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7/30/2019 Grp4-ProbeInc

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Chapter 5: Data Collection Methods

Chapter 5

Data Collection Methods

Prepared by Group 4

Probe Inc.

Group 4: Probe Inc Lovina, Prachi, Karan, Vinay, Mridul, Arjun (VES College, Chembur)1

Submitted by (Group 4)

Lovina Chajjed (09)Prachi Gupte (14)Karan Marwah (22)Vinay Marwah (23)Mridul Singhvi (39)Arjun Varma (42)


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USES OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DATA

The task of data collection begins after problem has been identified.While deciding about the method of data collection to be used for the study theresearcher should keep in mind two types of data viz, primary data and secondary.The primary data are those, which are collected afresh and for first time and thushappens to be original in character.The secondary are those which have been collected by someone else and whichhave already been passed through statistical process.The researcher would have to decide which sort of data he would be using for hisstudy.The method collecting primary and secondary data differ since primary data are to

be originally collected while in case of secondary data the nature of data collectionwork is merely that of compilation.There are several ways of collecting primary data.They are:

1. Observation method2. Interview method3. Through questionnaires4. Through schedules

OTHER PRIMARY METHODSWarranty cards

Distributors auditsPantry auditsConsumer panelsUsing mechanical devicesThrough projective techniquesDepth interviewsContent analysis

COLLECTION OF SECONDARY DATASecondary data means that are already available that is they refer to the data, whichhave already been collected and analyzed by someone else. When the researcherutilizes secondary data, then he has to look into various sources from where he canobtain them. In this case he is certainly not confronted with the problems that areusually associated with the collection of original data. Secondary data may be eitherpublished or unpublished data usually published data are available in:Various publications of the central, state and local governmentVarious publications of foreign government or of international bodies and theirsubsidiary organization.Technical and trade journalsBooks magazines and newspapers

Reports publication of various associations connected with business and industry,banks, stocks exchanges etc



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Reports prepared by various scholars universities economists etc in different fieldPublic records and statistics, historical documents and other sources of publishinformation. The sources of unpublished data are many; they may be found indiaries, letters unpublished biographies and autobiographies and also may be

available with scholars research workers. Trade organization, labor bureaus andother public/private organizations

Researcher must be careful in using data .he must make a minute because it is justpossible that the secondary data may be unsuitable or maybe be inadequate in thecontext of a problem which the researcher wants to study.It is observed that it is never safe to take publishes statistics at their face valuewithout knowing their meaning and limitation.

Before using secondary data following characteristics must be kept in mind

Reliability of data: finding out such things about the said data can test the reliabilityWho collected the dataWhat were the sources of dataWere they colleted by using proper methodat what time were they collectedWas there any bias of the complierWhat level f accuracy was desiredWas it achieved?

Suitability of data: The data that are suitable for one enquiry may not necessarilybe found in another enquiry. Hence if the available data are found to be suitable,

they should not be used by the researcher .in the context, the researcher must bevery carefully scrutinize the definition of various units and terms of collection used atthe time of collecting the data from the primary source originally. similarly the objectscope and nature of a original enquiry must also be studied .if the researcher findsdifferences the data will remain unsuitable for the present enquiry and should beused.

Adequacy of the data: if the level of accuracy achieved in data found inadequatefor the purpose of the present enquiry, they will be considered as inadequate andshould not be used by the researcher. The data will also be considered inadequate,if they are related to an area which may be either narrower or wider than the area ofthe present enquiry.



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TYPES OF PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION-- OBSERVATIONS AND SURVEYS

1) OBSERVATION METHODObservation becomes a scientific tool and the method of data collection for theresearcher when it serves a formulated research purpose is systematically plannedand recorded and is subjected to checks and controls on validity and reliability.

Under the observation method the information is sought by way of investigators owndirect observation without asking from respondent

EXAMPLE

In a study relating to consumer behaviour the investigator instead of asking thebrand of wristwatch used by the respondent may himself look for the watch.

ADVANTAGES1. The method eliminates subjective bias2. The information obtained under this method relates to what is current

happening it is not complicated either by past behaviour or future intentionsand attitudes.

3. This method is independent of respondent willingness to respondents as suchis relatively less demanded of active co-operation on the part of therespondents as happens to be the case in interview or the questionnaire

method.4. This method is particularly suitable in studies, which deal with subjects who

are not capable giving verbal reports of their feeling for one reason or theother.

DISADVANTAGES

1. Its s an expensive method2. The information provided by this method is very limited.3. Sometimes unforeseen factors may interfere with the observational task.4. The fact that some people are rarely accessible to direct observation creates

obstacle for this method to collect data effectively.

2) SURVEYSSurveys are concerned with describing, recording, analyzing and interpretingconditions that exist or existed. The researcher does not manipulate the variable orarrange for events to happen Surveys are only concerned with conditions orrelationships that exist, opinions that are held, processes that are going on, effectsthat are evident or trends that are developing. They are primarily concerned with

present but at times do consider past events and influences as they relate to currentconditions.



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1. Survey type researches usually have larger samples because percentages ofresponses generally happen to be low, as low as 20 to 30%, especially inmailed questionnaire studies. Thus, the survey method gathers data relatively

from the large number of cases at a peculiar time; it is essentially cross-sectional.2. Surveys are conducted in case of descriptive research studies, usually

appropriate in case of social and behavioral sciences because many types ofbehavior that interest researcher cannot be arranged in realistic setting.

3. Surveys are example of field research and are concerned with hypothesisformulation and testing analysis of the relationship between non-manipulatedvariables.

4. Surveys may either be census or sample surveys. They may also beclassified as social surveys, economic surveys, public opinion surveys.Whatever be their type, the method of data collection happens to be either

observation or interview or questionnaire or opinionnaire or some projectivetechnique. Case method may as well be used.

5. In case of surveys, research design must be rigid, must make economicalprovision for protection against bias and must maximize reliability, the aimhappens to be to obtain complete and accurate information.

6. Possible relationships between the data and the unknowns in the universecan be studied through surveys.



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STRUCTURED Vs UNSTRUCTURED DATA COLLECTION

The data collection through questionnaires can be done through four ways asfollows;Structured disguisedStructured - nondisguisedNon-structured - disguisedNon structured - nondisguised

Note : non disguised data collection is also called as direct method & disguised isalso called as indirect method .

Structured data collection

A structured data collection is a formal list of questions framed so as to get the facts.The interviewer asks the questions strictly in accordance with pre- arranged order.For e.g. this method can be used when the information is based on the expendituresof the consumer on different types of clothing like. Cotton woolen or synthetic, etc.This structured questionnaire can be of two types, disguised and nondisguised,based on whether the object or the purpose of the survey is revealed to therespondent.

The main advantage of this method is that, the information can be collected in a

systematic and orderly manner.However when it comes to personal questions, this method seems to be lesseffective.Structured disguised: - in this case the researcher does not disclose the object of theinterview, because he feels that by revealing that the very purpose of the interviewwill get defeated.

Structured - nondisguised: - in this case the everything is pre- arranged and theresearcher reveals the objective of the survey to the respondent. This is the mostwidely followed approach in market research. This is because it is generally felt thatthe respondent should be taken into confidence, so that he can realize the relevance

and give desired information.

Non-structured data collection

It is a kind of data collection method where the data to be collected is not pre-arranged or not listed in a proper structured format. Therefore the entireresponsibility is left on the researcher to ask the respondent, in the way he feels fit.The researcher only has certain main points on which he develops the questions tobe asked. Such a method is devoid of rigidity and the researcher has sufficientamount of freedom to collect the data in the order he wants. Normally this kind of

method is used in exploratory research



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This kind of data collection is most suitable when it comes to personal ormotivational factors.

Again here there are two main types of non-structured methods of data collection.

(1) Non structured disguised: - again here the objective of interview is not describedto the respondent

(2) Non structured - non-disguised: - like in case of structured nondisguised, therespondent is taken into confidence by revealing the purpose of the survey.

CONCLUSION:The researcher should use the already viable data only when hefinds them reliable, suitable and adequate. But he should not blindly discard theuse of such data if they are readily available from authentic sources and arealso suitable and adequate for in that case it will not be economical to spend

time and energy in field surveys for collecting information. At times there maybe wealth of usable information in the already available data which must beused by an intelligent researcher but with due precaution.

Selection of appropriate methods for data collection:Nature scope and object of enquiry: this constitutes the most important factoraffecting the choice of a particular method .the method selected should be such thatit suits the type of enquiry that is to be conducted in the researcher, this factor is alsoimportant in deciding whether the data already available are to be used not yetavailable are to be collected.

Availability of funds: availability of funds for the research project determines to alarge extent the method to be used for the collection of data. When the funds at thedisposal of the researcher are very limited, he will have to select a comparativelycheaper method. Finance in fact is big constraint in practice and the researcher hasto act within this limitation

Time factor: availability of time has also to be taken into account in decidingparticular method of data collection. Some methods take relatively more timewhereas with others the data can be collected in a comparatively shorter duration.The time at the disposal of the researcher thus affects the selection of the method bywhich the data is collected.Precision required: precision required is yet another important factor to beconsidered at the time of selecting the method of collection of data.



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STEPS IN QUESTIONNAIRE CONSTRUCTION

A Questionnaire is often the heart of a survey operation. If the heart is not properlyset up then the whole operation is bound to fail. Thus studying the main objective ofthe questionnaire is important. There are two main objectives in designing aquestionnaire:

1. To maximize the proportion of subjects answering our questionnaire thatis, the response rate: To maximize our response rate, we have to considercarefully how we administer the questionnaire, establish rapport, and explain thepurpose of the survey. The length of the questionnaire should be appropriate.

2. To obtain accurate relevant information for our survey: In order to obtain

accurate relevant information, we have to give some thought to what questionswe ask, how we ask them, the order we ask them in, and the general layout ofthe questionnaire.

Thus the most important parameters in questionnaire designing can be described as:

1. Question Content2. Question Phrasing3. Question Sequencing4. Question Layout

1.Question content: For each question in the questionnaire, we should payattention to how well it addresses the content we are trying to get at.

Deciding what to ask there are three potential types of information:Information we are primarily interested in that is, dependent variables.Information which might explain the dependent variables-that is, independentvariables.Other factors related to both dependent and independent factors, which may distortthe results and have to be adjusted for - that is, confounding variables.

Thus while forming the question content the following question must be answered

appropriately.Is the Question Necessary/Useful?Examine each question to see if there is a need to ask it at all and if you need to askit at the level of detail you currently have.

Do Respondents Have the Needed Information?Look at each question to see whether the respondent is likely to have the necessaryinformation to be able to answer the question.

Does the Question Need to be More Specific?Sometimes the questions are too general and the information we obtain is more

difficult to interpret.



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Is Question Biased or Loaded?One danger in question writing is that your own biases and blind spots may affect thewording.

Will Respondents Answer Truthfully?For each question see whether the respondent will have any difficulty answering thequestion truthfully. If there is some reason why they may not, consider rewording thequestion.

2. Question phrasing:The way questions are phrased is important and there aresome general rules for constructing good questions in a questionnaire.

Use short and simple sentences

Short, simple sentences are generally less confusing and ambiguous than long,complex ones. As a rule of thumb, most sentences should contain one or twoclauses.

Ask for only one piece of information at a timeFor example, "Please rate the lecture in terms of its content and presentation" asksfor two pieces of information at the same time. It should be divided into two parts:"Please rate the lecture in terms of (a) its content, (b) its presentation."

Avoid negatives if possibleNegatives should be used only sparingly. For example, instead of asking students

whether they agree with the statement, "Small group teaching should not beabolished," the statement should be rephrased as, "Small group teaching shouldcontinue." Double negatives should always be avoided.

Ask precise questionsQuestions may be ambiguous because a word or term may have a differentmeaning.

Level of detailsIt is important to ask for the exact level of details required. On the one hand, youmight not be able to fulfill the purposes of the survey if you omit to ask essentialdetails. On the other hand, it is important to avoid unnecessary details. People areless inclined to complete long questionnaires. This is particularly important forconfidential sensitive information, such as personal financial matters or maritalrelationship issues.

Minimize biasPeople tend to answer questions in a way they perceive to be socially desired orexpected by the questioner and they often look for clues in the questions



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3. Question sequencing: In order to make the questionnaire effective and to ensurequality to the replies received, a researcher must pay attention to the question-sequence in preparing the questionnaire.

A proper question sequence reduces the chances of the questions being

misunderstood

The question sequence must be clear and smooth- moving, with questions

that are easiest to answer being put in the beginning.

The first few questions are particularly important because they are likely to

influence the attitude of the respondent and in seeking his desiredcooperation.

Following the opening questions are the question that are rally vital to the

research problem and a connecting thread should run through successivequestions.

Relatively difficult questions must be relegated towards the end so that even if

the respondent decides not to answer such questions, considerableinformation would have been obtained.

The order of the questions is also important. Some general rules are:

-Go from general to particular.-Go from easy to difficult.

-Go from factual to abstract.-Start with closed format questions.-Start with questions relevant to the main subject.-Do not start with demographic and personal questions.

4.Question layout:

Questions should form a logical part of a well thought out tabulation plan.

Questions should basically meet the following standards

-Should be easily understood-Should be simple

-Should be concrete and should conform as much as possible to therespondents way of thinking.

Items on a questionnaire should be grouped into logically coherent sections.

Grouping questions that are similar will make the questionnaire easier tocomplete, and the respondent will feel more comfortable. Questions that usethe same response formats, or those that cover a specific topic should appeartogether.

Each question should follow comfortably from the previous question. Writing a

questionnaire is similar to writing anything else. Transitions between



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questions should be smooth. Questionnaires that jump from one unrelatedtopic to another feel disjointed and are not likely to produce high responserates.

Conclusion: Questionnaire design is a long process that demands careful attention.Design begins with an understanding of the capabilities of a questionnaire and howthey can help the research. If it is determined that a questionnaire is to be used, thegreatest care goes into the planning of the objectives. Questionnaires are like anyscientific experiment. One does not collect data and then see if they foundsomething interesting. One forms a hypothesis and an experiment that will helpprove or disprove the hypothesis.

Questionnaires are versatile, allowing the collection of both subjective and objectivedata through the use of open or closed format questions. However, a questionnaire

is only as good as the questions it contains. Mindful review and testing is necessaryto weed out minor mistakes that can cause great changes in meaning andinterpretation. When these guidelines are followed, the questionnaire becomes apowerful and economic evaluation tool.



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DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS

1) PERSONAL INTERVIEW

An interviewer asking questions generally face-to-face to other persons conductspersonal interview. This sort of interview may be in the form of direct personalinvestigation or it may be an indirect oral investigation. This method is particularlysuitable for intensive investigations.

Advantages

1. More information and that too in greater depth can be obtained.2. Interviewer can overcome any resistance, if any, of the respondents; this

interview can be made to yield an almost perfect sample of he population.3. There is greater flexibility as questions can be restructured as when needed,

especially in the unstructured interviews.4. Observation method can supplement verbal recording of answers.5. Personal information can be obtained easily in this method.6. Sample control can be maintained, as non-response generally remains low.7. Unlike mailed questionnaire, the interviewer can usually control which persons

will answer the questions.8. The interviewer can catch the respondent off-guard and thus record the

spontaneous reactions.9. The language of the interview can be changed according to the education

level of the respondent.10.The interviewer can collect supplementary information about respondent's

personal characteristics and environment, which helps while interpreting,results.

Disadvantages

1. It can be quite expensive method, especially when large and widespread

geographical sample is taken.2. Possibility of bias of interviewer and respondent is maximum.3. Certain respondents such as important officials cannot be approachable

under this method.4. It is time-consuming especially when sample is large and re-calls o

respondents are to be made.5. Sometimes the presence of he interview can over-stimulate he respondent

and he may give imaginary answers to make the interview interesting.6. Under the interview method the organization required for selection, training

and supervising the field-staff is more complex with formidable problems.7. Interviewing at times may introduce systematic errors.



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8. Interview presupposes a proper rapport with respondents for free and frankresponses, which is not always possible.

2) TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS

This method of collecting information consists contacting information consistscontacting respondents on telephone itself. It is not a very widely used method, butplays important role in industrial surveys in developed regions.

Advantages

1. It is more flexible in comparison to mail method.2. It is faster in obtaining information than other methods.3. It is cheaper compared to personal interviews; here the cost per response is

very low.

4. Recall is easy; callbacks are economic and simple.5. There is higher rate of response than mailing method6. Replies can be recorded without causing embarrassment to respondents.7. Interviewer can explain requirements more easily.8. Access can be gained to respondents who otherwise cannot be contacted for

one reason to other.9. No field staff is required.10.Wider distribution of sample is possible.

Disadvantages

1. Little time is given to respondents to answer, as these types of interviews donot last for more than 5 minutes.

2. Survey is restricted to people who have telephones.3. Cost plays a major part in extensive geographical coverage.4. It is not suitable for interviews having comprehensive answers to various

questions.5. Some extent of interviewer's bias exists.6. Questions have to be short and probes are difficult to handle.

3) COMMERCIAL SURVEYS

Commercial surveys can be divided into three types: Periodic, Panel and Sharedsurveys. Each of them are discussed below

Periodic surveysPeriodic surveys are conducted at regular intervals, ranging from weekly to annuallyheld surveys. They use a new sample of respondents for each survey, focusing onthe same topic and allowing the analysis of trends over a period. Periodic surveysare conducted by mail, personal interview and telephone.

The disadvantage here could be that when periodic surveys are conducted at knownintervals, they might affect the behavior being measured.



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An example of this kind of surveys could be TRPs.

Panel surveys

Panel surveys, sometimes called interval panels, are conducted among a group ofrespondents who have agreed to respond to a number of mail, telephone oroccasionally personal interviews over time. These need not occur regularly. But acontinuous panel orpanel data (explained more in panels) refers to a group ofindividuals who agree to report specified behaviors over time.

The advantages of this method are

The research firm initially collects all the personal information about the respondentsand does not waste time again in collecting this information during interviews. Thisincreases the quality of the research data.

The response rate can be as high as 70% - 90%.

Shared surveysShared surveys, sometimes referred to as omnibus surveys, are administered by aresearch firm and consist of questions supplied by multiple clients. Such surveys caninvolve mail, telephone, or personal interviews. The respondents may be drawn fromeither an interval panel or random selection.

The main advantage here is the cost factor.

4) AUDITS

Audits involve the physical inspection of inventories, sales receipts, shelf facing andother aspects of marketing mix to determine sales, market share, relative price,distribution and other relevant information. The different types of audits are storeaudits, product audits and retail distribution audits.

Store auditsThe basis for the store auditof retail stores sales is the simple accounting arithmeticof

Opening inventory+ Net purchases (receipts-transfers out-returned inventory +transfers in)- Closing inventory= Sales

These audits provide sales data on packaged products. The clients receive report onthe sales of their own brand and of competitor's brands, the resulting market shares,prices, shelf facing and other important information.



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Product auditsProduct audits are similar to store audits but focuses on products rather than storesamples. Although they provide similar information as of store audits it differs as in ittries to cover all the types of retail outlets that handle a product category.

Retail distribution auditsRetail distribution audits are similar to store audits however these audits do notmeasure inventory sales: instead they are observational studies at the retail level.Field agents enter stores unannounced and without permission. They observe andrecord the brands present, price, shelf facings and other relevant data for selectedproduct categories.

5) PANELS

A panel is a group of individuals or organizations that have agreed to provide

information to researcher over a period of time. A continuous panel, the focus of thissection, has agreed to report specified behaviors on regular basis. There are 2 typesof panels: retail and consumer, consumer further divided into diary panels andelectronic panels.

Retail panelIn this method data is collected from the checkout scanner tapes of a sample ofsupermarkets and other retailers that use electronic scanning systems. For this tohappen the product should carry the Universal Product Code (UPC) often referred toas bar code.

The advantages of this method are1. Greater frequency2. Elimination of breakage and pilferage being counted as sales3. More accurate price information

The disadvantages are

1. Only big supermarkets have scanners2. The quality of scanner data is dependent on checkout clerk. For e.g. if a

person is buying 5 packets of packaged milk. In that case the clerk may putonly 1 in the scanner and then multiply it by 5. So the rest 4 wont come in thescanner's data.

Consumer panels

Diary panelsA diary panel as the name implies, is a panel of households who continuously recordin a diary their purchase of selected products. It is used for those product categoriesfor which purchasing is frequent like food and personal care products.

Electronic panels

Electronic panels are composed of households whose television viewing behavior isrecorded electronically. The sets were wired to household meters. The meters were



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connected to a central computer by a telephone line and automatically recordedwhen the set was turned on and the station to which it is turned on.

The problem here is that it is difficult to understand whom all and how many people

were watching and what their demographics are.

6) Mail Questionnaire

Advantages1. It is easier to approach a large no. Of respondents spread all over the world

through post.2. A mail questionnaire is free from any interviewers bias and errors, which may

undermine the reliability and validity of the results emerging from the survey.3. A mail questionnaire will not have any distribution bias as it will not show any

particular preference or dislike for a certain individual or household.

4. When the questions asked to the respondents need time to be answered andneeds some thinking, mail questionnaire is ideal.

5. Mail Questionnaire saves time in collecting the desired information as a largeno. Of respondents can be approached all over the country.

6. It saves money as cost of traveling, boarding and lodging of interviewers isnot to be incurred.

7. There is no difficulty in having central supervision and control over the surveyoperations over a large region.

8. It avoids the bias arising from any inhibitions in answering questions. (Duringsome personal questions the respondents may hesitate to answer them in thepresence of the interviewer)

9. It will not have the problem of non-contacts in the strict sense, as might be thecase in personal interviews when the interviewer finds that the respondent,being away from home is not available.

Limitations1. It is not suitable when questions are difficult & complicated. In such a case the

help of interviewer is required to offer some introductory explanation to therespondent.

2. When the objective is to get the spontaneous answers of the respondent orhis own answers uninfluenced by others who may influence his thinking.

3. It is not possible to verify whether the respondent himself has filled in thequestionnaire. (e.g.: If a questionnaire is targeted to a housewife she may askher husband to fill it up on her behalf). This can result into incorrect answers.

4. In case there is any ambiguity or any inconsistency in the answers it will bedifficult for the researcher to make use of such questionnaire, as he has toaccept it.

5. The respondent may go through his answers after he has filled in the entirequestionnaire and may make certain modification in his original answers as aresult of which these answers cannot be regarded as independent.

6. It does not allow the researcher to supplement the information by his personal

observations.



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7. A mail questionnaire normally has a relatively poor response compared to aquestionnaire canvassed personally.


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