DATA COLLECTION

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 1

What is a data?
• Data are facts, figures and other relevant materials, past and present
serving as basis for study and analysis. Data collection task begins
after a research problem has been defined and research design/ plan
chalked out. Data collection is one of the important step in the
research process. The validity of the research depends upon the
accuracy of the data collected.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 2

Classification of Data
• Data is classified into:
• Qualitative: It describes the quality of something or
someone. It is descriptive information. For example,
the skin color, eye color, hair texture, etc. gives us
the qualitative information about a person.
• Quantitative: It provides numerical information.
Example, the height and weight of a person.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 3

Research Data Lifecycle:

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What is Data Collection?
• Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information
on variables of interest, in an established systematic fashion that
enables one to answer stated research questions, test hypotheses, and
evaluate outcomes.

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Data Collection

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Types/ Methods/ Sources of Data Collection:

Sources of Data
Collection

Primary Secondary
Sources of Data Sources of Data
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Primary Sources of Data: Are those which are collected
afresh and for the first time and thus happens to be original in character.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 8

Observation Method
Observation is way of
gathering data by watching
behavior, events, or noting
physical characteristics in
their natural setting.
Observations can be overt
(everyone knows they are
being observed) or covert (no
one knows they are being
observed and the observer is
concealed).

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 9

When to use observation?
• Observation is appropriate method of data collection when you want to
study culture, an ongoing process, behavior of an individual etc.
• It is also appropriate method of data collection when full and accurate
information cannot be obtained through questionnaire because either
the respondents are not cooperative or are not aware of the answer.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 10

Types of Observation in research

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 11

Naturalistic
observation
Naturalistic
observation is a
method that involves
observing subjects in
their natural
environment. The goal
is to look at behavior
in a natural setting
without intervention.

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Participant
observation
Participant observation
(PO) is a research
methodology where the
researcher is immersed in
the day-to-day activities
of the participants. The
objective is usually to
record conduct under the
widest range of possible
settings.

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Systematic
observation
Systematic
observation typically
involves specification of the
exact actions, attributes, or
other variables that are to
be recorded and precisely
how they are to be
recorded. The intent is to
ensure that, under the same
or similar circumstances, all
observers will obtain the
same results.

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Covert Observation
Covert participant
observation is a method
in social science
research. Participant
observation involves a
researcher joining the
group they are studying,
and in the case of covert
observation, the
researcher's status is not
made known to the
group.

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Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 19
Overt observation
Overt observation
is where those being
observed are aware of the
fact. The researcher may
still participate in the
activity being observed
(overt participant
observation) or might
play no part and simply
observe (overt non-
participant observation).

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 20

Quantitively V/s Qualitative Observation
• Quantitative observations involve measuring or
counting something and expressing the result in
numerical form, while qualitative observations involve
describing something in non-numerical terms, such as
its appearance, texture, or color.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 21

Case Study
• A case study is an in-depth, detailed examination of a particular case
within a real-world context. For example, case studies in medicine
may focus on an individual patient or ailment.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 22

Archival Research
• Archival research is research involving primary sources held in an
archives, a Special Collections library, or other repository. Archival
sources can be manuscripts, documents, records (including electronic
records), objects, sound and audiovisual materials, or other materials.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 23

Merits and Demerits of Observation
Method:
Merits Demerits

• Directness • Lack of control

• Natural Environment • Difficulty in quantification
• Longitudinal analysis • Smallness in sample size
• Non-verbal behavior • No opportunity to learn past

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 Questionnaire

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 25

What is a questionnaire
• A questionnaire is a research tool consisting of a set of questions or
other ‘prompts’ to collect data from a set of respondents. It consists of
a number of questions printed or typed in definite order on a form or
set of forms
• When used in most research, a questionnaire will consist of a number
of types of questions (primarily open-ended and closed) in order to
gain both quantitative data that can be analyzed to draw conclusions,
and qualitative data to provide longer, more specific explanations.

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Qualities of a good Questionnaire
• Brief and Limited Questions
• Sensitive and Compassionate
• Elegant appearance
• Objective Based Questions
• Short/clear reference periods
• Leading question Should be avoided
• Simple language
• Sequence of question should be maintained
• Definition should be maintained
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Designing a questionnaire
• The written questionnaire is the heart and soul of any survey research
project. Whether you conduct your survey using an online
questionnaire, in person, by email or over the phone, the way you
design your questionnaire plays a critical role in shaping the quality of
the data and insights that you’ll get from your target audience.

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Steps in designing the Questionnaire

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Methods of Administrating an Questionnaire
RESEARCHER-ADMINISTERED
SELF-ADMINISTERED METHOD METHOD
• This method involves the delivery of a • This method requires the researcher to
questionnaire via a paper document or actively deliver the questions to the
an online form. Participants can fill participant in person or via online chat
out a paper document in person or phone call. When a researcher
without any guidance and turn in the administers a questionnaire, they can
results immediately or mail in the ensure the participants accurately
results after completing the document represent their target audience. The
at home. Alternatively, they may fill researcher can also achieve higher
out the questionnaire online or email response rates and get clarification for
the results to the researcher. Self- any unclear answers that participants
administered questionnaires provide provide. Despite its benefits, the
anonymity, are cost-effective and researcher-administered method is
allow participants to answer questions more costly to use and it may lead to
at their own pace. biased answers due to the lack of
anonymity

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 30

Methods of Administrating an Questionnaire:

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Questionnaire types:

Semi-
Structured Unstructured
Structured

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Type of Questionnaire to be used depends
on?
• The nature of information sought
• The number of people who will be interviewed
• The nature of the respondents
• The type of interviewers who will be administering the
questions

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Type of Question:
• Primary and Secondary Questions
• Padding Questions
• Probe Questions
• Open-Ended Questions
• Close-Ended Questions
• Multiple-Choice Questions
• Dichotomous Questions
• Checklist
• Scaling Questions
• Likert Scale
• Semantic Differential Scale
• Numerical Rating Scale
• Ranking Questions

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 34

Primary and Secondary Questions
• Primary Questions: Elicit information directly related to the research
topic. Each question provides information directly related to the
research topic.
• For Example: Who takes the decisions in your family?
• Secondary Questions: elicit information, which do not relate directly
to the topic, the information is of secondary importance. They only
guard the truthfulness of the respondents.
• For Example: Who decides the type of gift to be given in a
relatives marriage?

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 35

Padding and Probe Questions
• The padding questions acts as a breather and is usually placed before
or after the sensitive questions
• Probe questions only expand information given by the respondents.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 36

Open Ended
Questions:
Open-ended questions
are questions that cannot be
answered with a simple 'yes'
or 'no', and instead require the
respondent to elaborate on
their points. Open-ended
questions help you see things
from a customer's perspective
as you get feedback in their
own words instead of stock
answers.
Example: 'Where do you want
to be in five years?'

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 37

Closed Ended
Questions:
Closed-ended questions
are questions that can only be
answered by selecting from a
limited number of options,
usually multiple-choice
questions with a single-word
answer ('yes' or 'no') or a
rating scale (e.g. from
strongly agree to strongly
disagree).
For Example: “Did you enjoy the
movie?”

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Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 39
Multiple-Choice
Questions
Multiple choice questions are those
questions that are posed alongside a
selection of possible answers. Typically,
three to five options are given alongside
for the respondents to choose from.
Multiple choice questions can also come in
the form of surveys, polls and quizzes.
The nature of the answer options, i.e.,
whether answers should remain single-
select or multi-select, largely depends on
the discretion of the survey maker. The
respondent then goes on to select one (or
more) options from the multiple choices.
Multiple-choice questions enjoy wide
applicability and acceptance. This popular
survey question type allows for a more
intuitive and structured survey response,
leading to easy-to-analyze data.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 40

Dichotomous
Questions

dichotomous questions
are ones that only offer
two possible answers,
which are typically
presented to survey takers
in the following format –
Yes or No, True or False,
Agree or Disagree and
Fair or Unfair.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 41

Checklist
Checklist questions
are one of the more
common survey question
types, and they are also
used heavily in data
collection forms, which
are a form of survey. And
for good reason. You can
get specific, actionable
answers to a question – if
the question is written
correctly.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 42

Likert Scale
A Likert scale is a rating scale
used to measure survey
participants' opinions, attitudes,
motivations, and more. It uses a
range of answer options ranging
from one extreme attitude to
another, sometimes including a
moderate or neutral option. The
5 point Likert scale is a rating
system that allows respondents
to express a range of opinions
with five response options –
from strong agreement to strong
disagreement, including a neutral
option.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 43

Semantic Differential
Scale
Semantic Differential
Scale is a rating scale
used to measure the
attitudes and opinions of
respondents toward an
object, person, event, or
idea. It uses a set of
bipolar adjectives, such as
"good-bad," "happy-sad,"
"strong-weak," etc.,
placed at opposite ends of
a continuum.

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 44

Numerical Rating Scale
A numeric (or numerical)
scale, also known as a
Numerical Rating Scale
(NRS), is basically any scale
that renders a quantitative
symbolization of an attribute.
This type of scale is used by
presenting the respondent with
an ordered set from which to
choose, for example, 1 to 10.

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Ranking Questions
Ranking questions are a
survey question type
aimed at getting
respondents to order a list
of answers into a ranked
order, providing
quantitative research data.
This question type allows
respondents to identify
which objects are most
and least preferred.

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Advantages V/s Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
• Inexpensive way of collecting data. • Respondents are sometimes
• Generates a large amount of data. dishonest while answering the
• Usually has an easy-to-understand and easy-to- questions.
respond design which makes it easy to understand
and respond to. • When it comes to open-end
• The responses can be easily quantified. It can also questions, it becomes difficult to
be used to compare and contrast other research. understand and interpret the
• It’s easy to analyse the results of a questionnaire. responses.
• The qualitative and quantitative data collected from
a questionnaire helps the surveyor to create new • A questionnaire isn’t a perfect tool
strategies and learn about the trends in the to know about the feelings and
audience. emotions of the respondents.
• Questionnaires often let its respondents maintain
their anonymity. • Lack of personalization demotivate
• It’s not always necessary to have a personal touch the respondents and many don’t
while getting the responses from the respondents. even respond to it.

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Questions to be avoided in the questionnaire
• Don’t write leading questions
• Bad Question: Should concerned parents use infant car seats?
• Good Question: Do you think special car seats should be required for
infant passengers?
• Avoid loaded questions
• Bad Question: Where do you enjoy drinking beer?
• By answering this question, the respondent is announcing that they drink
beer. However, many people dislike beer or will not drink alcohol and
therefore can’t answer the question truthfully.
• Good Question: Ask preliminary question on whether the respondent
drinks beer and use skip logic to let people who don’t drink beer pass
over the questions that don’t apply to them.

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• Stay away from double-barreled questions
• Bad Question: How useful will this textbook be for students and young
professionals in the field?
• Good Questions: How useful will this textbook be for students? How
useful will this textbook be for young professionals in the field?
• Absolutely do not use absolutes in questions
• Bad Question: Do you always eat breakfast? (Yes/No)
• Good Question: How many days a week do you usually eat breakfast?
(Every day/ 5-6 days/ 3-4 days/ 1-2 days/ I usually don’t eat breakfast)
• Be clear by speaking your respondent’s language
• Bad Question: Do you own a tablet PC?
• Good Question: Do you own a tablet PC? (e.g. iPad, Android tablet)
• Bad Question: What was the state of the cleanliness of the room?
• Good Question: How clean was the room?

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 SCHEDULE

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Introduction
• 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 recording the response of the respondents.
• The features of schedules are :
• 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.
• The schedule can be used in a very narrow sphere of social
research.
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Meaning:
• A Schedule is a set of questions which are answered by respondents by
but filled by the enumerators their own hand.
• The schedules are particularly used in interviewing where the
interviewer not only asks questions but also fills the answer with his
own hand.
• This method is more expensive since it involves the selection and
training of enumerators.
• This method is used by big organizations or government who have
huge funds at their disposal
• Example: Population census conducted using schedules.

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Types of Schedule:
• Rating Schedules is a schedule used to obtain opinions, preferences
etc, respondents over statements on the phenomenon studied. The
schedule consists of positive and negative statements of opinion on the
phenomenon.
• Documents Schedules are used to collect data/information from
recorded evidences and/or case histories. Here the blanks, functional
issues related blanks and the like to be filled up from records and
documents are present.
• Survey Schedules are like questionnaires.
• Observation Schedules are schedules used when observational method
of data collection is used.
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Essentials of a Good Schedule
• Content
• Language
• Reliable
• Mechanical Aspects
• Size
• Qualities to be Avoided: Long, complex, presumptuous, personal,
embarrassing, hypothetical issues, morality oriented, upsetting type
and necessary questions must be avoided.

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Procedure for Formulating a Schedule
1.Study the different aspects of the problem
2.Sub-divide the problem to get necessary information
3.Class questions
4.Serialization of Questions
5.Testing the validity of schedule
6.Division
7.Appropriate form of questions

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 INTERVIEW

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INTRODUCTION
• Interviews are a qualitative research method used to collect primary
data by asking one or more people about their opinions, experiences or
perspectives on a particular topic or subject matter.
• An interview is a question-and-answer session where one person asks
questions, and the other person answers those questions. It can be a
one-on-one, two-way conversation, or there can be more than one
interviewer and more than one participant.

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 EXPIREMENT METHOD

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INTRODUCTION
• An experimental study is a standard method of data collection
that involves the manipulation of the samples by applying some form
of treatment prior to data collection. It refers to manipulating one
variable to determine its changes on another variable. The sample
subjected to treatment is known as “experimental units.”

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What is a variable in an experiment?
• A variable is anything in an experiment that can change or vary.
• There are three types of variables:
➢Independent variable
➢Dependent variable
➢Controlled variable

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• An example of the experimental method is a public clinical trial of a
drug. For instance, to test the efficacy of a new drug effective in
treating blood pressure, one needs to perform an experimental data
collection. The new drug is given to a small number of randomly
selected volunteers who suffer from chronic high blood pressure. One
group of subjects is treated with specific doses of drugs or treatment
methods, and a control group may be given a placebo. The subjects are
monitored for a few weeks. The symptoms of disease treatment and
after-effects of the drug are observed, and the data is collected. As this
process involves modifying the subjects, it is categorized under the
experimental method.
• Another example is studying the effect of a particular fertilizer on the
plant's growth. For this purpose, a few plants are taken and subjected
to treatment with the new fertilizer. The growth of the plants is
monitored daily for a few weeks, and the data is collected.

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Characteristics of an experiment:
• Test one variable at a time
• Must be fair and unbiased
• Does not allow any outside factors to affect the final outcome
• Has repeated trials
• Validate the test (proving of hypothesis)

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 SECONDARY SOURCE
OF DATA

Data Collection Prepared by, Deepika V, Associate Professor, GIMS 65

INTRODUCTION
• Secondary data are second-hand pieces of information. These are not
gathered from the source as the primary data. The secondary data are
those that are already collected. So, these are comparatively less
reliable than the primary data. These are usually used at the time for
the inquiry is compact and the exactness of the inquiry can be settled
to an extent.
• For instance, if the department of health publishes a report regarding
the number of child fatality cases in India due to malnutrition, then the
department of child welfare can use the statistics in the report to
ascertain how many children in India do not have access to a proper
meal.

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Sources of secondary data

Published Unpublished
Data Data

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Types of secondary source of data
• Books, Magazines, and Newspapers – Newspapers, and magazines also carry
out surveys and interviews of their own on various aspects like socio-economic
conditions, crimes in the country, etc.
• Reports – Industries and trade associations also publish reports periodically which
contain data regarding trade, production, exports, imports, and the like. The
information in these reports will facilitate different types of secondary research.
• Publications by Renowned Organisations – Organisations like WHO, ICMR,
and other renowned national and international bodies carry out timely surveys and
case studies of their own which they then publish on their websites. The data and
statistics in these surveys can be accessed by almost everyone by visiting their
official website.
• Research Articles – Several websites publish research papers by scholars and
scientists from respective fields like medicine, finance, economics, etc., which act
as secondary data information.
• Government Data – Data released by the government of any country is one of the
largest sources of secondary data. Sometimes, the central or state government sets
up committees to look into some issues. These committees publish reports based
on their investigation, which function as a valuable source of secondary data.

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