Manoj Patel Assistant Professor

Jhunjhunwala Business School

Data Collection {Tools, Techniques, Methods}

What is DATA?

Information

Statistics

Figures

Numbers

Facts Records

What does web say about data??

a collection of facts from which conclusions may be

drawn; "statistical data”

(wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn)

The term data means groups of information that

represent the qualitative or quantitative attributes of

a variable or set of variables(en.wikipedia.org/wiki)

information; A collection of object-units that are

distinct from one another. (en.wiktionary.org/wiki/data)

Data is Information that has been organised and

categorised for a pre-determined purpose.

(news.miuegypt.edu.eg/index.php)

What does web say about data??

In computer science, data is anything in a form suitable for use with a computer. Data is often distinguished from programs. A program is a set of instructions that detail a task for the computer to perform. In this sense, data is thus everything that is not program code. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_(computing))

are the smallest units of measure. The word is technically the plural of datum but often used as a singular. Data are the components of information. They may be the 1's and 0's of computer memory, names and addresses in a demographic file, or the raw facts and figures before interpretation. (home.earthlink.net/~ddstuhlman/defin1.htm)

Types of Data

PRIMARY

Collected by researcher first hand

Demands efforts and resources

Depends upon the researcher’s ability and clarity of purpose

SECONDARY

Collected by someone else but used by researcher second hand

Cheaper and quicker

Needs lesser resources

Have to ascertain accuracy of content/time/sources/ purpose/methods/ adequacy/ credibility

Various sources/forms

Data Collection…steps

Construction of tools for data collection

Decision about techniques of data collection

Testing the tool/technique by Pilot study or Pre-testing of tool/technique

Finalization of tool/technique

Ascertaining reliability and validity of tools/techniques to be used for data collection

Actual collection of data

Data collection tools & techniques

TOOLS Questionnaire

Interview schedule

Observation schedule

Scales

Tests

Inventory, Checklist, Opinionnaire

Sociogram/Sociometry

TEHNIQUES Questioning: Written,

Oral

Interviewing: Face to face, Telephonic, Electronic/Net, Group, Video

Observation

Projective Techniques

Panel Methods (Diary, Checklist, Logs etc.)

Factors influencing decision about data collection Tool/Technique/Method

Scale and magnitude of the study

Characteristics of the respondents

Unit of inquiry and analysis

Availability of resources: Money, Time, Human, Technical, Competence

Field Conditions

Subject under study

Expected outcome

Degree of precision/reliability required

Decisions about data collection Method

Settings: Natural – Contrived/Artificial

Inquiry: Obstructive/Undisguised – Unobstructive/Disguised

Nature: Qualitative – Quantitative

Structure:

Structured – Semi structured – Unstructured

Questions: Open ended – Closed ended

Administration: Human – Mechanical

Analysis: Pre coded – Not coded

Data comes through….

Tools & Techniques

METHOD

Procedure

Framing of Questions…

Length of a question/tool

Language, Sequence, Style

Objective of asking (measuring what?)

Structural issues: Embarrassing/personalisation, Leading/Directive, Assumptions/presumptions, Hypothetical/ambiguous, median replies, Loaded/ Inbuilt coercion-forced, Double barreled, Double negatives

When you collect Data…YOU must-

Record time (time of the day/date/ month/year) when you collected it

Total time (number of days/months/ years) it took to collect it along with field note for each response

Procedure you followed to collect it Average time per respondent/unit Experiences you had collecting it

Right Question…?!

United Nations conducted a Worldwide survey. The question asked was:

"Would you please give your honest opinion about

solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world?"

The survey was a huge failure.

Africa didn't know what 'food' meant, India didn't know what 'honest' meant, Europe didn't know what 'shortage' meant, China didn't know what 'opinion' meant, the Middle East didn't know what 'solution' meant, South America didn't know what 'please' meant, And in the USA they didn't know what 'the rest of the world' meant !!

Good DATA depends upon…

Clarity of purpose/objectives of the study Appropriateness of tool/technique Sharpness of the tool and abilities of

investigator/researcher in using the techniques

Cooperation/rapport with the respondents

Decisions about utilization at analysis stage