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Notes - Data Collection and Analysis

Data collection and analysis is an important skill that involves gathering raw data from various sources, cleaning the data by identifying errors, and analyzing the data to discover useful insights. Common data collection methods include surveys, interviews, observation, and reviewing books and online sources, with each method having strengths and weaknesses. Once collected, the data undergoes cleaning and exploratory analysis before more rigorous analysis using techniques to reduce, categorize, and interpret the data while avoiding cognitive biases. The overall goal is to convert raw data into meaningful information that can inform decisions.

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Ivy Muñoz
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155 views

Notes - Data Collection and Analysis

Data collection and analysis is an important skill that involves gathering raw data from various sources, cleaning the data by identifying errors, and analyzing the data to discover useful insights. Common data collection methods include surveys, interviews, observation, and reviewing books and online sources, with each method having strengths and weaknesses. Once collected, the data undergoes cleaning and exploratory analysis before more rigorous analysis using techniques to reduce, categorize, and interpret the data while avoiding cognitive biases. The overall goal is to convert raw data into meaningful information that can inform decisions.

Uploaded by

Ivy Muñoz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Data Collection and Analysis

Collecting data- is a necessary skill for any individual since data is used in a variety of situations, such as writing
up research reports in school, finding a specific item or getting necessary information for a job.

Sources of Data

Computer and Internet- It can collect a wide range of data in a short period of time.

Weakness of internet- inaccurate information or inappropriate websites for the necessary information and
finding legitimate websites takes time

Surveys- these are excellent data collection tool that requires information from a large number of people.

Interview- is a data collection method that is used to gain information about a specific subject. Interviews are
commonly given to experts in a specific field and these are commonly used to gain first -hand information about
a specific story.

Observation- This is first -hand data rather than second-hand data from another source. Observation data
collection includes specific items that are measured, seen or that others can reproduce.

Books – are primary tool for data collection. The weaknesses with collecting data from a book is locating the
necessary data and time constraints.

Group interviews can be classified into two types:

1. Focus groups – participants are selected by the researcher according to the specific sampling criteria.

2. Natural groups – participants belong to a group that exists independently of the study.

There are two kinds of observation:


1. Observation Checklist – quantitative in nature, and make use of ratings or numerical rankings.
2. Observation Guide – more qualitative, and allow more general descriptive documents.

Data Analysis

Analysis refers to breaking a whole into its separate components for individual examination.
Data analysis is a process for obtaining raw data and converting it into information useful for decision-
making by users.
Data is collected and analyzed to answer questions, test hypotheses or disprove theories
3 Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of
discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making.
Data cleaning is the process of preventing and correcting these errors. Common tasks include record matching,
identifying inaccuracy of data, overall quality of existing data, deduplication, and column segmentation.
Exploratory data analysis
Once the data is cleaned, it can be analyzed. Analysts may apply a variety of techniques referred to as
exploratory data analysis to begin understanding the messages contained in the data.
Barriers to effective analysis
Confusing fact and opinion- You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts
Cognitive biases- there are a variety of cognitive biases that can adversely affect analysis. For example,
confirmation bias is the tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one's
preconceptions.
Stages in the Analysis of Qualitative Data
Stage 1: Immersion - The researcher intensively reads or listens to material, assimilating as much of the
explicit and implicit meaning as possible
Stage 2: Categorization - Systematically working through the data, assigning coding categories or
identifying meanings within the various segments / units of the ’text’
Stage 3: Reduction - questioning or interrogating the meanings or categories that have been developed? Are
there other ways of looking at the data? Do some codes mean the same thing? Stage 4: Triangulation -
sorting through the categories. Deciding which categories are recurring and central and which are less
significant or are invalid or mistaken
Stage 5: Interpretation - making sense of the data from a wider perspective. Constructing a model or using
an established theory to explicate the findings of the study

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