methods of data gathering

• existing data. already available in existing records or documents
• existing data

  • raw - hospital records, patients charts, physician's order sheets, care plans
• existing data.

  • tabular or secondary. data gathered from previous studies
• original data. data that are yet to be gathered from subject using varied tools and instruments for collection
• self-report. to give detail about something on yourself
• self-report. any method which involves asking participants about their feelings, attitudes, beliefs
• qualitative self-report techniques

  • structured - used when the researchers already have a preconceived view of the flow or content of information to be gathered
• qualitative self-report techniques

  • structured - interview starts with a prepared or borrowed series of questions
• qualitative self-report techniques

  • unstructured - used when the researchers do not have preconceived view of the flow or content of information to be gathered
• qualitative self-report techniques

  • unstructured - interview starts with no prepared series of questions
• qualitative self-report techniques

  • semi-structured - used when the researchers knows what to ask but cannot predict what the answers will be
• qualitative self-report techniques

  • semi-structured - interviewer prepares in advance a written topic guide or used an aide memoire
• types of self-report techniques

  • focus group discussion - a group of people who don't know each other is assembled for the discussion
• types of self-report techniques

  • focus group discussion - there is a moderator who guides the discussion according to a set of questions or topics to be covered
• types of self-report techniques

  • focus group discussion - optimal group size is 6 to 12
• types of self-report techniques

  • joint interviews - the participants know each other
• types of self-report techniques

  • joint interviews - optimal size is 2 to 3
• types of self-report techniques

  • life histories - narrative self-disclosure of individual life experiences
• types of self-report techniques

  • life histories - suitable for ethnographic studies
• types of self-report techniques

  • oral histories - more theme-specific than individual life experiences
• types of self-report techniques

  • diaries and journals - participants will write down experiences, thoughts, and feelings
• quantitative self-report instruments

  • interview schedule - face-to-face or telephone interview
• quantitative self-report instruments

  • questionnaire - the respondents answered the instruments by themselves
• quantitative self-report instruments

  • questionnaire - usually a paper-pen format
• types of structured questions

  • open-ended - allow the respondents to respond in their own words
• types of structured questions

  • open-ended - narrative fashion
• types of structured questions

  • close-ended - offer the respondents appropriate choices from which they must choose the one that most closely match the appropriate answer
• a questionnaire is a printed form containing questions to be asked and instructions and provisions for answers
• a questionnaire is standardized if an accredited research agency did its design and structure
• parts of questionnaire

  • instructions - clarify to the respondents how and what to do with the questionnaire
• parts of questionnaire

  • instructions - found at the topmost part of the form
• parts of questionnaire

  • classification - describes the respondents by certain physical, social, economic, and other traits that relate to the subject of the research
• parts of questionnaire

  • information - make up the body or the majority of the questionnaire
• parts of questionnaire

  • information - answers to the questions
• parts of questionnaire

  • request for cooperation - expression of gratitude to the respondents
• validity refers to the extent to which a measurement does what it is supposed to do--to measure what it intend to measure
• validity refers to the degree of appropriateness, correctness, truthfulness, and accuracy of the study
• reliability refers to the consistency, stability, and dependability of the data
• content validity refers to the degree of which the question items represent the scope or universe of the trait or characteristic measured by the researcher
• construct validity shows the degree of relationship between the measure and the construct being measured