DATA GATHERING INSTRUMENTS

Data Gathering Instruments

Objectives:

 to understand the different types of data gathering instruments that

are available for collecting data;
 to learn how to select an appropriate instrument for a given research
project;
 to learn how to effectively use data gathering instruments to collect
high-quality data that is reliable and valid.

Introduction

Delgado (2022) said that the method and tools chosen for data collection are
a crucial component of all research that will, in large part, define the quality
of the results. Choosing methods and instruments as determined by the
research questions and objectives will establish the course of the study, how
the data will be gathered, and the depth of the data. 

Data gathering is the approach taken by the researcher to find answers to

the research problems, test the hypothesis, and evaluate the outcomes. It is
a process through which the research instrument is used to collect data,
Abdulwalah (2012).

What are data-gathering instruments? A research instrument is a tool to

collect data relevant to the study that you are conducting. A good research
instrument should be validated and proven to be reliable. 

Qualities of a Good Research Instrument

 Valid and reliable.

 Based on the conceptual framework or the researcher’s understanding
of the relationships between the research variables
 Must collect information that is appropriate and pertinent to the
study’s topic. 
 Possess the capacity to test hypotheses and/or respond to research
inquiries that have been posed.
 Adequate to the context, culture, and diversity of the sampling
location and free from bias
 Provides precise and concise usage instructions for the instrument
Different Types of Data Gathering Procedure

1. Observation

The use of observation techniques allows a researcher to collect data directly

from the subjects of the programs, processes, or behaviors they are
examining. This research technique involves the investigator carefully
seeing, hearing, and recording the subject of interest. In addition to
'watching,' observation also includes the investigator directly receiving
information through their senses, typically their sight and hearing. It is the
most fundamental and basic instrument used in all learning and research
endeavors, whether quantitative and qualitative. The information to be
gathered during observation includes body language, facial expressions,
behavior, other non-verbal expressions of meanings, movements, etc. The
observation method gives researchers and evaluators the chance to gather
information on a variety of behaviors, to record a wide range of interactions,
and to candidly explore research/evaluation topics.

Types of Observation

Participant observation is when the researcher participates in the group's

activities in the same manner as the participants, whether or not they are
aware that you are watching. You might wish to take a look at how people
react to persons in wheelchairs generally as an example. Putting oneself in a
wheelchair allows you to watch how they react. As an alternative, you can
decide to play the part of a prisoner while learning about prison life.

Non- participant observation, on the other side, is when you, as a

researcher, choose to abstain from taking part in the group's activities in
favor of functioning as a passive observer who documents and examines the
group's behavior before drawing conclusions. You might wish to look into
what hospital nurses are responsible for, for instance. You might watch,
follow, and record the events as they go on as an observer. Numerous
observations could lead to conclusions about the functions nurses do in
hospitals. Any occupational group in any setting can be observed in the
same way.

Situations in which observations can be made

Observations can be made under two conditions:

1. natural;
2. controlled.

Observing a group in its natural setting without getting involved in its

activities is known as observation under natural circumstances. Controlled
observation is the process of presenting a stimulus to a group and watching
how they respond.
2. Interview

It is designed to provide the respondent the freedom to express their

narrative anyway they like. Furthermore, it enables a thorough investigation
of the subject. Beginning with the premise that the participants' viewpoints
matter, are knowable, and can be made explicit (clear, precise), and that
their perspectives have an impact on the outcome of the research or project,
the interview is used as a method for gathering data. The level of formality in
interviews can vary from very formal to utterly informal. The four primary
interview types are structured interviews, non-directive interviews,
unstructured interviews, and the focus interviews.

Structured Interviews
The structured interviews are formal because each interviewee is given a set
of questions, referred to as an interview questionnaire, and their responses
are recorded in accordance with a predetermined schedule. It is therefore
acceptable as a closed interview setting. In a structured interview, the
interviewer adheres to a predetermined format and, in general, keeps the
questions as close to the order listed on the interview questionnaire as
possible while posing them in a formal manner. To create connections with
interviewees, interviewers must constantly make sure that the interview
environment is comfortable.

Unstructured Interview
Unstructured interviews are less formal and may include a set of questions,
but the interviewer is free to change the questions' order and language as
the conversation progresses. Prudence must be exercised by the researcher
in order to stay on topic. Usually, there is calmness in the air. Due to the
increased flexibility and freedom, this contact occurs in what is referred to
as an "opened setting."

Non-Directive Interview
The non-directive interview, also known as the unguided interview, provides
the responder an excessive amount of freedom to express her or his ideas
anyway she or he wishes or is able. In this format, there are no
predetermined questions. It is the most suitable style of interview to utilize
when looking into topics where the respondent must be allowed to talk
uninterrupted on a very broad subject that may subconsciously reveal
personal motives, feelings, views, etc.

Focus Interview
The purpose of a focus interview is to elicit more information by focusing, as
the name implies, on the respondent's personal opinions and experiences.
Through the use of verbal cues that act as a stimulant to encourage
respondents to offer more information about the issue, researchers can
increase interviewer control in non-directive interviews using this technique.
The researcher can hum in approval as the tale develops or provide a
thought-provoking query to help the conversation move along.
3. Questionnaire

A written list of questions is referred to as a questionnaire, and responders

fill it out and record their responses. Respondents read a questionnaire,
deduce the expected answers, and then type their responses. The only
distinction between an interview schedule and a questionnaire is that in the
former, the interviewer is the one who poses the inquiries (and, if necessary,
clarifies them) and records the respondents' responses on an interview
schedule, whereas in the latter, the respondents themselves are responsible
for recording their own responses.

Types of Questionnaire

Questionnaires may be designed as

 Structured or closed form
 Unstructured or open-ended form

Structured questionnaire
This is a type of questionnaire in which the answer is given some sort of
control or direction. Given that the questions are brief and only ask for a
"yes" or "no" answer or for the respondent to check a response from a list,
this can be referred to as closed form. Dichotomous questions are
questions that can only have a yes or no response. The respondent may also
choose the response that is closest to their own opinion from a list of
multiple-choice answers. Only the alternatives shown to the respondent are
available to them.

Unstructured questionnaire
This kind of inquiry, often known as an open-ended or uncontrolled type,
requests a free response in the respondent's own words. The question posed
in the questionnaire is framed by the respondent, who also provides the
response. It also includes questions that allow the respondent to choose
from a range of possibilities and express their ideas. Respondents are
frequently given spaces to offer their opinions.

Researchers need to consider two important procedures at the outset of

constructing a questionnaire. These are planning and piloting.

Planning
During planning, it is important to:
 enumerate the areas of interest in regard to the study's objectives.
 assemble pertinent, tried-and-true test questions and scales.
 Describe additional components and answer types that need to be
created.

Piloting
Depending on the complexity of the items, the created questionnaire should
be pretested on a sample of between 30 and 50 people.
The pilot study/pretest needs to address the following concerns.
• Does each question actually measure the thing it claims to?
• Do all responders understand the language used?
• Do all respondents to self-administered surveys understand the
instructions?
• Is there a suitable response for each respondent for closed questions?
• Are there any questions that are routinely overlooked or answered in a way
that is difficult to understand?
• Do the replies imply that the researcher addressed all pertinent questions
in the survey?

Question items, batteries and scales

Single item questions

The idea of interest is measured with a single question in single item
measures. Single-item questions can only partially reflect the topic of
interest, making them unreliable indicators of attitudes or behaviors. Other
variables, such as the wording of the question, the social desirability bias,
and interviewer bias, can also influence responses and cause measurement
error.

Batteries
Batteries of questions are a collection of distinct, independent inquiries that
all focus on the same relevant variable. Each thing is examined and given
separately, not as a whole.

Likert scale
The most common type of attitude measurement scale is a likert scale. It
includes a number of "opinion" statements regarding a subject. The degree
to which a person agrees or disagrees with each assertion, typically on a
five-point scale, is referred to as attitude. High numbers are typically taken
to indicate positive evaluation. When it is necessary, scoring is inverted. The
responses add up to the overall attitude score.

Formulating effective questions

Questions' language and tone matter since they have a big impact on the
information's content and quality. Therefore, it's crucial to be careful with
how you word your inquiries.
You should keep the following things in mind when creating questions:

• Always use straightforward, commonplace language. Your respondents

might not have advanced degrees, and even if they do, they might not be
familiar with some of the "basic" technical terms you are used to. Be extra
careful while creating a questionnaire to utilize language that your
respondents will understand because you won't have the chance to clarify
the questions to them. You should be able to tell from a pre-test what your
responders understand and don't understand.
• Avoid asking vague queries. A question that has multiple meanings and
can be understood differently by various respondents is said to be
ambiguous. Different answers will arise from this, making it challenging or
perhaps impossible to make any reliable inferences from the data.

• Avoid using two-part or double-barrelled questions. A question within a

question is known as a double-barrelled question. The fundamental issue
with these questions is that it is impossible to tell which specific question a
respondent has answered. Some responders might react to both sections of
the question, while others might only respond to one.

• Avoid posing leading questions. A leading question is one that influences

the respondent's response by way of its substance, structure, or language.
These judgmental questions prompt either good or negative responses from
the responders. The idea that there is a "correct" response can "push"
someone to give a response that is at odds with their actual beliefs.

• Avoid formulating assumptions in your queries. In these kind of

inquiries, the researcher makes the presumption that respondents fall into a
specific category and looks for information based on that premise. It is
crucial to first determine whether a respondent falls into the category you
are interested in.

4. Focus Group
In a focus group, a moderator or facilitator (working for the researcher)
guides a discussion with a small group of people (such as students,
instructors, or teenagers) to thoroughly analyze how the group members feel
and think about a subject. Because the moderator keeps the group
members concentrated on the subject at hand, it is dubbed a "focus group."
Through the use of open-ended questions, the moderator stimulates group
conversation and facilitates the group process. Focus groups are utilized to
gather qualitative information that is expressed in the group members' own
words. Focus groups can serve a variety of functions. Seven of the various
uses are listed here.
Focus groups can serve a variety of functions. Stewart, Shamdasani, and
Rook (2009) listed a plethora of purposes for focus groups, and these are
just seven of them:
1. having broad background knowledge on a subject of interest;
2. the creation of research hypotheses that may be tested and refined using
more quantitative methods;
3. stimulating original thought and imaginative concepts;
4. identifying possible issues with a new system, service, or item;
5. creating impressions of goods, services, institutions, or other interesting
things;
6. the ability to construct questionnaires, survey tools, or other research
tools that could be used in more quantitative study by understanding how
respondents communicate about the subject of interest; and
7. interpreting quantitative results that have already been achieved
5. Document Review

Although reading is more often associated with literature reviews, it can also
be used to study both public and private documents, including letters,
biographies, newspapers, and meeting minutes. This allows the researcher
to learn the language and words of informants who might not be alive at the
time of the research. This method has a restriction in that the documents
might be classified as national security materials or confidential documents,
making it impossible for researchers to obtain them. The researcher and the
informant can both study letters and diaries as it suits them.

Collecting data using secondary sources

We've talked about the main methods for gathering data up to this point,
where the necessary information was gathered by you or someone else for
the particular goal you have in mind. In certain cases, you merely need to
extract the necessary information for your study from data that has already
been gathered by someone else. Secondary sources are a common form of
data collecting in both qualitative and quantitative research investigations.
In quantitative research, the information gathered is typically categorical or
numerical, but in qualitative research you typically extract descriptive
(historical and current) and narrative information.

Some of the numerous secondary sources are presented in the section

below, which is divided into categories:

• Publications from the government or semi-government - There are

numerous government and semi-government agencies that regularly gather
data in a range of fields and publish it for use by the general public and
interest groups. The census, vital statistics records, labor force surveys,
health reports, economic forecasts, and demographic data are a few typical
examples.
• Previous research - For some issues, a sizable number of research studies
conducted by others in the past may be able to give you the necessary
information.
• Personal records - Some individuals keep historical and personal records
(such as diaries), which may provide the data you require.
• Mass media - Articles in magazines, newspapers, the internet, and other
media may contain reports that are reliable sources of information.
REFERENCES
Kumar, R. (2011). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners
(3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kebede, Y., Andargie, G., Feleke, A. and Awoke, T. (2015). Module on
Research Methods. University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health
Sciences Institute of Public Health.
Annum, G. (2017). Research instruments for data collection
Delgado, A. (2022). Methods, instruments and data collection.
https://doi.org/10.3916/escuela-de-autores-174

Prepared by:
Bangan, Leonard
Calumpit, Eliza
Datul, Camilla
Gumaru, Emalyn
Pauig, Joylyn
Rodriguez, Khrystyn
Romiro, Lizel