W9

• Data collection


  The process of gathering information relevant to the questions stated under the specific problems of the study
• Purpose of data collection

  To capture evidence or raw data that will be translated for interpretation using appropriate statistical techniques
• Data collection procedures


  • Survey questionnaire
  • Focus group discussion
  • Interviews
  • Observation
  • Reading of documentary data
• Survey questionnaire


  • Most common way of gathering data by researchers
  • Employs a variety of techniques including paper and pencil survey, person to person survey through interviews, via telephone or cellphones also through interviews
  • Verbal or written consent is a must in the inclusion of the person as respondent
• Focus group discussion


  • Employed by researchers through a variety of tools, including the one-on one interviews, written surveys and polling to track respondent's opinion
  • The response in this procedure is an integral part of the gauging public perceptions
• Types of interviews


  • Structured interview
  • Unstructured interview
  • Non directive interview
  • Focus interview
• Structured interview


  • Formal interview where the questions are predetermined being known as closed interviews
  • The atmosphere is congenial to establish the interviewer-interviewee rapport
• Unstructured interview


  • Less formal because although there are prepared sets of questions the interviewer has the freedom to reword it, to freely modify the sequencing of questions
  • The atmosphere is casual, flexible and there is freedom of interaction
• Non directive interview


  • Provides freedom for the respondent to express his ideas subjectively with spontaneity
  • There are no set questions in this style
  • Appropriate when investigating issues where the respondent is allowed to talk without interruption
• Focus interview


  • Employed by researchers through a variety of tools, including the one-on-one interviews, written surveys and polling to track respondent's opinion
  • The response in this procedure is an integral part of the gauging public perceptions
• Observation


  • One of the very important data in research
  • Audio-visual in nature and technology has a great contribution to such observation
  • Includes photographs, videotapes, tape recordings, arts, objects, computer software and films
• Participant observer


  • The researcher becomes part or member of the subjects of the study concealing his identity as a researcher
• Non-participant observer


  • The researcher does not live as a member of the subjects but merely watches them as they live
  • This is sometimes not valid because the subjects will not act naturally because there is an observer while they are living on
• Reading of documentary data

  • Documents like letters, diaries, minutes of the meeting, newspapers, and others may be sources of the data for research
  • Researchers may get information for them especially when the informants are no longer alive
  • This method is different especially if the researcher has no access to these data