What is Indirect Oral Investigation?
Indirect Oral Investigation is a method of collecting primary data through which the investigator approaches third parties who are in the possession of required information about the subject of enquiry. It is used when the area of investigation is large or the respondents feel reluctant in parting information with the investigator due to some reasons. Under this method, the investigator prepares a small list of questions related to the investigation, and then asks questions from different persons and records their answers. The person from whom these questions are asked is known as a witness. Usually, the police department and enquiry committees appointed by the government conduct this type of enquiry.
For example, we want to study the number of students of a college who drink alcohol. For this purpose, the investigator cannot get information through direct personal investigation because the students may not provide correct information, as drinking alcohol is regarded as a bad habit. Therefore, to get information, the investigator has to contact the people who are close to the respondent, like their friends, relatives, neighbours, or any other person who might know the information.
Table of Content
- Suitability
- Merits of Indirect Oral Investigation
- Demerits of Indirect Oral Investigation
- Precautions for Indirect Oral Investigation