CHAPTER 5 DATA COLLECTION METHOD AND FIELDWORK

Methods of Data Collection

Interviews face to face, telephone, computerassisted, and though electronic media, Questionnaires personally administered, through mails, or electronically administered Observation of individuals and events, with or without video taping

Interviewing has the advantage of flexibility,

in terms of adapting, adopting, and changing the questions as the questions as the researcher proceeds with the interviews.

Questionnaires have the advantage of

obtaining data more efficiently in terms of researcher time, energy and costs. Extracting data from company records have the advantage of accuracy.

Observational studies has the advantage

of reliability and free from bias

Unobtrusive methods has the advantage of

The Choice of data collection methods depends on the facilitieSs available, the degree of accuracy required, the expertise of the researcher, the time span of the study, and other costs and resources associated with and available for data gathering

Interviews
Face to Face Interviews Telephone Unstructured Structured

Face to Face or Direct Interviews Advantages: can change /adapt/adopt questions can pick up non-verbal cues can clarify doubts can obtain rich data Can use visual aids to clarify points

Disadvantages Costly Geographic limitations Reliability of measures may suffer: interviewer bias inter-rater reliability Voice inflection and interviewer conditioning the subjects may introduce response biases Confidentiality rather difficult to be assured

Interviews (cont.)

Interviews (cont.)
Telephone Interviews Advantages Discomfort of face to face interviews avoided Number of call per day could be high Less costly and speedier Can reach wide geographic area Disadvantages Time may be limited for the respondent Interviewee could put the phone down and

Unstructured Interviews
Useful during exploratory states of a research project Helps develop better theoretical frameworks Helps develop better questionnaires and structured interviews

Structured Interviews
Saves time Help to code information Better inter-rater reliability could be established through trained interviewers

Personally Administered Questionnaire

Advantages Helps researcher obtain data fairly easily Information from questionnaires is easily coded Benefits the scientific community if the measures are well validated and are reliable Anonymity is high Doubts can be clarified Can establish rapport and motivate respondents Disadvantages Organizations reluctant to give company time for the survey

Mail Questionnaire
Advantages Anonymity is high Can cover wide geographic area Respondents can take more time to response at convenience Can be administered electronically Disadvantages Response rate poor Cannot clarify questions Follow-up procedures for non-responses

Observation . The systematic process of recording the behavioral patterns of people, objects and occurrences as they are witnessed Non participant observer - the researcher may collect the needed data in that capacity without becoming integral part of the org. system. Participant observer - the researchers enter the organization or the research setting

OBSERVATION
It is possible to gather data without asking questions.
The systematic process of recording the behavioral patterns of people, objects and occurrences as they are witnesse

Participant OBSERVATION Non - Participant

OBSERVATION (Cont..) Advantages

Sample size could be increased at less cost Respondent bias could be avoided Both behavioral and non-verbal reactions could be studied Generally more reliable and free from bias

Disadvantages

Observer fatigue could set in Observation bias Inter-observer reliability problems Cost of observer training could be high

*Non participant observer

the researcher may collect the needed data in that capacity without becoming integral part of the org. system. *Participant observer the researchers enter the organization or the research setting

*Structured Observational The observer has predetermined set of categories of activities or phenomena planned to be studied. *Unstructured Observational The observer has no definite ideas of the particular aspects that need focus

Fieldwork
1) 2) 3) 4)

Fieldworkers: A personal interviewer administering questionnnaire door to door A telephone interviewer calling from a central location An observer counting pedestrians in a shopping mall Others who involve in collecting data.

Foot- in-the- door compliance Technique

Based on foot-in-the- door theory, which attempt to explain compliance with a large or difficult task on the basis of the respondents prior compliance with a smaller request. Expect small request will lead to larger request to fill out long mail questionnaires.

Door- in- the- face compliance technique

A two step method for securing a high response rate:

Step 1: an initial request, so large that nearly everyone refuse it, is made. Step 2: a second request is made for a smaller favor. So, expected respondent to comply with this more reasonable request.

In- house training for inexperienced interviewers

Making Initial contact and Securing the interview Asking questions- 1) ask questions exactly worded 2) read questions slowly 3) ask every qs 4) repeat Qs that are misunderstood. Probing/ Prying Recording the responses Terminating the interview- avoid hasty departures

Fieldwork Management

Briefing session for experienced interviewers Training avoid procedural errors in sample selection Supervision of fieldworker- 1) sampling verification 2) interviewer cheating 3) verification by reinterviewing