Data Collection Methods

Learning objectives
At the end of this session the student should be able to:
⚫ Describe the various data collection techniques

⚫ State the advantage and limitations of each data collection

methods
⚫ Explain the importance of combining different data
collection techniques.

2
Data collection
methods
⚫ Data-collection techniques allow us to systematically collect

information about our objects of study (people, objects,

phenomena) and about the settings in which they occur.
⚫ In the collection of data we have to be systematic. If data are

collected haphazardly, it will be difficult to answer our research

questions in a conclusive way.
⚫ Various data collection techniques can be used to get valid and

reliable information

3
Data collection….
Data collection techniques:

1. Using available information

2. Observation

3. Interviewing (face-to-face)

4. Administering written questionnaires

5. Focus group discussions

6. Projective techniques, mapping,

scaling
4
Research design….
1.Using available information (record review)
⚫ Involve use of data that has already been collected by others.

⚫ Locating the available sources and retrieving the information is a

good starting point in any data collection effort.

⚫ For example, analysis of the information routinely collected by

health facilities
useful for identifying problems in certain interventions or in
flows of drug supply, or for identifying increases in the
incidence of certain diseases.
5
1.Record review….
⚫ In order to retrieve the data from available sources, the

researcher will have to design an instrument such as a checklist

or compilation sheet.
⚫ The checklist or data extraction sheet should be designed in

such a way that the items of data can be transferred in the order
in which the items appear in the source document

6
1.Record review….
Advantage
 Inexpensive

Disadvantage
 Difficult to gain access to the records or reports required
The data may not always be complete and precise enough,
or too disorganized.

7
2.
Observation
⚫ Observation is a technique that involves systematically selecting,

watching and recording behaviour and characteristics of living

beings, objects or phenomena.
⚫ It is a much-used data collection technique to study human

behaviour . It can be undertaken in different ways:

i. Participant observation
 The observer takes part in the situation he or she observes.

ii. Non-participant observation

 The observer watches the situation, openly or concealed, but does
8 not
participate.
2.
Observation….
Advantage
⚫ More accurate on behaviour of people
information than
interviews or questionnaires
⚫ On sensitive topics such as alcohol or drug use, or stigmatizing

diseases

Disadvantage
⚫ It is time consuming that most often used in small-scale studies.

⚫ Hawthorn effect or observer bias

9
3.
Interviewing
⚫ An Interview is a data-collection technique that involves oral

questioning of respondents, either individually or as a group

⚫ Responses to the questions posed during an interview can be

recorded by writing them down or by tape-recording, or by a

combination of both.
⚫ Interviews can be conducted with varying degree of flexibility

 high degree of flexibility

 low degree of flexibility
10
3.
i. high degree of flexibility
Interviewing….
⚫ A flexible method of interviewing is useful;

 if a researcher has as yet little understanding of the problem or

situation he is investigating, or
 if the topic is sensitive

⚫ Interview guide: Unstructured or loosely structured

questions used for interviewing

 The investigator may use a list of topics rather than fixed questions.

⚫ It is frequently applied in exploratory studies. The sequence

11 of
topics should be determined by the flow of
3. Interviewing
….
ii. Low degree of flexibility
⚫ Less flexible methods of interviewing are useful

 when the researcher is relatively knowledgeable about expected

answers or
 when the number of respondents being interviewed is relatively
large.

⚫ Questionnaires may be used with a fixed list of questions in a

standard sequence, which have mainly fixed or pre-categorized

answers.
12
4. Administering written
questionnaires
⚫ Self-administered questionnaire is a data collection tool in

which written questions are presented that are to be answered by

the respondents in written form.
⚫ Ways of administering a written questionnaire:

 Sending questionnaires by mail with clear instructions on how to answer

the questions and asking for mailed responses

 Gathering all or part of the respondents in one place at one time, giving

oral or written instructions, and letting the respondents fill out the
questionnaires; or
13  Hand-delivering questionnaires to respondents and collecting them
5. Focus group discussions
(FGD)
⚫ A focus group discussion allows a group of 8 - 12 informants to

freely discuss a certain subject with the guidance of a facilitator

or reporter.
 Facilitator

 Note taker
 Set up
 Participants characteristics (composition & management)

14
6. Projective
techniques
⚫ When a researcher uses projective techniques, (s)he asks an

informant to react to some kind of visual or verbal stimulus

⚫ Another example of a projective technique is the presentation

of a hypothetical question or an incomplete sentence or

case/study to an informant (‘story with a gap’).
⚫ A researcher may ask the informant to complete in writing

sentences such as:

 If I were to discover that my neighbor had TB, I would . . .;
15  If my wife were to propose that I use condoms, I would .
6. Projective
techniques….
⚫ (s)he may ask the informant: Suppose your child suffered from

diarrhea, what would you do?

⚫ Such techniques can easily be combined with semi-
structured interviews or written questionnaires.
⚫ They are also very useful in FGDs to get people’sopinion
on sensitive issues

16
7. Mapping and
scaling
I. Mapping
⚫ It is a valuable technique for visually displaying relationships and

resources
⚫ For example, In a water supply project mapping is invaluable.

It can be used to present the placement of wells, distance of the

homes from the wells, other water systems, etc.
⚫ Mapping a community is also very useful and often indispensable

as a pre-stage to sampling.
17
7. Mapping and
scaling….
II. Scaling
⚫ Scaling is a technique that allows researchers through their

respondents to categories certain variables that they would not

be able to rank themselves.
⚫ For example, they may ask their informant(s) to bring certain

types of herbal medicine and ask them to arrange these into piles
according to their usefulness.

18
7. Mapping and
scaling….
⚫ The informants would then be asked to explain the logic of

their ranking.
⚫ Mapping and scaling may be used as participatory techniques

in rapid appraisals or situation analyses

19
Differences between data collection techniques
and data collection tools
Data collection Data collection tools
techniques
Using available Checklist; data compilation forms
information
Observation Eyes and other senses, pen/paper,
watch, scales, microscope, tape
recorder, etc.
Interviewing Interview guide,
checklist, questionnaire, tape
recorder
Administering written Questionnaire
questionnaire
Advantages and
disadvantages
Technique Advantages Disadvantages (constraints)
Using Is inexpensive, permits observation Data is not always easily accessible;
available of trends over the past ethical issues concerning
information confidentiality may arise;
information may be imprecise or
incomplete
Observation Gives more detailed & context Ethical issues concerning
related information; permits confidentiality or privacy may
collection of information on facts arise; observer bias may occur;
not mentioned in an interview; the presence of data collector can
permits tests of reliability of influence the situation observed;
responses to questionnaires thorough training of research
assistances is required

Interviewing Is suitable for use with both literates Presence of interviewer can
& illiterates; permits influence responses; reports of
clarification of questions; has events may be less complete than
higher response rate than written information gained through
questionnaires observations
Technique Advantages Disadvantages (constraints)
Small Permits collection of in-depth Interviewer may inadvertently
scale flexible information & exploration of influence the respondents; analysis
interview spontaneous remarks by of open ended data is more
respondents difficult & time-consuming
Large Is easy to analyze Important information may be
scale fixed missed b/c spontaneous
interview remarks by respondents are
usually not recorded or explored
Administerin Is less expensive; permits Cannot be used with illiterates;
g written anonymity & may result in more there is often a low rate of
questionnaire honest responses; does not response; questions may be
require research assistants; misunderstood
eliminates bias due to phrasing
questions differently with
different respondents
Participatory & Provide rich data & may have Require some extra training
projective positive spin offs for knowledge & of
methods skills by researchers and researchers
informants
Importance of combining different data collection
techniques
⚫ A skilful use of a combination of different techniques can reduce

the chance of bias

⚫ Combining different techniques will give a more comprehensive

understanding of the topic under study.

⚫ Researchers often use a combination of flexible and less flexible

research techniques (i.e Quantitative research techniques

and Qualitative research techniques)

23