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Gathering Information Using Surveys, Experiments or Observations

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32 views18 pages

Gathering Information Using Surveys, Experiments or Observations

Uploaded by

sarahjane.pacot
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GATHERING

INFORMATION
USING
SURVEYS,
EXPERIMENTS
OR
OBSERVATION
survey collecting
information
about a group of
people by asking
them questions
and analyzing
the results.
experiment or observation
• a procedure carried out to support or refute a
hypothesis. Experiments provide insight into
cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome
occurs when a particular factor is manipulated.
• observation is the active acquisition of
information from primary source. In living being,
observation employs the senses. The term may
also refer to any data collected during the
scientific activity.
To conduct an effective survey,
follow these six steps:
1. Determine who will participate in the
survey;
2. Decide the type of survey
(mail, online, or in-person);
3. Design the survey questions and layout;
4. Distribute the survey;
5. Analyze the responses;
6. Write up the results.
Two types of survey:

1. Questionnaire. A questionnaire,
where a list of questions is distributed by
mail, online, or in-person, and
respondents fill it out themselves.
2. Interview. An interview, where the
researcher asks a set of questions by
phone or in person and records the
responses.
Developing the Questionnaire
Format
Part 1: General Instructions
The purpose of the general instructions is to
help the person completing the
questionnaire have a general understanding
of the purpose of the research study,
provide a general orientation of the topic of
the questionnaire, and describe informed
consent.
• Part of the general instructions also includes
the title of the questionnaire. Just as the
directions should not lead participants to a
desired response, the title also should not
bias participants. Again, it is better to keep
the questionnaire title as general as
possible.
the general instructions need to include
the following:
• Introduction of researcher
• Purpose of the questionnaire- You only
have to describe the purpose of the
questionnaire, not necessarily the purpose of
the entire study. In general, keep this
purpose statement as general as possible.
• Confidentiality Statement- One ethical
consideration of research is that participants'
responses are confidential, and participants
need to know this.
• Voluntary participation- Another ethical
consideration of research is that
participants are not forced to engage in the
research study.
• How to submit the questionnaire. If the
researcher will not be present the entire
time that the participant will be completing
the questionnaire, tell them how to return
the questionnaire to the researcher.
Part 2: Personal Information
Part 3: Body
Specific Instructions
• Directions are required every time that participants
switch how they respond.
• For example, the first 20 questions may use Strongly
Agree, Agree, etc.
• The next 10 questions may use Very important,
somewhat important, etc. These two sets of items
require separate directions.

These directions should include the following:


1. General directions for responding.
-Participants need a general idea of what to expect for
the items that they will soon be responding to. Write a
statement or two to prime them for what to expect in the
subsequent items. For example, I included the following
statement in the questionnaire about teachers' beliefs of
literacy development: The following items describe
statements about children learning how to read.
2. How to respond.
Should participants circle their responses, tick their
agreement, pick two or three out of a list that represents
them, etc.?
3. Explain the response categories.
Not many people who will be completing your
questionnaire will have taken a research methods
course. Therefore, your participants will not
understand what SA stands for. What would the
ordinary person think when they see these letters?
These response categories must be clearly labeled
before the participant has to respond.
Data gathering methods:
Review of
project Interview with Focused group
documents, beneficiaries discussion
e.g POWs,

Project site Community


visits Assembly

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