Technique used to analyze primary and secondary sources that are available mostly in churches, schools, public or private offices, hospitals, and community, municipal, or city halls, among other institutions
Sometimes, data are not available or are difficult to locate in these places, and the information gathered tends to be incomplete or indefinite and inconclusive
Usually, an interview is conducted with a single person. However, there are also times when it is conducted with a group of people (around five to ten) whose opinions and experiences are elicited simultaneously. This type is called a Focus Group Discussion
Life histories are also needed in this area. These are narratives or self-disclosures about an individual's life experiences. The interviewer must guide the respondents in narrating their accounts
Can be in the form of normal conversations or a free-wheeling exchange of ideas. The researcher must be skilled in conducting the interviews so that he or she can steer the course of the conversation. The interviewer must be knowledgeable on the subject or topic of concern
The conduct of questioning follows a particular sequence and has a well-defined content. The interviewer does not ask questions that are not part of the interview schedule
There is a specific set of questions, but there are also additional probes that may be done in an open-ended or close-ended manner. The researcher can gather additional data from a respondent to add depth and significance to the findings
This process or technique enables the researcher to participate actively in the conduct of the research. The instrument used in an observation is called the observation guide or observation checklist
The researcher uses a checklist as a data collection tool. This checklist specifies expected behaviors of interest, and the researcher records the frequency of the occurrences of these behaviors
The technique applied for physiological measures involves the collection of physical data from the subjects. It is considered more accurate and objective than other data collection methods. However, skills and expertise are needed to enable the researcher to use and manipulate the measurement devices
Include personality inventories and projective techniques. Personality inventories are self-reported measures that assess the differences in personality traits, needs, or values of people. Projective techniques present the subject with a stimulus designed to be ambiguous or vague in meaning, and the person is then asked to describe the stimulus or tell what the stimulus appears to represent
The most commonly used instrument in research. It is a list of questions about a particular topic, with spaces provided for the response to each question, and intended to be answered by a number of persons
The questionnaire can be structured or unstructured. Structured questionnaires provide possible answers, and respondents just have to select from them. Unstructured questionnaires do not provide options, and the respondents are free to give whatever answer they want
The review of related literature and studies must have sufficient information and data to enable the researcher to understand thoroughly the variables being investigated in the study
The descriptive information gathered from different sources are called indicators for the specific variable, and they are used in making sure that the content of the questionnaire is valid
Numbers are assigned to names, choices, and other pertinent data. This entails knowledge of statistics on the part of the researcher, as the application of statistical formulas is necessary to arrive at the findings