PRE-MED COMMITTEE OBTAIN DATA LECTURE-3

Obtain Data

❖ Overview of Data Collection Techniques

Data collection techniques allow us to systematically collect information about our study
Subjects ( people, objects or phenomena )

Various Data Collection Techniques can be used, such as:

1-Using available information ( secondary data analysis )

• You can be primary data collector or secondary data collector
• Primary data analysis: you are actively getting your data
• Secondary data analysis: you get valid information connected by someone else
• Data is collected from the organization or urgency and you just take it to use it in your
research

Sources of already collected Data:

1- Health information system data
2- Census data
3- Unpublished reports
4- Publications of archives, libraries or offices
5- Or even study in itself
6- Design the instruement to retrieve the needed data such as checklists and data
compilation forms

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages
1-Inexpensive
2-Permits examination of past trends ( because
all cancer incidences are recorded in cancer
registry, it is easy to see cancer rate-trend )
Disadvantages
1-Data are not always easy accessible
2- Ethical issues regarding confidentiality may
arise
*Patients info should be given with high privacy
without any personal data ( name , ID number )
3-Information may be incomplete and inaccurate

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2- Observing
• It involves systematic selection, watching and recording behavior and characteristics
of living beings or objects

• Observations of Human Behavior are used on small scale and can be:
-Participant observation -Non-participant observation

• All kinds of measurements are also called observations

• Measurements will require additional tools that can be simple or complex
• Observation can be the primary source of information
• Additional information to other methods of data collection can be obtained

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages
1-More Detailed, More accurate info
-You may find out new variables, questions
that are not exist in questionnaire
2-Collection of info not written in questionnaires
( by observing the situation )
3-Testing validity of responses to questionnaires
( validity in observing is more accurate )
Disadvantages
1-Observer Bias: the presence of the observer
can influence the situation and can change the
research results.
-In every factory or urgency there is someone who’s
job is an Occupationalobservable: for example when
you decide to work at any factory , they give you an
orientation for it.
2-Ethical issues of privacy and confidentiality
( some people don’t like to publish ther sound
records for example )
3-Extensive trainging of assistants is needed

3-Interviewing
❖ It is oral questioning of respondents, either individually or as a group, face to face
or over phone

High degree of flexibility It depends on the level of

researcher understanding of the
problem or situation
Low degree of flexibility

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Difference between written questions and interviews?

In questionnaire a researcher gives his questions randomly and take written

answers. In interviewing, researchers ask everyone individually.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages Disadvantages
1-Suitable for illiterate 1-Less complete information compared to
observation

2-Permits clarification by respondents (easily 2-The presence of the interviewer can influence
understanding questions) the responses
-if there is any misunderstanding you can clarify -you may get embarrassed and your answers
it at that moment will be far from reality
3-Higher response rate than questionnaires
-you can't leave the question empty as you do in
written questions
-you answer better in this case

4-Administering written questionnaires

❖ Written questions are to be answered by respondents in a written form

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages Disadvantages
1-No need for assistants (no observation) 1-Non response rate could be high

2- Permits anonymity and probably more honest 2- Questions may be misunderstood

responses (because it is not face to face)
*researcher will not know your personal info
Less expensive 3-Cannot be used with illiterate Individuals
4-Eliminates observer bias

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Types of Surverys
❖ Surveys Involving Questionnaires

---Three common types are:

mail surveys, telephone surveys, and personal interview

o Survey cost is lower for mail and telephone surveys.

o With well-trained interviewers, higher response rates and longer questionnaires are possible
with personal interviews.
o The design of the questionnaire is critical.

❖ Surveys Not Involving Questionnaires

- Often, someone simply counts or measures the sampled items and records
the results
- An example is sampling a company’s inventory of parts to estimate the total
inventory value

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