake of enhancing noise reduction, making it possible for
users to hear with little or no “noise”. One of the ways to reduce noise for
the sake of hearing efficiency is through amplitude modulation or rather AM
perception. This process is one of the many ways through which technicians
control noise for the sake of increasing the intelligibility of hearing for
people wearing hearing aids. Basically, the Amplitude modulation process
involves the modification of a high signal frequency using a baseband voice (Ives
et al 2014). The high signal frequency is popular as the carrier. The relationship between the intelligence signal and the
carrier makes the skeleton of process of noise management.
Background
It is worth
appreciating the fact that hearing is an important part of a person’s daily
life. It is for this reason that many people opt for hearing aids when their
hearing is not as sufficient as required. The technology of hearing aid has
been improving over the years to enhance the efficiency of sound detection. As
already noted, noise is a major factor that determines the efficiency of a
hearing aid. People using hearing aids have more sensitive capabilities when it
comes to sound detection than the ordinary person without such aids (Levitt
2001). Due to this, the person using a hearing aid has a higher chance of
detecting background noise than a person that does not use the device. As such,
a person with the hearing aid has higher chances of being vulnerable to
background noise. The hearing aid’s sensors pick up most, if not all of the
sound capable of reaching it. Due to this, it becomes difficult for the user to
separate from the important sound and the noise.
The major use of a
hearing aid is to enhance the ability of a person to comprehend speech (Ross
2013). Communication is two way, requiring that the listener understands the
speaker during a speech or conversation. It is only through complete understanding
of whatever a speaker says that a listener is capable of understanding the
concept or rather the message being conveyed. A person with a hearing problem
needs to get every word spoken without interference, for instance during a
speech or conversation (Muraoka, Takamizawa, Kanda & Ohta 2006). Someone
with good hearing is capable of listening even in a place with significant background
noise and still be capable of understanding a given conversation. As such, a
person with poor hearing falls at a disadvantage. Filtering through the noise
is necessary to compensate for the gap between the normal ear and one that has
problems with processing sound. However, the degree of filtering the said noise
usually varies depending on the targeted voice. As such, the amplitude
modulation process becomes very necessary.
It is worth noting that
filtering is a simple way of dealing with noise. Low filtering reduces the
effects of background noise to a mild extent, still allowing for a small amount
of noise in the background and leaving the perceiver to determine the targeted
sound or voice in the case of a speech (Chitode 2009). However, this method
leaves a lot of work for the listener as it is still possible to get confused
with the background noise especially where the person’s hearing problem is advanced
(Appleby 2012). As such, the person is not capable of analyzing the sound and
understanding its meaning as required. On the other hand, high filtration makes
it possible for a person to target only the important speech, thus
understanding it much better (Vaseghi 2008). However, this option could also
lead in the blocking of the important sound itself alongside the targeted
noise.
Problem Statement and Research
Justification
Hearing is an important
part of communication making it a necessity in many cases. People with hearing
problems tend to have it rough adjusting their hearing aids with their
environment. This is especially where the important sound is not easy to
perceive among many other background sources of noise, especially in public
places. There is the need to use an option that enhances the selection of sound
through background noises. The method should be capable of reducing the noise
effectively to promote intelligibility of sound to the listener. Due to its
importance, the hearing aid technology requires as many solutions as possible
for the sake of the users. This paper sets out to identify all possible methods
of reducing noise for the sake of various users with different levels of
hearing.
Research Aim and objectives
The major aim of this
paper is to determine the effectiveness of noise reduction on AM perception
among people with hearing aid. As amplitude modulated perception is an advanced
method to aid hearing, there is the need to learn its way of working for future
decisions. Its relationship with noise is important. The following are the
research objectives:
·
To determine the
effectiveness of noise reduction on AM perception among people with poor
hearing
·
To ascertain the
elements that affect carrier signals and reasons behind them
·
To identify
various methods that efficiently reduce noise
Literature Review
Noise reduction is a
major factor in enhancing hearing, especially for people using hearing aids
(Levitt, 2001). Dillon (2012) argues that people using hearing aids require
maximum concentration in order to makes sense of any sound that comes into
their ears. However, Dillon (2012) notes that there is a need for noise to be
as minimal as possible to ensure that a person using hearing aids understands a
given form of speech. The major description of noise reduction is the barring
of disruptive sounds from making the targeted sound difficult to comprehend (Ives, Sridhar, Strelcyk, Sheft, Miermont, Coez, Bizaguet, &
Lorenzi, 2014). Unwanted sounds
could be speech or other sources of noise such as traffic and weather forms
including storms, among others. The unwanted noise is usually easy to control
for people with normal hearing, those that are not suing the hearing aids.
However, to people using hearing aids, it becomes hard to control certain
noises due to sensitivity. The gadgets are capable of attracting sound with
more strength than the ordinary ear.
A person with normal
hearing is capable of differentiating between certain sounds due to the natural
operation of the normal ear. Such a person might not suffer from the effects
that come with noise as much as those using hearing aids (Ives et al., 2014).
In addition to this, the person does not have to be so keen differentiate
between the various tones received through the hearing aids. As such, a person
with normal hearing does not have to operate in an extremely silent environment
for them to understand speech. Unfortunately, not all forms of speech occur in
places that are quiet. Due to this, people with hearing aids find themselves in
a situation where they have to adjust as much as possible in order to
communicate effectively with others. It goes without any question that the
efficiency of speech is the ability of people involved in it to hear one
another or rather understand each other. Without this understanding, most
speeches become useless.
Due to its
over-sensitivity, the hearing aid increases a person’s capability of grasping
sound. However, it is this sensitivity that makes it very irritating to use the
hearing aid in a noisy environment. As such, there needs to be a solution that
would cushion people from the adverse effects of noise when hearing using the hearing
aids. The use of noise reducing techniques has made it easier and more
comforting to use the hearing aids. People are capable of staying in noisy
environments while still being able to listen to the targeted speech.
Noise-reducing technologies promote speech priority (Levitt, 2001). In this
technique, the hearing aids select the most important speeches and elaborate on
those. As such, a person is able to focus on the most important speeches for
the sake of convenient communication. The technology operates by monitoring
every sound that comes through the hearing aid, thus promoting filtering of
sound frequencies.
The technology used in
determining important sounds for analysis by the perceiver is modulation
(Sonic, n. d). The modulation acts as a fingerprint, which is characteristic of
a given set of frequencies that makes it possible to determine the most
important sounds. The technology saves the most highly modulated sounds, which
are usually speech. It is worth noting that the technology works by modulation
and that sounds that do not get modulated fall under the category of noise and
are not saved by the system. The modulation process promotes the
intelligibility of speech through the identification and saving of speech in a
continuous process. Furthermore, during the listening session, there are high
chances of interrupting voices occurring. The unexpected noises could be so
loud that they might make the speech unintelligible (Mroz, 2015). The
modulation technology reduces this noise by using amplification strategies to
measure the effect of such sounds. Impulsive sounds are identified by focusing
on their input levels. In addition to this, the technology also focuses on
whether the noise was unexpected, quick and if it has a high intensity (Muraoka,
Takamizawa, Kanda & Ohta, 2006).
The process of
amplifying speech is usually tricky. All the important traits of speech are
amplified, with noise being targeted for reduction as much as possible. This
technique ends up targeting the high intensity sounds in many cases. As such,
the technology ends up reducing the level of interruption caused by irritating
noise through the hearing aid. However, Levitt (2001) argues that the softer
noise also causes interruption in the hearing aid. It becomes difficult to differentiate
between the targeted speech and softer noise when the system interrupts the
amplification of the targeted speech. Therefore, the technology needs to be
capable of modulating and amplifying the speech without doing the same for the
softer noise, as much as possible, in order to maintain the comfort required
for the perceiving person to understand the speech as much as required.
As already noted
earlier on, weather is also a major cause of noise that interrupts the
understanding of important sounds and speeches (Ives et al., 2014). As such,
the noise reducing technique needs to block wind interruptions in order to make
it easier for a person to understand the modulated speech. Amplification of
wind noise is common and thus the need for using a highly sensitive system that
can differentiate between a sound that is worth modulation and one that is not.
The effectiveness of noise reduction lies in its ability to identify different
signals on the basis of their importance to the person using a hearing aid.
However, Dillon (2012) argues that this capability only end there are requires
an additional form of support. The system only identifies what is noise and
what is the key speech important for use. Away from this Dillon (2012),
explains that the noise identification technique makes no further effort to
separate between the noise and the targeted speech.
The role of noise
reduction cannot be ignored when it comes to enhancing the performance of
hearing aids. There is the need to understand how well this technology works in
relation with AM perception of sound through hearing aids. However, it is also
necessary to understand the role of signal carriers in order to understand
noise reduction. The carriers determine how noise reduction occurs and the way
sound improvement takes place as a result. A number of factors affect signal
carriers, and they control the ability of a perceiver to understand speeches
(Ives, 2014). The signal carrier is responsible for transferring important
information that the targeted person requires to use. The signal requires no
interruption whatsoever; as such sources of interruption usually affect the
quality of the information being carried. The information in the carrier goes
through analysis or sensing before reaching a listener’s cochlea (Livett,
2001). The information; therefore, needs to be precise as much as possible in
order to enhance the ability of a perceiver to understand it as it was
originally intended.
The success of hearing
a given sound that is also the targeted signal depends on a number of factors.
To be more precise, those factors are either competition or rather noise (Ives
et al., 2014). As already stated, noise affects the ability of a person to
understand a given speech, especially where such is perceived through a hearing
aid, which is usually highly sensitive. The various forms of noise already
listed in the previous sections, as well as others including music and the
listener’s hearing capabilities also determine the ability to make a given
signal intelligible. The use of amplitude-modulation technology is one approach
that has been successful in separating between the unwanted and wanted sound,
that is, the signal carriers and the noise (Ives et al., 2014). The technique
separates the most important part of the sounds reaching the hearing aid and
makes it possible for a user to perceive the sound effectively. However, there
is the need for noise reduction (NR) to operate in unity with AM techniques.
Slow
amplitude-modulation is speech that requires reaching a listener, especially
through the hearing aid as in this paper’s case. The efficiency of reaching the
person’s ear is usually dependent on the availability of noise, as well as the
availability of a noise reduction device on the hearing aid (Levitt, 2001).
Ives et al., (2014) believe that by comparing the way normal-hearing (NH)
persons discriminate AM cues, it is possible to apply the same techniques on
the hearing aids to improve intelligibility of signal carriers. The
availability of measures to control the sounds reaching the ear affects the
intelligibility of such signals to a significant extent. This is the case
especially where the control reduces the ability of the hearing aid to
differentiate between signal carriers and noise. Discrimination of AM signals
depends on the used techniques, something Ives, et al., (2014) believe must go
into the development of hearing aids in order for success to be achievable.
A good understanding of
the AM signal is necessary in the determination of effective hearing through
hearing aid. It is necessary to understand the influence that noise has on the
hearing aids, in terms of calculations. As such, there is a formula available
for the calculation of the influence of noise on intelligibility of sound. The
calculation is a balance between the amount of noise and the availability of
the targeted signal. The calculations are done on the basis of the extent of
noise, usually run on a scale based on decibels (Stone & Moore, 2014). AM
discrimination, which is a major factor in the determination of the effects of
noise on hearing, used audio frequency measurements, in a study by Ives et al.,
(2014). In their study, the researchers used a range of 50 Hz and 2 kHz
operating with a background noise that had a 12 dB signal-to-noise ratio (Ives,
et al., 2014). The targeted study sample was a group of people with hearing
problems, and they had to use hearing aid. The major reason for this test was
to determine the effect of different sound frequencies on the ability of
hearing-impaired persons to understand speech.
In their study Ives et
al., (2014), found out that people using their hearing aid at 50 Hz with noise
in the background were capable of listening and understanding speech. This
occurred where such users relied upon the noise reduction technology. However,
where the users relied on the same NR technologies to enhance their
understanding of certain sounds, it was difficult to succeed. Such users were
incapable of making sense of whatever they heard through the hearing aid. This
study; therefore, indicated the availability of strengths and weaknesses in
using noise reduction techniques for hearing aids. 2 kHz proved to be difficult
for the noise reduction technique to work as efficiently as under 50 Hz
background. In addition to this, the researchers found out that the persons
under investigation were not capable of understanding speeches under any
frequency using the noise reducing technology (Ives et al., 2014). However, for
people with normal hearing, the noise reduction technology worked well at both
frequencies used to target the previous study sample. This result showed the
role of normal hearing, or rather stronger hearing in determining the
effectiveness of the noise reduction technique through the hearing aid.
The researchers argued
that the noise reduction technique worked well where a person was capable of
loudness recruitment (Healy & Yoho, 2013). As such, the person should have
been capable of amplitude modulation, where only the important speech or sound
goes in while the rest does not. As already stated earlier on, modulation saves
the important signals while leaving out whatever is termed as noise. However,
the role that the cochlea plays in determining loudness recruitment is
paramount. It goes without the need to question that the normal hearing persons
are able to perceive sounds much better even where the amplitudes are high, as
compared to their counterparts whose hearing is impaired. Therefore, the
wellbeing of a person, in terms of their level of hearing loss, affects their
ability to perceive AM sounds where the noise is too much. It is also evident
that even where there is noise reduction, there is still a need for reliable
cochlear functions. However, there is no denying the fact that noise reduction
is a major aid in enhancing hearing of important speech where the background is
very noisy.
Noise reduction
requires the use of a number of important techniques, depending on the type of
noise being targeted (Healy & Yoho, 2013). The use of an appropriate method
to reduce noise makes it possible for people with hearing aids to listen to
speech with comfort, besides understanding whatever a speaker means. The most common way of dealing with noise is
through simple filtering of the same. The filtering process targets noise and
makes it possible for a listener to understand speech. The research on this
technique focuses on the use of speech interference indexes to determine
efficiency (Healy & Yoho, 2013). The index denotes the effectiveness of a
filter under various levels of sound frequency. It is necessary to appreciate
that speech interference index influence the ability of a filter to perform its
task effectively and enable a person to hear perfectly. In addition to this,
there is the need for the filter to be as precise as possible, in terms of its
width, to avoid being ineffective. The argument here is that filters that are
too narrow do not perform well as they could let in high frequency noise, while
those that are too thick might seal off everything including the important
signal carriers.
The use of filters to
reduce noise in hearing aids is a common technique. Initially, the technology
used depended upon fixed filters. This form of filters did not change with
time, and targeted similar features no matter the situation. As such, the fixed
filters were capable of reducing similar sources of noise and enhancing hearing
for the listener. However, it is worth noting that situations usually vary from
time to time. Due to such changes, fixed filters became highly unreliable.
People moving from place to place or those in places with varying sources of
noise tended to fail in understanding speech at different times when the noise
characteristics changed. Directional noise reduction techniques depend on the
current situation, as well as the direction of the noise (Ives et al., 2014).
In such situations, the user maintains the noise reduction by staying in a
fixed position. However, it is obvious that this is an uncomfortable position
that makes it difficult for many to maintain effectively, especially where the
situation demands staying for a long period.
In order to promote the
efficiency of noise reduction, the use of non-fixed filters became necessary
(Stone & Moore, 2014). These filters are sensitive to varying conditions
and rely upon digital technology. A person using this strategy is capable of
understanding speech in different situation without having to stay in a fixed
position. Due to this, such a person is capable of comfort while concentrating
on the targeted signal carrier throughout the session. There is the need to
remember that the major objective of noise reduction is to cut down on the
amount of noise that gets to the cochlea, while still maintaining the
intelligibility of speech (Stone & Moore, 2014). The noise reduction
technique needs to work using noise spectrum and calculating the variations as
the speech continues. In this approach, it becomes possible to understand the
characteristics of the targeted speech. As a result of this, the hearing aid maintains
the targeted signal and seals off the noise regardless of the changes that may
occur. As already stated, the noise reduction technique employs a set of
algorithms that assist in determination of noise and characterization of
important signals for the sake of intelligible analysis of speech.
Methodology
This paper will use
both the secondary and primary forms of research to understand the effects of
noise reduction on AM perception by people using hearing aids. As this is an
area that has been covered very succinctly in the past, it would only be fair
to have a balance between primary and secondary methods of research. The former
will offer a firsthand account of the topic at hand in relation with the
research objectives and questions. Focusing on a wide range of sources will
make it possible to have a set of findings that will explain the study’s aims. Various
forms of study are available, and they could take place in combination with
other methods or separately. For this study, both qualitative and quantitative
research methods apply, as this is a high level study that requires the use of
a wide range of options. In addition to this, the study also focuses on primary
and secondary research methods. A mixture of different approaches in research
makes it possible for a study to focus on more facets. Applying different
approaches and methods ensures that the study focuses upon all possible sources
of relevant information (Greve 2013).
Primary Research Method
In this study, I will
focus on how to implement the noise reduction algorithm on a wav file that has
interference. In order to make this possible, the study will use people with
normal hearing to compare the two files with and without the noise reduction. The listeners will help provide a firsthand
account of how it feels to have the noise reduction on and whether the use of
this application enhances hearing efficiency among people with hearing
problems. The study will pick 10 listeners with good hearing, and 5 who have
hearing problems for the sake of comparison. In addition to this, the study
will also use secondary research facts to compare notes. As such, the
researcher goes out into the field to study and come up with their own
conclusions from whatever they acquire out there. There is no use of
information from what other researchers have done in the past. In most cases,
those primary research undertakings occur for the first time/exploratory
research (Hannes & Lockwood 2012). In addition to this, primary research
could occur where previous studies did not reach the required depths. For
instance, in a situation where a previous study does not provide a specific
finding, another primary or exploratory research could take place. The basis of
a primary research is to find out new pieces of information without having to
rely upon previous studies.
Primary research
entails several methods of study including the application of observation, the
use of questionnaires and the filling of interview questions, all of which
could be direct or indirect (Gaillet & Eble 2015). Such methods make it
possible for the researcher to acquire information from a set of criteria. The
criterion needs to be in conformity with research objectives and it has to
answer the study questions as much as possible. In addition to this, there is
the need to follow a set of ethical requirements, in order for the study to
proceed or be authentic. For instance, it is necessary to inform all the study
subjects of the research, in order to have their approval (Hannes &
Lockwood 2012). It is only ethical to carry out a primary research on a given
study sample after acquiring the participants’ approval. In addition to this,
approval from relevant authorities is important to avert legal problems. It is
necessary for the study to adhere to research ethic, in order to acquire
credibility. Researchers need to acquire permission, for instance, to carry out
their studies in certain places, and this research considers this need.
Nonetheless, it is worth noting that not all research undertakings require
approval from authorities.
One merit of primary
research is that it enables a researcher to acquire information that might not
be easy to get from other sources or options, including available literature
(Solomon, Hughes, Chitty, Marshall & Stuart 2013). Because of this, primary
research becomes an alternative way of dealing with the limitations of
secondary research. In addition to this, it is more involving as it allows the
researcher to take part actively in the study by indulging directly with the
source of information. However, it is necessary for the researcher to be as
skillful as possible in order to acquire and analyze the information perfectly.
Without following the right channels, it is impossible to get credible results
from a primary research. In addition to this, such factors as generalization of
results through quantitative analysis make it challenging to have the correct
verdict from a survey. Yet another challenge that primary researchers face is
the availability of enough time to carry out the research. There could be so
many things to cover within a very short time. In addition to this, the lack of
enough funding to cover all the expenses required during the study, makes
primary research very challenging at times (Solomon, Hughes, Chitty, Marshall
& Stuart 2013).
Analysis of Data
In order to understand the findings from
the primary survey to be carried out on the 15 listeners, there is a need to
use an array of analysis methods. In this task, qualitative analysis is one
such method employed to understand answers. One thing for such is the fact that
some of the findings from the study will not be as objective as in quantitative
studies. Such answers will require approaches that are as flexible as possible
(Yin, 2005). As there are different kinds of individual opinions of various
matters, the qualitative analysis method is always broad in its approach. It is
worth noting that the qualitative approach does not use numerical analysis in
most, if not all, cases. It is also not easy to generalize information from
this qualitative research, as people have different beliefs. As such, this form
of research approach qualifies best in a social context where emotions and
opinions count. In this paper, for instance, the approach will be ideal where
the researcher seeks to acquire in-depth understanding for various beliefs. One
use of those questions is to make it possible for respondents to provide their
personal thoughts regarding a given question or phenomenon, making the study
truly qualitative.
Qualitative method of analysis uses
inductive learning approaches (Sparkes & Smith, 2013). An investigator will
focus on the available information and try to unravel more hidden meaning
regarding the same information. For instance, given a certain choice in a given
question, the researcher will seek for more explanations on why such answers
are the way they are. One unique thing regarding this research method is that
it does not entail the predetermination of result paths. For example, a
qualitative research method would allow respondents to provide divergent views
regarding a single issue (Klenke, Martin & Wallace 2015). The use of
predetermined hypotheses is not common in this form of study, making it very
flexible. This flexibility contributes towards the balancing of results from
the study as evident in the subsequent chapters. It goes without a question
that this approach provides more perspectives for discussions and conclusions.
A balance between the qualitative and quantitative approaches makes it
possible.
It is also worth noting that qualitative
analysis employs the use of diverse degrees of freedom (Klenke, Martin &
Wallace 2015). A researcher could decide to give the respondents, as in a
survey, a degree of freedom that depends on the target. Therefore, there is
freedom for both the researcher and the subject/respondent. This study has taken
advantage of this feature to ensure that the findings are free and in-depth in
approach as possible. The study will allow respondents to provide various
answers for a single question in order to build on the diversity that comes
with qualitative data analysis. It is also worth noting that this study uses a
formidable number of respondents in order to have a wide range of responses.
Such a wide range of responses makes it possible for the analysis to be as far
reaching as possible. In addition to this, the paper will also have a wide
range of questions with a mixture of quantitative and qualitative questions.
This mixture, as already stated, will make the study more in-depth.
The other approach of data analysis used
in this paper is quantitative. According to Goertz and Mahoney (2012), this
type of study entails the use of objective approaches such as those applying
mathematical calculations. In this paper, I intend to use statistical tools to analyze
quantitative data in order to understand the facts behind each finding. It is
worth mentioning that I will employ the use of interview in order to acquire
information from respondents. The respondents are allowed to provide
information on a subjective platform, as well as objective platform. This means
that they will have a set of rigid questions as well as flexible questions that
target qualitative data. The use of statistical tools of analysis is of great
significance in quantitative analysis of various data acquired from the study.
In this research method, the acquired data need conversion into numerical data
displayed using graphs and tables, among other tools. I will employ the use of
MatLab to analyze the quantitative data acquired from the primary survey. It is
worth noting that there is usually little or no freedom of expression in terms
of personal opinion when using this method. Most of the pieces of information
will be based on facts rather than personal opinion from the respondents.
However, qualitative data from the research will encourage the use of flexible
subjective-targeting questions. In this research method, the major focus will
be to acquire a generalized research path. Another outstanding characteristic
of this research approach is the use of hypotheses. In the quantitative method
of analysis, there needs to be a proof for every fact registered (Goertz &
Mahoney 2012)
This research analysis method focuses on
the reasons for certain findings, in order to determine the stated findings,
therefore it bases analysis on facts. These factors are variables that
influence one another and determine the final findings. It is worth noting that
the major approach in quantitative analysis is the use of statistical tools.
Therefore, unlike the quantitative method of research, this option relies on
mathematics and science, instead of social sciences Kennedy, 2010). During this
study method, it is advisable not to apply personal behavior or opinions
regarding the results or the process of data collection. The researcher must
stay away from personal behavior that is capable of promoting subjectivity in
the result in instead of objectivity. It is worth remembering that objectivity
goes hand-in-hand with scientific facts and any introduction of individualistic
analysis hinders the quality of the study henceforth. Consequently, this point
provides the major difference between qualitative and quantitative research
analysis methods, as determined later in this chapter.
In addition to the differences stated
previously, it is necessary to not that quantitative analysis method are not
labor-intensive as compared to qualitative analysis. Due to this, the two
methods will play a major role in balancing intensiveness, and making it
possible for the study to cut both ways. On one side, the quantitative research
uses fixed responses, such as Yes or No, it tends to follow a rigid structure
unlike the more flexible qualitative analysis approaches (Kenney, 2010). It is
also needful to note that qualitative analysis is easier to carry out due to
the availability of data analysis tools. There are machines such as computers
and software capable of analyzing quantitative data precisely without so much
ado. Due to the availability of such analysis tools as those stated above,
quantitative method becomes easier to use than qualitative research methods. In
addition to this, the quantitative analysis option becomes more precise, making
it contribute a lot towards the study’s credibility.
Secondary Research
As already mentioned,
this research will be a balanced study seeking to use secondary data and
primary research data in a mixed approach. Therefore, apart from primary
research, this study appreciates the use of secondary methods of study. The
secondary research method relies on facts from studies that others have already
carried out (Solomon et al, 2013). As such, the study uses literature resource
works from other researchers and tries to connect them to the research topic at
hand. For example, this study employs secondary research in the literature
review section. On the other hand, it is worth noting that the study focuses
mainly on the primary research approach in the fourth chapter, without the use
of secondary research work. The initial use of secondary research work in the
Literature Review chapter was to open way for more arguments in the subsequent
sections. The secondary research approach; therefore, does not involve the
researcher going out into the field but rather picking up literature works and
arguing out a point. However, for a situation where there is little information
regarding the specific objectives, it becomes necessary to use a primary
research approach as in this paper.
It is also worth noting
that secondary research also requires one to follow certain rules, in order for
a given study to qualify as authentic. One of the major factors associated with
secondary research is the use of information without an owner’s consent or
recognition of the owner and this qualifies as “theft”. This theft is in the
form of plagiarism, which is the use of intellectual property such as research
works without appreciating the source of that information (Gratton & Jones,
2010). This action makes it impossible for a research work to qualify as
authentic. This paper uses secondary research in the literature review section
as a source of support information regarding the research title. In order to
avert using information without appreciating the source, resulting in
plagiarism, this research employs the referencing of materials. It is worth
noting that the referencing method used herein is authentic and academic in its
format. The paper uses the Harvard style of referencing in order to avoid
plagiarism. This is a major rule associated with secondary research. Every
other section or chapter in this paper that involves the use of academic and
other secondary resource materials follows the Harvard style of referencing to
avoid plagiarism.
In conclusion, the use
of an academic style in this study will underscore the authenticity of all the
findings therein. Some of the factors under research require a professional
approach. I will be keen to ensure that all research objectives are addressed
in this study as much as possible as that is the main aim of any reliable
research paper. I will be keen to draw from related research works using
literature reviews and professional advice from my research instructor. Due to
my understanding of MatLab, it will also be easier for me to focus upon the
quantitative data that is of great value to the study. It is worth noting here
also that all of the research participants will be requested to do so in a
voluntary fashion. The researchers will not have their names or personal pieces
of information published anywhere in this report or on any other platform.
I intend to carry out
this study for a period of three weeks, including a week of the practical
session where the respondents will be testing the hearing devices using the wav
file. The respondents will be required to come to a specific location for the
short session that will also include the interview. In a situation where
respondents are not capable of attending the session, I will be obliged to go
to them at their convenience. I will focus on ensuring that the respondents are
as comfortable as possible in taking part in the study.
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