A group of students are conducting a human geography fieldwork investigation into the 'clone town' status and character of a regenerated urban high street.
They wish to collect qualitative primary data to explore how local independent retailers perceive the growth of national chain stores.
Which of the following data collection methods is most appropriate for this task?
Calculating a retail diversity index based on a detailed land-use classification map of the high street.
Carrying out a closed-response questionnaire where shoppers rate their perception of high street character on a 1 to 5 Likert scale.
Conducting unstructured, open-ended interviews with independent shopkeepers to record their narratives and experiences.
Measuring pedestrian footfall volumes at ten-minute intervals outside independent versus national chain outlets.
