Additionally, ordinal data are not additive and simply changing the numeric values assigned to categories can affect the overall scores and interpretation of respondents' performances.
Finally, given the nature of the research, the emergent themes are based on researchers' interpretation of respondents' comments and may be influenced by our own frame of reference and preconceptions.
The comparison highlights how reporting of marriage and partnership can vary markedly depending on the wording of the question, the instructions given to interviewers, and the interpretation of respondents.
While the sample included respondents from the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern regions of the country, these data may not be fully representative of adults with disabilities in the entire U.S. Furthermore, "disability" status and disability duration were determined by self-report and may be prone to subjective interpretation of respondents.
(The precise definition of this term was not clear in the questionnaire and was left to the interpretation of the respondent).
This allows the researcher to examine how and where some of his assumptions and views might affect his interpretation of the respondent's words, or how he later writes about the person.
If the question or answer was not clear, the interviewers repeated the question, or repeated their interpretation of the respondent's answer, to ensure that the message was mutually understood.
The grading of performance as good, poor and fair was left to the interpretation of the respondents and was therefore subjective.
However, upon further reflection, the ambiguity of the label and the broad possible interpretations of the respondent, the mixed label could be applied to a range of courses from primarily lecture with a few open-ended questions to mostly interactive with occasional mini-lectures to set up or reflect upon learning activities.
Because pre-testing revealed that respondents with and without paid sick leave interpreted costs differently and this led to ambiguity in interpretation of their WTP, respondents were instructed to assume that they had paid sick leave.
