UNIT 4 - Methods of Data Collection

 What is Data Collection?

Data collection is a methodical process of gathering and analyzing specific information to offer solutions to relevant questions and evaluate the results. 

It focuses on finding out all there is to a particular subject matter. 

Data is collected to be further subjected to hypothesis testing which seeks to explain a phenomenon.

Types of Data Collection

Before broaching the subject of the various types of data collection. 

It is pertinent to note that data collection in itself falls under two broad categories; 

Primary data collection and secondary data collection.

Primary Data Collection

Primary data collection by definition is the gathering of raw data collected at the source. It is a process of collecting the original data collected by a researcher for a specific research purpose.

Primary data collection tools include:

• Interviews
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Focus Groups
• Observations

Interviews

It is the most widely used primary data collection methods wherein the interviewer asks questions either personally, or through mail or telephone from the respondents to obtain the insights of the problem under study. 

The researcher may either visit the respondent in person at his home or meet him at the central location as mutually decided by them.

And in case, a large group of respondents is to be contacted then the mail and telephone survey can be used. 

In the mail survey, the questionnaires are sent to the respondent who is expected to give answers to the questions via mail. 

In the case of a telephone survey, the interviewees are called and asked questions (closed-ended) specific to the research problem.

Questionnaire / Survey

Questionnaire is the most evident method of data collection, which is comprised of a set of questions related to the research problem.

 This method is very convenient in case the data is to be collected from the diverse population.

It mainly includes the printed set of questions, either open-ended or closed-ended, which the respondents are required to answer on the basis of their knowledge and experience with the issue concerned.

Focus Groups

It is one of the widely used data collection methods wherein a small group of people, usually 6-12 members come together to discuss the common areas of the problem.

Here each individual is required to provide his insights on the issue concerned and reach to a unanimous decision. 

In this interview, there is a moderator who regulates the discussion among the group members.

Observation

Observation is a method that employs vision as its main means of data collection. 

It implies the use of eyes rather than of ears and the voice. 

Observation is accurate watching and noting of phenomena as they occur with regard to the cause and effect or mutual relations.

Observation is watching behaviour of other persons as it actually happens without controlling it. 

Thus, recording information without asking questions is called observation method.

Secondary  Data Collection

When the data is collected by someone else for a purpose other than the researcher’s current project and has already undergone the statistical analysis is called as Secondary Data.

The secondary data is readily available from the other sources and as such, there are no specific collection methods. The researcher can obtain data from the sources both internal and external to the organization. 

The internal sources of secondary data are:

• Sales Report
• Financial Statements
• Customer details, like name, age, contact details, etc.
• Company information
• Reports and feedback from a dealer, retailer, and distributor
• Management information system. 

There are several external sources from where the secondary data can be collected. These are:

• Government censuses, like the population census, agriculture census, etc.
• Information from other government departments, like social security, tax records, etc.
• Business journals
• Social Books
• Business magazines
• Libraries
• Internet, where wide knowledge about different areas is easily available.

The secondary data can be both qualitative and quantitative. 

The qualitative data can be obtained through newspapers,  interviews, transcripts, etc., while the quantitative data can be obtained through a survey, financial statements and statistics.

One of the advantages of the secondary data is that it is easily available and hence less time is required to gather all the relevant information. 

Also, it is less expensive than the primary data. 

But however the data might not be specific to the researcher’s needs and at the same time is incomplete to reach a conclusion. 

Also, the authenticity of the research results might be skeptical.

Collection through Questionnaire

The questionnaire is the main instrument for collecting data in survey research.

 Basically, it is a set of standardized questions, often called items, which follow a fixed scheme in order to collect individual data about one or more specific topics. 

The questionnaire involves a particular kind of interview—a formal contact, in which the conversation is governed by the wording and order of questions in the instrument. 

The questionnaire often is administered in a standardized fashion, that is, in the same way to all the respondents of the survey. 

The logic behind the standardization of questions and answers is that only if a stimulus is the same for all the respondents of a survey.

Schedule Data Collection

Schedule is the tool or instrument used to collect data from the respondents while   interview is conducted. 

Schedule contains questions, statements (on which opinions are elicited) and blank spaces/tables for filling up the respondents. 

The schedule is presented by the interviewer. The questions are asked and the answers are noted down by him.

The list of questions is a more formal document, it need not be attractive.

Difference in Questionnaire and Schedule 

The questionnaire refers to a technique of data collection which consists of a series of written questions along with alternative answers.

The schedule is a formalized set of questions, statements, and spaces for answers, provided to the enumerators who ask questions to the respondents and note down the answers.

While a questionnaire is filled by the informants themselves, enumerators fill the schedule on behalf of the respondent.

Difference in Questionnaire and Schedule