Data Collection

and Analysis

Tools

Definition

• Data- refers to groups of information that represent

the qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables

Definition

• Data Collection and Analysis

- Data are collected, created, and kept for the purpose of analysis

- Without analysis, it’s just a bunch of bits

Qualitative Research

explores attitudes, behaviour and experiences

Examples:

•Case Studies

•Interviews

•Surveys

•Content Analysis

•FGDs

Quantitative Research

• Information that can be expressed in numerical terms, counted, or compared on a scale

• can be analysed using statistical methods, and results can be displayed using tables, charts, histograms and graphs

• Experiments• Questionnaires

• Surveys• Content Analysis

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS TOOLS

Data Collection Tools

• Online Surveys/Questionnaire Tools

• http://www.surveymonkey.com

• http://www.surveygizmo.com

• http://www.zoomerang.com

• Google Docs

Data Collection Tools

• Swivel

Swivel is a website where people share reports of charts and numbers.

http://www.swivel.com/http://www.gapminder.org/for-teachers/http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes

Data Collection Tools

• Google Trends

- shows how often a particular search-term is entered relative to the total search-volume across various regions of the world, and in various languages.

Data Collection and Analysis Tools• ExcelUse graphs to demonstrate comparisonsProgress tracking charts are easy, visual

and can be colorful and eye-catchingDescriptive, time-sequence, process,

cause-effect, and other patterns can be seen using Excel features.

Tools

• Excel

Descriptive Statistics- mean, median, mode, standard deviation, standard error, confidence interval

Graphing data- scatter graphs, bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts

Excel

Association statistics

- Pearson coefficient, Spearman coefficient linear regression

Comparative statistics- paired and unpaired t-test, Mann-Whitney U-

test, ANOVA

Frequency statistics-χ2-test

χ2-test of association

Tools• Winstat

- WinSTAT is the statistics Add-In for Microsoft Excel

http://www.winstat.com/english/download/download.htm

• http://statpages.org

• http://www.mathtools.net/Excel/Statistics/index.html

• http://www.xlstat.com/

Tools

• Open Stat

- a free software package for performing statistical analyses. It is relatively simple to use and you can paste in data from Microsoft Excel. It supports a variety of simple to complex analysis procedures (Frequencies, T-Test, ANOVA, Multiple Regression, Factor Analysis, etc).

Tools

• http://www.chartle.net/

• http://www.lovelycharts.com/

• http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx

Others

• www.scirus.com• Google Scholar – A search engine for

scholarly (research) papers.

• Research Methods Knowledge Base – A web-based textbook that introduces the user to many

aspects of social research methods: forming research questions, sampling, measurement, research design, data analysis, validity, reliability, ethics, etc.

• http://www.statsoft.com/textbook/

Data Collection Tools

• VistaMetrix– VistaMetrix provides an easy way to extract

useful numbers from graphical images, especially when the data used to produce an image is unavailable.

– This includes graphs, maps, or other images that might be scanned, downloaded from the Internet, or captured as digital photographs or video files.

Data Collection Tools

• What can you do with VistaMetrix?1) Extract values from continuous or discrete graphs. It

handles multiple data sets and graphs that have been tilted due to scanning.

2) Measure distance and area on multiple, curved paths. Along these paths you can place annotated markers that show intermediate distances.

3) Measure angles and straight-line distances.

4) Record the color values at multiple points in the image.

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Data Analysis Tools

• MATLAB– Allows matrix manipulations, plotting

of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user interfaces, and interfacing with programs written in other languages, including C, C++, and Fortran.

– MATLAB language

Data Analysis Tools

• GNU Octave– A high-level language, primarily intended

for numerical computations. It provides a convenient command line interface for solving linear and nonlinear problems numerically, and for performing other numerical experiments

– Octave Language

Data Collection Tool

• ROOT

• PAW

• StatSoft

• Scilab

Data Collection Tool

• SPSS– a computer program used for statistical

analysis in social science. – It is used by market researchers, health

researchers, survey companies, government, education researchers, marketing organizations and others.

Data Collection Tool

• SPSS– Statistics included in the base software:

• Descriptive statistics: Cross tabulation, Frequencies, Descriptives, Explore, Descriptive Ratio Statistics

• Bivariate statistics: Means, t- test, ANOVA, Correlation (bivariate, partial, distances), Nonparametric tests

• Prediction for numerical outcomes: Linear regression• Prediction for identifying groups: Factor analysis, cluster

analysis

Advantages

• Capability for understanding dynamic developments in a program as it evolves

• Awareness of time and history• Availability of software for particular set of

data• Programs can cope with both multiple

codes and over-lapping codes which would be very difficult for the researcher to cope with without the aid of a computer.

Advantages

• Some software can conduct multiple searches in which more than one code is searched much more quickly and efficiently than by the researcher.

• Programs can pick out instances of pre-defined categories which have been missed by the researcher during the initial analysis.

• Computers can be used to help the researcher overcome ‘analysis block’.

Disadvantages

• Software can only support the intellectual processes of the researcher – they cannot be a substitute for these processes.

• The software might be beyond an individual’s budget.

• User-error can lead to undetected mistakes or misleading results.

• Using computers can lead to an over-emphasis on mechanical procedures

• Abundance of codes to memorize