U U N IT

2
Data Collection Strategies

Qualitative Data Collection

2.1
SESSION
Strategies

Quantitative Data
2.2 Collection Strategies

Mixed Methods Data

2.3 Collection Designs

Unit 2 Introduction

In the last unit we discussed the three main steps in the research data collection
process. We explored sampling and sampling design, data-gathering instruments and
considered issues of reliability and validity. Our discussions in the last unit applied
generally to the three research traditions: quantitative; qualitative and mixed methods
research. In this unit we will continue to discuss the data collection process, with a
particular focus on strategies used in each of those three different research traditions.
Firstly we will explore the collection of data from a qualitative tradition, then we will
explore from a quantitative tradition and finally from a mixed methods tradition.

Unit 2 Learning Objectives

By the end of this Unit you will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast the roles of researchers in qualitative and

quantitative data collection;
2. Prepare to conduct questionnaires and interviews;
3. Describe the different methods used to collect quantitative and
qualitative data;
4. Explain how a mixed methods data collection strategy is chosen.

115  © 2019 University of the West Indies Open Campus

 This Unit is divided into three (3) sessions as follows:

Session 2.1: Qualitative Data Collection Strategies

Session 2.2: Quantitative Data Collection Strategies

Session 2.3: Mixed Methods Data Collection Designs

Readings and Resources

Requires Readings
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research Methods in Education (7 th
ed.). London: Routledge.

• Chapter 20: Questionnaires

• Chapter 21: Interviews

Creswell, J.W., & Plano Clark, V.L. (2007). Collecting data in mixed method research.
Chapter 6 in Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. Thousand
Oaks, USA; Sage Publications. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/30ZIa4i

Dickinson, A. (2014, February 10). Developing research instruments: Surveys and

interviews. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2GqI0L5

Driscoll, D. L., Appiah-Yeboah, A., Salib, P., & Rupert, D. J. (2007) Merging Qualitative
and Quantitative Data in Mixed Methods Research: How To and Why Not.
Ecological and Environmental Anthropology (University of Georgia). Paper 18.
Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmeea/18

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 SSession 2.1

Qualitative Data Collection Strategies

Introduction
The qualitative research tradition utilises a variety of strategies and instruments to
ensure that the data collected address the issues under investigation.

In this session we will explore qualitative interviews in particular, since interviewing

is one of the main qualitative data strategies.

The Role of the Qualitative Researcher

Whether as an interviewer, observer, or transcriber, the qualitative researcher is
personally involved in their data collection in a way that a quantitative researcher is
not. Because of this close involvement, qualitative research requires strategies which
may be regarded as subjective. As part of the qualitative data collection process, the
researcher must identify any personal experiences, expectations, or assumptions that
might bias the research in any particular direction, and consider how to minimize
such effects. In addition to collecting data, the researcher must keep a personal journal
throughout the data collection planning and implementation process, recording
whether the data collection affected him or her, and whether any personal revelation
influenced the course of the research project.

Collecting Qualitative Data

Qualitative research traditions adopt the interpretivist tradition. This means we are
not relying on numerical data, and we need to find ways of capturing data on different
aspects of our research topic, such as the behaviour and attitudes of our participants,
or the information provided by the creators of other resources we may choose to
analyse. We use qualitative research when we are seeking to probe the issue under
investigation beyond, or instead of, a numerical description or analysis.

Figure 2.1 illustrates four types of data collection method that are commonly used in
qualitative research.

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 • informed consent; right to withdraw

Ethical Issues • Beneficence; non-maleficence

• Confidentiality, anonymity,non-traceability
• Methodological rigour and fairness; threat or sensitivity of questions

Questionnaire • Appearance and layout

• Type: structured, semi-structured, unstructured

• Clarity and simplicity

• Content
Question • Avoidance of leading, 'highbrow', or biased questions
• Design of sensitive and threatening questions
• Response format
• Sequence

• Open ended or closed

Question Type • Dichotomous, multiple choice, rank ordering, rating scale, constant sum, ratio data
• Single or matrix
• Use of contingency questions, filters and branches

Figure 2.1: Qualitative Research Methods

Video

Please view the following videos. These videos illustrate the advantages and
disadvantages of using each of these five methods of collecting qualitative data.

• Robinson, M. (Mel Bell). (2013, October 26) Types of qualitative data collection:
Part 1. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2Y4fV7x

• Robinson, M. (Mel Bell). (2013, October 26) Types of qualitative data collection:
Part 2. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2YjHnZS

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 reflection
Think about your own research question:

a. What qualitative data collection strategy, or strategies, would be

most useful to address your own research questions? Why?

b. Which would be the most difficult to implement? Why?

The Interview

Readings and Resources

Requires Readings
Please read the following chapter:

Cohen, L., Manion, L. & Morrison, K. (2011). Chapter 21 : Interviews. In Research

Methods in Education (7 th ed.). London: Routledge.

Or/and

View the slideshow by D Valenzuela at

• https://www.public.asu.edu/~kroel/www500/Interview%20Fri.pdf

and watch the following youtube videos at

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t-_hYjAKww

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PhcglOGFg8

Now we will focus on the qualitative interview as an example of a qualitative data

collection strategy. The interview is used in several approaches to qualitative research
and it is likely to be a strategy that you will find useful in your own research. We will
examine the different types of interviews and determine which is the most appropriate
to answer your research question.

Section 21.1 Introduction (Cohen et al., 2011, p. 409) highlighted the importance of
interviews for data collection and speaks to the versatility of the interview. Refer also
to Section 21.2 The conceptions of the interview (Cohen et al., 2011 pp. 409-411). What

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 are the three conceptions of an interview? How do they impact on the data collection,
and by extension, the research?

When considering an interview as an instrument for research you must pay attention
to the following:

1. What is the purpose of the interview? Interviews have varied purposes. Please
refer to Section 21.3 Purposes of the interview (Cohen et al., 2011 pp.411-412),
where you are given examples of the purpose and techniques.

• Reflect on our research on telephone worker attrition and determine the

purpose of the interview we would conduct in that study.

2. As with questionnaires, you can use a number of interview types and the type of
interview used is based on the purpose of your research. Refer to Section 21.4

Types of interviews (Cohen et al., 2011 pp. 412-415). In this section various types of
interviews are discussed. Although there are a variety of interview types explained
in the section, there is the issue of “fitness for purpose”.

a. How would you define fitness for purpose?

b. Why is fitness for purpose an important issue to consider in the choice of

interview?

c. Determine the type of interview we can use in our telephone worker attrition
issue.

3. One interview technique that is used extensively in research is the group interview.
This form of interview helps you get varying perspectives and responses from one
interview session. Group interviewing is another technique that yields different
kinds of results.

As researchers you may need to conduct a group interview at some point. Section

21.6 Group Interviewing (Cohen et al., 2011, pp. 432-433) or http://bit.ly/2Yo5ASX

explains the process and speaks to the advantages and disadvantages of group
interviews. Issues you may encounter in group interviews are highlighted and
possible ways to address these issues are also examined.

Relate this section to your research proposal. How would you use group interviews
to answer your research questions?

Focus group interviews are also gaining popularity, just as ordinary group
interviews.

a. What distinguishes a focus group from an ordinary group is the interaction

among the group members when you conduct the research. Sections 21.9
Focus groups and 21.10 Non-directive, focused, problem-centred and in-
depth interviews (Cohen et al., 2011, pp. 436-439).

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 b. Explain the different focus group discussions that you may wish to use
in your research. After you have completed reading this session you may
reflect on your proposal and determine whether focus group interviews are
more appropriate to answer your research questions.

4. Those of you who are educators will have to interview children at some time in
your academic life. Understanding an educational phenomenon through the eyes of
children can be very rewarding for you. This is another dimension of interviewing
because it demands special techniques. Section 21.7 Interviewing children (Cohen
et al., 2011 pp. 433-435) handles that issue; it addresses interviewing children from
a developmental perspective. It also suggests the most appropriate interviews that
you can use with children.

5. Another group that you may encounter in your research journey is the minority or
marginalized group. You may often meet such a group, for example, the differently
abled. Not all interview techniques would be appropriate for the minority or
marginalized groups. There may be some sensitive issues that would compromise
your research if you do not handle them appropriately. In Section 21.8 Interviewing
minority and marginalized people (Cohen et al., 2011 pp. 435-436) you are presented
with possible ways to successfully interview this type of group but you can also
goggle other resources. After you have read this section you need to consider the
following. Do I need to interview this particular group? How will I conduct the
interview to ensure that all ethical protocols are established and maintained? You
may want to read the following article as well. Ethics in Qualitative Research:

‘Vulnerability’, Citizenship and Human Rights by Pamela Fisher. This is available

through UWILINC.

6. Finally we need to be reminded of ethical issues in interviewing. Reflect on the

ethical issues we discussed in Module 1 Unit 2. What are some ethical issues
you may encounter in the interview process? Section 21.12 Ethical issues in
interviewing (Cohen et al., 2011 pp. 442- 443) explains the ethics of interviewing
but you can also goggle other resources. We must be mindful that ethical issues
must be considered during all stages in the research process. After you have read
the section reflect on your research proposal. What are some ethical issues you are
most likely to encounter? How will you address them?

Reading

The following video gives a synopsis of the qualitative interview:

• adly hafidzin. (2014, April 2). Interview as a method for qualitative research.
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/hNNKCD2f4qw

121  GRST6900 Research Process – MODULE 2 – UNIT 2

 reflection
a. How can you use interviews effectively in your research?

b. Which type of interview would be useful in addressing your current

research topic?

c. What are some issues that you may encounter in the collection of
interview data?

d. How would you resolve the challenges?

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.1

The Qualitative Interview
In the last unit we discussed selecting a sample of ex- telephone
provider employees to address the research question “How do four
ex- telephone provider employees in urban Las Lomas describe the
factors that contributed to their leaving the job?”
You are going to conduct individual interviews with your sample,
who are people who worked in urban telephone providers for more
than five years, but have now left the job.

1. Develop 10 interview questions, giving careful consideration to each

with respect to:

a. The need for the question.

b. The purpose of the question.

c. The type of question.

d. The clarity of the question.

e. The type of response that you require.

f. The place of the question in the sequence of your interview.

2. Find a friend or classmate to ask at least five of your interview

questions. Ask them the questions after you have given them the
context so they can pretend to be one of the people in your target
population. Record the interview.

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 LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.1 Cont’d
3. Reflect on the interview:

a. What did they have difficulty understanding? Did you have to

explain any questions?

b. Did their answers provide the kinds of information that your

questions were asking?

c. How did you feel about the interview experience? How could it be
improved?

4. Revise your interview questions so that they are clearer. Create a posting
on the discussion forum which includes:

a. Your original and revised questions b. Your experiences with the

interview c. How you would improve it

d. One question that you have about interviewing

Session 2.1 Summary

In this session we identified qualitative research methods and focused on the

qualitative interview. This method is very popular in some fields of research like
education research and so it is important that you are skilled in interviewing.

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 SSession 2.2

Quantitative Data Collection Strategies

Introduction
The quantitative paradigm has a number of methods you can utilise to answer
your quantitative research questions. We will identify the methods used to collect
quantitative data and then focus on survey design. We will pay particular attention to
the questionnaire, as this is one of the most commonly used data collection instruments.

The role of the quantitative researcher

Quantitative researchers adopt a positivist perspective. They try to ensure that the
data collected are objective and free from biases, and that data are always collected
in ways that are measurable and repeatable. This means that the researcher cannot be
personally involved. The quantitative researcher remains apart from, and outside of,
the study, even when human participants are studied, because there is no place for
subjectivity in quantitative research.

Collecting quantitative data

We use quantitative studies when we are studying phenomena that can be explained in
numbers. Quantitative data is numerical, it can be statistically analysed, and it enables
us to generalize our results from a sample to the population of interest. Data collection
strategies are designed to meet these requirements and to minimize bias.

Figure 2.2 illustrates the main quantitative data collection methods described by Cohen
et al. (2011). Remember that, for all of these methods, data is recorded numerically, not
as narrative.

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 Experiments
and
quasi-experiments

Archival Behavioural
Quantitative Data
and Measures
Collection Methods
Meta-analysis

Questionnaires
Social Network
and
Analysis
Surveys

FsgurS 2.2: Quantitative Research Data Collection Methods

As we saw previously, experiments and quasi-experiments involve the study of the

influence of variables, usually in laboratory in the case of experiments and in a natural
setting, where it is more difficult to control all the variables, in the case of a quasi-
experiment.

Meta-analysis involves drawing on a wide range of previous studies to compare the

results and interpret the correlated data.

Archival research relates to analysing sources that can be located in archives and/
or using those sources for new purposes, such as comparing information at different
points on a different timelines or from different geographic locations.

Social network analysis focuses on measuring and mapping social entities and their
relationships.

Behavioural measures record people’s observable actions and reactions.

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 The use of questionnaires and surveys is well known and has a wide variety of
applications, from national censuses to consumer surveys. We will now focus on the
questionnaire as an example of a quantitative data collection strategy.

The Questionnaire

Reading

Please read the following chapter:

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K.(2011). Chapter 20: Questionnaires. In
Research Methods in Education (7 th ed.). London: Routledge.

OR

Hewitt, R.J et al (2017) Available at http://bit.ly/2YqIATp

The research questionnaire is used extensively in survey designs. It is used most often
to collect numerical data and it allows the quantitative researcher to maintain some
form of objectivity in the data collection.

When considering a questionnaire as an instrument for research you must pay attention
to the following:

1. Ethics: The ethical issues that you may encounter in the administration of the
questionnaire. You are reminded that there will be such considerations when
administering a survey questionnaire. You will recall that these issues were
explained in Module 1 Unit 2. However, you must always be cognizant of them
and they are pertinent here.

Refer to Section 20.1 Ethical issues (Cohen et al., 2011 pp.377-378 ) which gives you
an indication of the ethical issues you may encounter and suggest ways to address
them. You may also do a quick search on this topic in any introductory research
text.

What are some ethical issues that you may encounter in your own research?

2. Planning: In planning your questionnaire you must ensure what questions you
need to ask and how you decide to pose the question. This takes serious planning.
Refer to Section 20.2 Approaching the planning of a questionnaire (Cohen
et al.,

2011 pp. 378-382). This section speaks to the overall plan, operationalizing the
questionnaire, planning with the data analysis in mind, and different types of
questionnaires (e.g. structured, semi-structured and unstructured questionnaires).
You are given a description of the planning phases and what you are expected

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 to do in the planning phase. Revisit this section and carefully identify the salient
parts. In this section there is a framework or flowchart (Figure 2.1 A flow chart
technique for question planning) that identifies techniques for question planning.

Box 20.1 A guide for questionnaire construction. This will help you with decisions
about content, wording, the form of responses to questions; and the place of each
question in the overall sequence.

3. Questionnaire Items: You also need to establish the type of questionnaire items you
wish to include in the instrument. For instance, you may want to decide between
closed and opened questions. It is important to note that there are a variety of
questions and response modes. Please refer to Section 20.3 Types of questionnaire
items (Cohen et al., 2011 pp. 382-397); this section gives an overview of the different
items that you can develop. It gives a rationale for the choice of questions and the
types of measurement you may use for the question of choice. For example,

a. Close ended or open ended

b. Dichotomous, multiple choice, rank ordering, rating scale, constant sum, or

ratio data

c. Matrix questions

d. Contingency questions, filter and branches.

4. Writing Sensitive Questions: Sometimes respondents need to be asked to give

information on private matters. You need to know how to phrase these questions
to ensure that you get the information you need, without making ethical blunders.
Refer to Section 20.4 Asking sensitive questions (Cohen et al., 2011, pp. 397-396).
This section describes sensitive questions and gives you clear guidelines on
the development of such questions. you may also refer to the following: http://
bit.ly/2JSBrDk

5. Avoid Ambiguity: The different kinds of questions that you can use in the
questionnaire have to be framed appropriately to avoid ambiguity. You need to
ensure that the respondents understand the questions and that your research
questions are answered. Read section 20.5 Avoiding pitfalls in question writing
(Cohen et al., 2011, pp.396-397), there you are guided in the art of questionnaire
writing for maximum benefit.

6. Question Sequence: Now that you have your questions well written you must
know how to sequence the questions, in a way that encourages respondents to
complete the questionnaire. For example, if you begin the questionnaire with
sensitive questions it is likely that the respondent may not want to complete
other questions. In Section 20.6 Sequencing questions (Cohen et al., 2011 pp. 397-

398) the importance of sequencing is highlighted and the common sequence of a

questionnaire is explained. Saunders et al (2008) also discuss sequencing. http://
bit.ly/2JT3eDO

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 7. Questionnaire Aesthetics: If the questionnaire is attractive it is likely that the
participants will be more inclined to answer the questions. Read Section 20.8 The
layout of the questionnaire (Cohen et al., 2011, pp. 399-400), which highlights the
importance of appearance and makes recommendations for the layout.

In essence the questionnaire is widely used in research. However, you must be mindful
that it takes intense planning to develop appropriate questions for your questionnaire.

• informed consent; right to withdraw

Ethical Issues • Beneficence; non-maleficence

• Confidentiality, anonymity,non-traceability
• Methodological rigour and fairness; threat or sensitivity of questions

Questionnaire • Appearance and layout

• Type: structured, semi-structured, unstructured

• Clarity and simplicity

• Content
Question • Avoidance of leading, 'highbrow', or biased questions
• Design of sensitive and threatening questions
• Response format
• Sequence

• Open ended or closed

Question Type • Dichotomous, multiple choice, rank ordering, rating scale, constant sum, ratio data
• Single or matrix
• Use of contingency questions, filters and branches

FsgurS 2.3: Aspects for consideration in creating a questionnaire

reflection
After you have read the section, refer to your own research and
determine a framework for a questionnaire design appropriate for
your topic.

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 Piloting and Administering Questionnaires
Finally after you have developed your questionnaire you need to establish validity
and reliability. So your next step is to pilot the questionnaire you developed. There are
many ways that you can conduct the pilot.

Section 20.10 Piloting the questionnaire (Cohen et al., 2011 p.402) describes the
importance of piloting and gives a number of reasons for the practicality of pre-testing
or piloting your instrument. You may also want to read Williams, A. How to...Write
and analyse a questionnaire in Journal of Orthodontics, Vol. 30, 2003, 245–252 available
at http://bit.ly/30YBAuu

Reflect on your questionnaire and determine how you are going to pilot your
questionnaire after you have completed.

We also need to consider some practical considerations in the design questionnaire.

Section 20.11 Practical considerations in questionnaire design (Cohen et al., 2011
pp.402-404) examines some considerations you should pay attention to.

The administration of the questionnaire is important. Section 20.12 Administering

questionnaires (Cohen et al., 2011 pp.404-407 ) deals with the different kinds of
administration, for example, self-administration, face to face, interview, telephone
and Internet.

Read this section and indicate what is the best way you would administer your
questionnaire to answer your research question.

Finally Section 20.13 Processing questionnaire data (Cohen et al., 2011, pp. 407-408 )

gives a whole range of ways in which you can process your questionnaire data.

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 LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.2
The Quantitative Questionaire
Please watch the following video, which provides you with
more information on the types of questions that can be used in
questionnaires and interviews.
Dickinson, A. (2014, February 10). Developing research nstruments:
Surveys and interviews. [Video File]. Retrieved from

uuhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUxTqcaN-RQ

ITask: We now return to our research topic.

You are going to survey a representative sample of employees
at Telephone Provider companies. You are trying to identify and
quantify factors that may contribute to employee attrition.
Using the guidance provided by the video that you have watched,
as well as that provided by Cohen et al. (2011) in Sections 20.1 to
20.6, develop
10 questionnaire items, giving careful consideration to each with
respect
to:

a. The need for the question.

b. The purpose of the question.

c. The type of question.

d. The clarity of the question.

e. The type of response that you require.

f. The place of the question in the sequence of your

questionnaire.

Session 2.2 Summary

In this section we examined quantitative questionnaire. We looked at the number of

issues that we would encounter in planning and development of valid and reliable
questionnaires to answer our research questions. This session also gave us some good

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 insights as to the relevance of administration, the presentation and the order of the
questions in the questionnaire. In the next session we will do a brief description of
mixed methods design.

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 SSession 2.3

Mixed Methods Data Collection Designs

Introduction
In this session we are going to explore the collection of data in mixed methods research.
Mixed methods research straddles the quantitative and qualitative divide and we
need to address both qualitative research questions and quantitative hypotheses. As a
consequence, the methods used to collect data in mixed methods designs are similar
to the data collection methods of the quantitative and the qualitative paradigms.
However, we also need to ensure that the data collection procedure is congruent
with the type of research design used in the study. (Remember that we explored the
different mixed methods research designs in Module 2 Unit 1). We will discuss both
concurrent and sequential data collection strategies.

Readings

Please read the following chapter, which explains the issues that should be
considered when collecting data in concurrent or sequential mixed methods
designs. The video will also help you to understand mixed methods research.

Creswell, J.W., & Plano Clark, V.L. (2007). Chapter 6: Collecting data in mixed
method research. In Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research.
Thousand Oaks, USA; Sage Publications. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/30ZIa4i

Creswell, J.W. (2013, February 19).What is Mixed Methods Research? [Video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OaNiTlpyX8

Creswell & Plano-Clark (2007) stated that in general, data collection concerns in mixed
methods research are similar to those in quantitative and qualitative research, but
there are some additional considerations. These include whether to use the same
participants or different participants in each phase of the research, whether to keep
the sample sizes similar in the quantitative and qualitative phases and consideration
of what weighting and priority will be given to data collected in each part of the
research design.

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 Additional Resources

Johnson,B. (n.d.).Chapter 14: Mixed Research: Mixed Method and Mixed Model
Research. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2MgmAUS

Concurrent Design
In concurrent designs we collect the quantitative and qualitative research data at
the same time. When thinking about data from a concurrent perspective we need to
identify what is the nature of the mixed methods research that we are conducting. For
example we may use interviews if we are trying to get in-depth and rich data of an
issue and at the same time understand the trends by using a survey method.

The qualitative and quantitative data are independent of each other. Since they are

collected at the same time they are not related or influenced by each other.

Sequential Design
In sequential designs one data collection method follows the other. For example, if it
is an exploratory research in many cases the qualitative data informs the quantitative
instrument that is used later. In an explanatory design the qualitative method follows
the quantitative method.

In this case the sets of data are related; they are not independent. In the first stage, one
set of data – either qualitative or quantitative – is collected. In the second stage, it is
analysed and decisions are made on how the results from that preliminary analysis
will influence the second set of data collection. If we have conducted qualitative
interviews on a topic, the results of the interviews will influence the kinds of questions
we might want to ask in the quantitative survey stage. If the quantitative stage comes
first, the results of the survey will guide the content and structure of the qualitative
interviews that follow. In the third stage the second data set is collected.

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 LEARNING ACTIVITY 2.3
Gathering data for a Mixed Methods Research
Read the following article, which discusses two examples of data

collection in concurrent and sequential designs:

Driscoll, D.L., Appiah-Yeboah, A., Salib,P., & Douglas, J.R.(2007).

Merging Qualitative and Quantitative Data in Mixed Methods
Research: How To and Why Not. Ecological and Environmental
Anthropology, 3(1), pp. 19-28. Retrieved from

uuhttp://bit.ly/2GoZCXZ
Consider your own research topic.

a. What type of mixed methods design would be most

appropriate for your research questions or hypotheses?

b. Which data collection instruments would you use in each

phase of the design?

c. Would the qualitative and quantitative data sets be

independent or related?

d. Which data set would carry the most weight?

e. Would it be necessary to keep your sample, and sample size,

similar in each phase of your data collection?

Session 2.3 Summary

In this session we explored the implications of concurrent and sequential mixed

methods designs for data collection. When you choose a mixed methods research
procedure you were encouraged to be mindful of the data collection methods that you
will use, including the collection strategy to be used in each phase and the weighting
each kind of data set will carry.

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 Unit 2 Summary

In this unit we have highlighted the different roles of researchers in qualitative and
quantitative data collection. We have also reviewed different data collection strategies
used in both qualitative and quantitative research. In particular, you now know how
to prepare to collect data by developing two data collection instruments that you will
often be required to use in educational research: the questionnaire and the interview.
We discussed the diversity of use of these two types of instruments and acknowledged
that they must be developed carefully so that they answer your research question
effectively. You also considered the implications of mixed methods design on data
collection.

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 References
Cohen, L, Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research Methods in Education (7th ed.).
London: Routledge.

i tutor. (2012, May 26). Validity and Reliability. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DudgZkTay-w

Miamipsych293. (2011, September 2). 03: Reliability and validity (1/3).[Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS8Hw0Ort4w

Miamipsych293. (2011, September 2). 03: Reliability and validity (2/3). [Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LolwQXYjuh8

Miamipsych293. (2011, September 2). 03: Reliability and validity (3/3).[Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZQlqVswAq8

136  GRST6900 Research Process – MODULE 2 – UNIT 2