SELECTING A DATA

COLLECTION METHOD AND

DATA SOURCE
Chapter 10

DATA COLLECTION
METHODS & DATA SOURCES
Data collection method: a detailed plan of
procedures that aims to gather data for the
purpose of answering a research question
Data source: the who (or what) that
supplies the data
Firsthand data: data provided by people who
have experienced some phenomenon directly
Secondhand data: an indirect account of a
phenomenon (e.g., case notes, bystander)

DATA COLLECTION AND THE

RESEARCH PROCESS
Data collection supplies the critical link
between theory and practice
Data collection is a consideration for each
phase of the research process
Phase 1: Problem area and research question
Phase 2: Research design
Phase 3: Data analysis
Phase 4: Writing the report

Selecting a Problem Area and

Research Question
Rethinking the research question from the
data collection point of view, adds depth
and dimension to underlying intention of
the research question
After the research problem is selected and
the research question formulated, consider
different data sources available to the study
different data collection methods suitable

Formulating a Research Design

Thinking about research design from the
data collection point of view, increases the
likelihood that the data collection method
will fit well with the study context and
sample
The research design specifies when,
where, and how often data are to be
collected

Analyzing Data
Thinking about data analysis from the
data collection point of view will produce
results that have greater clarity
All data collected should have an obvious
place in the data analysis

Writing the Report

Thinking about writing a research report
from the data collection point of view
brings clarity to the purpose of data
collection
Consider who is to be the expected audience
of the report

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING A

DATA COLLECTION METHOD
Eight practical criteria
Size of study
Scope of study
Program participation
Worker cooperation
Intrusion into the lives of research participants
Resources
Time
Previous research findings

Size
The number of people, places or systems
represented in a research study
The greater the number, the more complex
the data collection process

Scope
The scope our a research study refers to
breadth or depth of the problem being
investigated
Do different dimensions of the problem
require different data collection methods?

Program Participation
Research studies that take place in
agency settings should have the support
of program personnel
Separate clinical activity and research activity
Avoid data collection methods that conflict
with clinical philosophy or practices
Consider agency records as a source of
existing data to avoid duplication of
paperwork

Worker Cooperation
Data collection considerations
Make every effort to work cooperatively with
the programs workers
Be sensitive to the workloads of program
workers
Establish a way for workers to get feedback
from the data they provide

Intrusion Into the Lives of Research

Participants
Client self-determination takes precedence
over research activity
A client will not be denied service for refusing
to participate in a research study

Cultural considerations
The fit of the data collection method within the
context of cultural norms
Cultural bias of standardized measures
Minority groups that have been over studied

Resources
Data collection is expensive
Cost of instruments (materials and supplies)
Training data collectors
Transportation costs for field research
Data entry or transcription

Time
Research projects often have fixed
completion dates, set by
Dissertation or thesis guidelines
External pressures
Funding
Politics

Time constraints will influence the choice

of data collection method

Previous Research Studies

Learn from existing research studies
Which data collection methods worked best to
study the problem
Expand upon earlier research by trying
different data collection approaches

SELECTION OF A DATA
COLLECTION METHOD
Create a decision-making grid to choose a
data the best data collection method
(Table 22.1 for example)
List the criteria for selection
List possible data collection methods
With the research question in mind, assess
each data collection method according to the
set criteria

Decision-making grid (Table 15.1)

__________________________________________________________
Data Collection Methods
___________________________________________________________
Survey
Secondary
Content
Existing
Research
Observation
Analysis
Analysis
Statistics
(Chapter 17) (Chapter 14)
(Chapter 18)
(Chapter 19)
(Chapter 20)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

General Criteria:
1. Size
2. Scope
3. Program participation
4. Worker cooperation
5. Intrusion to clients
6. Resources
7. Time
8. Previous research

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TRYING OUT THE SELECTED

DATA COLLECTION METHOD
Pilot Study carrying out all aspects of the
data collection plan on a mini-scale
Test data collection procedures
Assess the quality of the data collected

Data collection methods can also be

tested in less formal ways
Try out a particular aspect of data collection
(e.g., wording of interview questions) with
individuals not involved in planning the study

IMPLEMENTATION AND
EVALUATION
Use feedback from pilot testing to improve
data collection procedures
A smooth data collection process requires
proactive planning

Implementation
The main guiding principle for
implementing a data collection method is
using a systematic approach
Detail the procedures so that persons
collecting the data are skilled at performing
data collection tasks
Procedures for qualitative research studies
will be more flexible than procedures for
quantitative studies

Evaluation
The data collection method for any study
should be evaluated by the researcher
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the
data collection method and the data source
Assess the quality of implementation
how well data collection procedures were actually
carried out

SUMMARY
A variety of data collection methods and
data sources can be used in any research
study
Thinking through the entire research
process from the data collection point-ofview can strengthen the study overall
Researchers must way the pros and cons to
decide upon the best data collection method
for their particular study