Data Collection

• Types of Data:

  • Primary Data – first-hand data
  • Secondary Data – collected by someone else and has already passed statistical processes
• Observation: Attempts to understand cause and effect relationships. Executed by the observer going directly to the field to observe the surroundings to gather data
• Structured Observations – when observation is done by characterizing style of recording the observed information, standardized conditions of observation, definition of the units to be observed, selection of applicable data of observation
• Unstructured Observation – observation is done without planning before observation
• Participant Observation – the observer is part of the group in which he is observing
• Non-participant Observation – the observer is observing people without giving any notice or information to them
• Uncontrolled observation – when the observation is done in a natural setting and is done to get spontaneous results
• Controlled observation - when observation takes place in accordance to planning with experimental procedure
• Interview: An oral verbal method in which the interviewer asks questions directly to the interviewee which aims to get information relevant to the study. Can be conducted face to face or by telephone. Can be in-depth, semi-structured, unstructured, depending on the information being sought
• Survey: One of the common methods of diagnosing and solving social problems. Captures information through the input of responses to a research instrument containing questions (i.e. such as questionnaire. Information can be put either to the respondents themselves (e.g. complete online survey) or the researcher can input the data (e.g. phone survey, mall intercept)