CHAPTER –II

COLLECTION OF DATA

1. Frame at least four appropriate multiple choice options for the following questions
a. Which of the following is a most important when u buy a new dress?
b. How often do u use computers?
c. Which of the news paper do u read regularly?
d. Rise in the price of petrol is justified?
e. What is the monthly income of your family?

2. Frame five two way questions with yes or no?

3. Which of the following alternatives is true?

i) There are many sources of data

ii) Telephone survey is the most suitable method of collecting data when the population is literate and
spread over a large area.

iii) Data collected by investigator is called the secondary data

Vi) There is a certain bias involved in the non random selection of samples.

v) Non sampling errors can be minimized by taking large samples.

4. What do you think about the following questions? Do you find any problems with these questions?
If yes how?

i) How far do you live form the closet market?

ii)If plastic bags are only 5 percent of our garbage. Should it be banned?

iii) Would n’t you be opposed to increase in price of petrol?

iv) a)do you agree with the use of chemical fertilizer?

b) do you use fertilizers in your fields?

c) What is the yield per hector in your filed?

ans: i)This question is ambiguous. The question should be framed in such a manner that their answer are
specific and precise and if possible the possible answer for the question should also be their for example
in the given case the question should be

how far do your live from the closest marker?

a)Less than one 1km b) between 1 &2 kms c) more than 2 kms

ii) It is the leading question which gives a clue about how the respondent should answer by trying to
point out that 5% is a small percentage which can be obtained. The better way can be – do you think use
of plastic bags should be banned?(yes/no)
iii) This question comprises of two negatives which may create confusion among correspondents and it
may lead to biased response. The better question can be—

Do you think hike in petrol prices is justified?(yes/no)

iv) The sequence of the questions is not correct.the questions should start from general question and
proceed to more specific questions.This helps the respondents feel comfortable.

The correct of the above questions should be

a) What is the yield per hector in your filed?

b) do you use fertilizers in your fields?

c) do you agree with the use of chemical fertilizer?

5. you want to do a research on vegetable atta noodles among children. Design a suitable questionnaire
for collecting data.

6. In a village of 200 farmers a study was conducted to find the cropping pattern. Out of 50 farmers
surveyed. 50% grew only wheat. Identify the population and the sample here.

7. Give two examples of samples and population and variables?

8. Which of the following methods give better results and why? a) Census b) sample

Ans:-In terms of accuracy of the results census is considered a better method as it studies each and
every unit of the universe. However this method is very time consuming. Expensive and sometimes it is
not feasible to use.

Hence sampling is considered a better method due to following reasons:

i) Reduced cost: it is more economical than the census techniques as the task of collection and
analysis of data is continued only to a fraction of population
ii) Greater speed: in this method only representatives units are approached. As a result sample
investigation can be done at greater speed.
iii) Greater accuracy: when sampling is undated scientifically and carefully. It gives more
accuracy as compared to the census procedure.
iv) Greater scope: there can be investigations where highly trained investigators or specialized
equipments are needed to collect the information. In the event of limited availability of such
personnel and equipments the census investigation may become difficult to carry out. In
such cases sampling procedure is more readily adaptable than census method.
v) Administrative convenience: in case of sampling scale of operation remains at low level. So
planning organization and supervision can be conveniently managed. Which leads to
administrative convenience?

9. Which of the following errors are more serious and why? Sampling and non sampling
Ans:- non sampling errors are more serious then sampling errors because a sampling error can be
minimized by taking a larger sample. But non sampling error cannot be minimized even by taking
large sample.

10. Suppose there are 10 students in your class. You want to select three out of them. How you
select? How many samples are possible?

A:- we can select 3 children out of 10 by random sampling or non random sampling methods. And
10! 10𝑥9𝑥8𝑥7𝑥6𝑥5𝑥4𝑥3𝑥2𝑥1 𝑛!
number of possibilitilies are 10𝐶3 =. 3!7!= =5x3x8=120. 𝑛𝐶𝑟 .= 𝑟!(𝑛−𝑟)!
3𝑥2𝑥1𝑥7𝑥6𝑥5𝑥4𝑥3𝑥2𝑥1

11. Discuss how you use lottery method to choose 3 students out of 10 in your class?

A:-1. Write the names of the children in uniform slips of same size and colour.

2. Put the slips in a box and shake well and then take 3 slips out of 10.

12. Does the lottery method always gives good results why and explain?

Ans: yes lottery method always gives good results if there is no biase, and the slips are made of
identical size shape and colour.

13. Explain the procedure of selecting 3 persons out of 10 using random number tables?

14. Do samples provide better results than survey? give reason?

OTHER QUESTIONS

1. Discuss different types of data? Along with its merits and demerits?

Ans:- There are two types of collecting data.

1. Primary data
2. Secondary data
1. Primary data:- The data which is collected by the investigator for the first time for specific
purpose is called primary data.
Merits of primary data:-
 More reliable and suitable
 No need of great precautions
Demerits of primary data:-
 It requires longer time for data collection
 This requires a considerable amount of money
The following are methods of collecting primary data
a) Direct personal investigation:- Under this method ,the investigator collects data by having
direct contact with the informant and conducts on-the-spot enquiry.

Merits-

• Originality- the data collected is original in character.

• Uniformity- it provides uniformity in collection of information.
Demerits-
 • Not suitable for wide areas.
• Expensive and time consuming particularly when the field of investigation is large.

b) Indirect oral investigation:- Under this method, the investigator approach third parties, who
are in possession of information about the subject of enquiry.
Merits-
• Wide coverage- this method is suitable for large area.
• Economical- it is economical in terms of time, money and manpower.

Demerits-

• Indirect information- the result can be erroneous as its obtained from other persons , not
directly connected.
• Lack of uniformity- the information collected from different persons may not be homogeneous.

c) Information through correspondents:- Under this method, local agents or correspondents

are appointed and trained to collect information from the respondents.
Merits-
• Suitable for special purpose- this method is suitable for special purposes.
• Continuity- it is very useful for collecting regular information.
Demerits-
• Time consuming- a lot of time is consumed to collect the information.
• Lack of uniformity- information from different persons may not be homogeneous, not
comparable.
d) Telephonic interview:- Under this method, data is collected through an interview over the
telephone with the interviewer.
Merits-
• Economical- this method is cheaper as it requires less time, money and labour.
• Clarify doubts- it is possible to assist the respondent by clarifying the questions.
Demerits-
• Limited use- the disadvantage is access to people. This method is not possible for the people
who don’t have telephones.
• Visual feedback is not possible- telephonic interviews also obstruct visual reactions of
respondent.
e) Mailed questionnaire method:- Under this method, the investigator makes a questionnaire
pertaining to the field of investigation and send it to the respondents, along with a covering
letter, to collect information from them.
Merits-
• Wide coverage
• Maintains secrecy- its suitable for sensitive questions and maintains anonymity of respondent.
Demerits-
• Limited scope- this method is applicable only where the respondents are educated.
• Time consuming- its is time consuming particularly when the information is to be obtained by
post.
 f) Questionnaire filled by enumerator:- Under this method, the enumerators personally visits
informants along with a questionnaire, asks questions and note down their replies in the
questionnaire in his own language.
Merits-
• Accurate and reliable as the investigator has direct contact with the respondents.
• Useful in case of illiterate respondents unlike mailed questionnaire
Demerits-
• Costly method- its expensive as expenditure on training, remuneration etc are borne by
investigator.
• Time consuming- this method is more time consuming compared to other methods.
2. Secondary data:-The data which is not directly collected by the rather obtained from published
or unpublished sources is called secondary data.

Merits:-
• It involves less cost
• Requires less time
DeMerits:-
• Less reliable and less suitable as someone else collects and may not serve our purpose
• It should be used with greater care and precautions.
There are two methods of collecting secondary data, they are
a) Published sources:-
• Official publications of Central &State governments
• Semi-government publications
• Reports of committees & commissions
• Publications of the Research Institute
• International publications
• Private publications
• Publications of Trade associations
• Newspapers and magazines
b) Unpublished sources:- When data collected by someone is not published and is taken by
other persons for the purpose of investigation ,then such data is known as Unpublished
Secondary data.
Example: reports prepared by private investigation companies.

2.what do you mean by questionnaire and requisites of a good questionnaire?

Ans:-A questionnaire is a list of questions relating to the problem under investigation.

Requisites:-
1. Number of questions
2. Sequence of questions
3. Simple and short questions
4. Avoid personal questions
5. Avoid leading questions
6. Caste or religious questions should be avoided
 7. Pilot survey
8. Information about the questionnaire
9. Questionnaire should look attractive
10. Avoid questions requiring calculations.

3. Define pilot survey?

Ans:- It is a pre-test on a small scale before starting the main survey.It helps the investigator to
have a rough idea of the information &its suitability .To determine shortcomings or drawbacks
of the questionnaire. It also helps in assessing the suitability of questions ,clarity of instructions,
performance of enumerators and the cost & time involved in the actual survey.
4. Explain different methods of collecting primary and secondary data with merits and demerits?
Ans:-There are two methods of collecting primary and secondary data, there are
i) Census method
ii) Sample method

1) Census method:-When a statistical investigation is conducted wherein, the data is collected from
each &every element of the population. Adopted when the area of investigation is limited &an intensive
study of the population is required. It is also known as ‘Complete Enumeration’ or ‘100% Enumeration’
or ‘Complete Survey’.

Example: Demographic data on birth &death rates ,literacy, workforce ,etc.

Merits:-

 Intensive study of population.

 High degree of accuracy &suitability

 It is suitable when different items of the population are not homogeneous.

Demerits:-

 It is a very expensive method.

 More time &manpower are required.

 It cannot be applied in case of infinite population.

2)Sampling methods:- When only some representative items of a population are selected and data
collected from these items are used for the analysis .It is a part of universe or population.The first
task in selecting a sample is to identify the population and then select a representative sample .

A good sample should be smaller than the population and at much lower cost & shorter time .

Merits:-

 Reduced cost

 Greater speed
 Greater accuracy

 Greater scope

 Detailed enquiry

Demerits:-

 Difficult to achieve cent percent accuracy

 Bias in the selection of sample

 Not possible in case of heterogeneous population

The following are the different methods sampling

i)Random sampling:-In this method every item in the population has equal chances of being
included.

The following the different methods of collecting random sampling

a) Simple random sampling: - a simple random sample is one in which every item of population
has equal chance of being selected. There are two methods in simple random sample lottery
method and random numbers method.
It is one in which every item of the population has an equal chance of being selected .
Example: Lottery Method ,Use of Random number table (Tippett’s Random Number Table)
Merits Demerits
a)No personal bias a)Unsuitable for small
b)Based on probability sampling
c)Accuracy can be b)Difficult to prepare
Assessed sampling frame
d)Representative of c)Time consuming
the population

b) Systematic sampling:- Under this method ,out of the complete list of available population ,the
sample is selected by taking every nth item from the list .
It is also known as ‘Quasi-random sampling’.
MERITS DEMERITS
a)Simple &convenient a)Biased results in case
b)Less time consuming of periodic features
b)Possible only when
when complete list is there
c)Unsuitable in case of
large population .
• c) stratified sampling:- In this method ,the universe or the entire population is divided into a no.
of groups or Strata and then certain no. of items are taken from each group at random.
• MERITS DEMERITS
a)More representative a)Difficult to determine
b)Greater precision size of strata
 c)Administrative b)Requires utmost care
Convenience c)More expensive

d)cluster sampling:- Under this method ,total population is divided into some recognizable sub-
divisions ,known as clusters and then out of all the clusters ,a given no. of clusters are chosen at
random & all the items covered by the selected clusters are included in the sample .

e) multistage sampling:- This is an extension of the cluster sample ,which is carried out in multiple
stages say, two ,three or four stages .In this way ,process of division of clusters are carried out till
the sample size is reduced to a reasonable extent.

Ii)Non random sampling:- Under this method ,the selection of a sample depends on the judgement
of the investigator rather than on chance .It is not scientific .

The main method under this are

a) Judgment sampling:- Under this method ,the choice of sample items depends exclusively on the
judgment of investigator .It is also known as Purposive sampling or Deliberate sampling

MERITS DEMERITS

a)Simple and easy a)Personal prejudice

b)Proper representation b)Error of judgment

c)Avoid irrelevant items c)Not an objective

method

b)Quota sampling:- Under this method ,the items of the population are subdivided into various
groups &then a quota is fixed .But ,within the given quota ,the selection of sample units depends
upon the personal judgement of the investigator .

MERITS DEMERITS

a)Reliable results a)Personal prejudice

b)Economical b)Not possible to estimate

sample error

c) Convenience sampling:- Under this sampling ,while selecting the sample units ,the investigator
gives special attention to his convenience .It is also called Chunk.

• MERITS DEMERITS

a)Economical a)Lack of representatives

b)Easy command b)Personal prejudice

c)Suitable for c)Unsatisfactory results.

 5. Explain laws of sampling?

Ans:- THE LAW OF STATISTICAL REGULARITY

Acc. to this law ,if a random sample of adequate size is selected from a large population ,it tends to
possess the same characteristics as those of the population.

LAW OF INERTIA OF LARGE NUMBERS

Acc. to this law, the aggregates or averages obtained from a large group are more stable than that
from small group ,i.e., larger the size of the sample ,more accurate the results are likely to be .

5. Explain statistical errors?

Ans:- Statistical errors refers to differences between the collected data and the actual value of facts.

There are two types of statistical errors they are

1. sampling and non sampling errors

2.biased and unbiased errors

Sampling error refers the difference between the sample estimate and the actual value of a
characteristic of the population.

Ex:- suppose height of 5 students(inches) is 50,55,60,65,70. now the average height will be 60.if we
select sample of two students with height of 50,60inches the average height of sample wille be
55.here the sampling error of the estimate is 60-55=5.

Non sampling errors:- These errors occur in acquiring recording and tabulating the statistical
data.Non sampling errors are more serious than sampling errors because a sampling error can be
minimized by taking larger sample but non sampling error cannot be minimized. Even by taking a
larger sample

Biased errors:- An error which arises on account of some biased or imbalance on the part of the
investigator , informatory or instruments of counting measurement or experiment is called a biased
error.

Unbiased error:- An error which does not take place on an account of any biase with anybody but for a
chance or principle is called an unbiased error.such errors arise automatically without any motive.

6. Explain the functions of CSO?

• Ans:- It is the most complete &continuous demographic record of population .It is regularly
conducted every 10 years since 1881.
• The 1st census after independence was held in 1951
• The Office of the Registrar general ,Census Commissioner Of India conduct it.
• It collects info. on various aspects of the population-size ,density ,sex ratio ,literacy ,etc.
• It is a fascinating source of data to scholars in demography ,economics ,anthropology ,sociology
and many other disciplines.
• The most recent census was conducted in 2011 .

7. Explain the functions of NSSO?

• Ans:- National Sample Survey(NSS) was set up in 1950 by the recommendations of National
Income Committee .
• The basic aim of setting it up was to fill up large gaps in statistical data for computation of
national income aggregates, especially in the unorganized sector of the economy .
• It was reorganized as NSSO in March,1970 .
• It conducts nation-wide surveys on socio-economic issues .The data collected by it are released
through reports & its quarterly journal Sarvekshana .
• Carries out multiple-subject integrated socio-economic surveys .
• Undertakes field work for the Annual Survey of Industries and follow-up surveys of Economic
Census.
• Conducts sample checks on area enumeration &crop estimation surveys of State statistical
agencies.
• Collects price data from rural and urban sectors .
• Conducts ad-hoc surveys & pilot enquiries for methodological studies .