West (1994)

Basturkmen (2010)

Hutchinson & Waters (1987)

Long (2005)

1

surveys based on

questionnaires

questionnaires

questionnaires

surveys & questionnaires

2

structured interviews

interviews

interviews

unstructured & structured

interviews

3

observation of classes

observations of interactions

or ESP learners carrying out

tasks replicating those in the

target situation

observation

participant & non-participant

observation; classroom

observation

4

analysis of language use in the target situation

data collection,

e.g. gathering texts

analysis of discourse,

register/rhetoric,

computer-aided corpus, genre

5

pre-course placement/ self-placement diagnostic tests;

entry tests on arrival

tests of performance

task-based, criterion-referenced

performance tests

6

informal consultations with sponsors, learners and others

non-expert & expert

practitioner intuitions

7

learner diaries

diaries, journals & logs

8

case studies

content analysis

9

final evaluation/feedback

10

previous research

11

language audits; ethnographic methods; role-plays, simulations;

triangulated methods