Data Collection Methods

BY ABDUL RAOOF WANI

Introduction

Data can be define as the quantitative or qualitative value of a variable (e.g. number, images, words, figures , facts or ideas)

It is a lowest unit of information from which other measurements and analysis can be done.

Data is one of the most important and vital aspect of any research study.

Data

External sources

Primary data

Secondary data

Internal sources

Internal sources of Data:

Many institutions and departments have information about their regular functions for their own internal purposes . When this type pf information are used in any survey is called internal sources of data.

Eg social welfare societies.

External sources of data:

When information is collected from outside agencies is called external sources of

data. Such types of data are either primary or secondary.

This type of information can be collected by census or sampling method by

conducting survey

Primary Data• Data that has been collected from first-hand experiences is known as primary data. It has more reliable ,

authentic and not been published anywhere.

• Such data are published by authorities who themselves are responsible for their collection.

• They are original and raw

Primary data has not been changed or altered by human being, therefore its validity is greater than secondary data.

Example:

• Documents

• Creative works

• Interviews

• Man-made materials

• Surveys

Merits:Data interpretation is better

High accuracy of data

Address as specific research issues

Greater control

Demerits:Evaluated cost

Time consuming

More number of resources are required

Inaccurate feedback

Required lot of skill with labour.

Secondary Data:

Secondary data are those that have already been collected by others.

These are usually in journals, research publication ,official record etc.

Secondary data may be available in the published or unpublished form. When it is not possible to collect the data by primary method ,the investigator go for secondary method

Example:

• Unpublished thesis and dissertations

• Manuscript

• Books

• Journals

Merits– Quick and cheap source of data

– Wider geographical area

– Longer orientation period

– Leading to find primary data

Demerits– No fulfill our specific research needs

– Poor accuracy

– Data are not up to date

– Poor accessibility in some cases

Qualitative Method

•Deals with descriptions.

•Data can be observed but not measured. It approximates or characterizes but does not measure the attributes, characteristics, and properties of a thing or phenomenon.

Quantitative Method

• Deals with numbers.

• Data which can be measured.

• This method rely on random sampling and structured data collection instruments that fit diverse experiences into predetermined response categories.

Clerical Tools• Used when researcher studies people and gathers

data on the feelings, emotions, attitudes and judgment of the subjects.

Example:

•Questionnaire

• Interview

•Experiment

•Observation

Mechanical Devices

• Includes all tools that are used in different branch of science. It is more on to measure things.

Example:

• Thermometers

• Cameras

• Microscopes

• Meter stick

Questionnaire

• It is a list of prepared questions or a checklist.

•This is usually sent of distributed to respondents for the purpose of seeking their opinions, views, suggestions, or perceptions.

Advantages of Questionnaire• Practical

• Large amounts of information can be collected from a large number of people in a short period of time

• Can be carried out by the researcher or by any number of people with limited affect to its validity and reliability

• The results of the questionnaires can usually be quickly and easily quantified by either a researcher or through the use of a software package

• Can be analysed more 'scientifically' and objectively than other forms of research

Disadvantages of Questionnaire

• Lacks validity

• There is no way to tell how truthful a respondent is being

• There is no way of telling how much thought a respondent has put in

• The respondent may be forgetful or not thinking within the full context of the situation

• People may read differently into each question and therefore reply based on their own interpretation of the question

Interview• It is one of the major techniques in gathering data or

information.

• It is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked by the interviewer to elicit facts or

statements from the interviewee.

Advantage of the Interview

• Generating more valid and compete information

• Interviewer can classify points or questions which are vogue to the interviewee

• Seeing the sincerity in terms of answering the questions

• Flexibility

• Greater complex questions can be asked

Disadvantage of Interview

• Respondents would be hard to be contacted

• Time consuming

• Inaccurate in terms of getting numerical data

• Inaccurate due to bias data given by the interviewee in favourable with the study

• Difficult to make conclusion

Observations

• Collect data on behavior

• Observation relies on the researchers’ ability to gather data though their senses - and allows researchers to document actual behaviour rather than responses related to behaviour

• Observing organizational behaviors in their functional settings is one of the most direct ways to collect data.

Advantages to Observation:

• They are free of the biases inherent in the self-report data.

• They put the practitioner directly in touch with the behaviors in question.

• They are involved real-time data, describing behavior occurring in the present rather than the past.

• They are adapting in that they can be modified depending on what is being observed.

Experimentation:

• Experimentation explores cause and effect relationships by manipulating independent variables in order to see if there is a corresponding effect on a dependent variable

• Pure experimentation requires both a controlled environment and the use of a randomly assigned control group

• This can be difficult to achieve in human centred experiments conducted in the real-world

Other ways of collecting data

• Schedules

• Warranty cards

• Store audits

• Pantry audits

• Consumer panels

• Use of mechanical devices

• Projective techniques

Thank You