Republic of the Philippines

State Universities and Colleges

GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

Ed 211–Methods of Research

ELNA TROGANI GENALYN L. MOSCAYA, Ph. D.

Reporter Instructor

DATA COLLECTION
• Data Collection

 is an extremely important part of any research because the conclusions of a study are
based on what the data reveal.

 The choice of procedures usually depends on the objectives and design of the study and
the availability of time, money and personnel.

• Objectives of the Chapter

 After studying this chapter, the learners should be able to:

1. Define what term data means,

2. distinguish quantitative from qualitative data, primary from secondary data

• Objectives of the Chapter

3. Describe the different techniques in collecting quantitative data, with the use of interview,
administration of questionnaires, testing, and use of service statistic

4. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using self-administered questionnaires and

interview.

• Objectives of the Chapter

5. Describe and illustrate when and how in depth interviews focus group discussion and
direct observation are used, and

6. Prepare a questionnaire/ interview schedule

• What are data???

• WHAT ARE DATA?

• The term data refers to any kind of information researchers obtain on the subjects,
respondents or participants of a study.

• Data are collected and used to answer research question or objective of the study

• Some examples of research data:

• demographic information. Such as age sex, household size, civil status, religion

• Social and economic information such as educational attainment health status, extent of
participation in social organization, occupation, income, housing condition and the like

• Scores in a standardized researcher-made tests or results of laboratory examination and

clinical observations of patients/ clients.

• Grades or ratings obtained from records or forms

• Verbal or written responses to questions regarding attitudes towards and perceptions of

something

• Types of research data:

• 1. Quantitative data-are information which can be counted or expressed in numerical

values.

• Examples: age, grades, income, test score, number of children, level of satifaction,
amount of sales

• 2. Qualitative data- are descriptive information which has no numerical value.

• Examples:

• Attitudes towards or perception of something, process used in accomplishing an activity,

a person’s experiences, one’s idea about certain concept, situation, phenomenon like
drug abuse, f, barangay justice system family planning,sexual harassment, problem
about social media

• PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

• Primary Data- information collected directly from the subjects being studied, such as
people, areas, or objects

• Secondary data are information collected from other available sources, like recent
census, world wide survey, national survey, such as agriculture and industry

• Techniques of Collecting Quantative data

 • The choice of the best way to collect data largely on the type of data to be collected and
source of. Before starting to collect data a researcher should decide:

• What data to collect,

• Where or from the data will be obtained

• The two common means of collecting primary quantitative information are self-
administered questionnaire and structure interview.

• Quantitative information may also be collected from secondary sources and service
statistics(Fisher et, al, 1991)

• Surveys- studies which obtain data by interviewing people or administering

questionnaires

• Self-administered Questionnaire

Questionnaires are distributed to the respondents who write the answer to the questions in
appropriate spaces in the questionnaire.

Questionnaires may be administered individually or in group by the researcher or by an

authorized individual

• FEATURES OF A SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE

 Questionnaires are given to the respondents who are asked to read and answer the
question themselves.

 Questions and instructions are addressed to the respondents

 Instructions on how to accomplish the questionnaire are clearly specified in the

instrument

• Advantages of using a Self administered Questionnaire

1. Less expensive per respondent than interview

2. A questionnaire requires less time AND LESS SKILSS FOR DATA GATHERING and
processing

3. External influence is avoided

4. Respondents have time to think before answering because they are not under pressure
to give an answer immediately

• Disadvantages of using a Self administered Questionnaire

• 1. The per respondent cost of self –administered questionnaires may be low, but return
rate is also generally low, usually less than 50 percent.

• 2. Many respondent do not return accomplished questionnaires

• 3. Respondents included in the sample may not be representative of the population

being studied.

• 4. No one will answer or clarify questions that may arise

• Mailed Questionnaires

• Some questionnaire are mailed to respondents accompanied by self-addressed envelops

• The respondents are asked to mail back the accomplished questionnaires.

• Structured interview

• Structured interview involves a face to face interaction between the data collector (the
interviewer) and the source of information (the respondent)

• The interviewer directly asks the respondent questions from a prepared instruments,
which is called an interview schedule

• Feature of a structured Interview

• The interview reads each question to the respondent and record verbatim in the
instrument the answer provided by the respondent.

• Respondents are asked the exact questions as formulated and as sequenced

• Instructions for the interviewer on how questions should be asked and how are to
recorded are incorporated in the instrumnets

• Advantages of face to face interview

• 1.The interviewer/ investigator; can observe the body language of the respondent

• 2. The interviewer can probe for clarification of ambiguous responses

• Interview is effective for semi-literate or illiterate respondents

• The expected response rate in an interview is high

• Disadvantages of face to face interview

• 1. The cost in terms of money, time and personnel per respondent is high, especially
because of travel cost.
• 2.Skilled interviewers are required. Training is needed for those who lack experience
and/ or those who are not yet skilled in conducting interviewer.

• How to conduct Interviews???

• Interview must be conducted by competent and skilled interviewers who understand the
purpose of the study and the task they are expected to accomplish. The main task of
the interviewers are to:

1. Locate the survey respondents

2. Obtain permission to conduct the interview

3. Ask the questions

4. record the answers given by the respondents as instructed

• 1.Locating the survey respondents

• The interviewer can locate respondents with the assistance of someone who knows the
respondents.

• In a community survey, the interviewer may request barangay official’s or leaders to

hekp locate respondents

• In organization on institution from human resource department

• 2.Obtaining permission to conduct the interview

• The interviewer must obtain permission to conduct the interviews from an authority and
from the respondent.

• Every individual has the right to privacy, and therefore, has the right to share or
withhold personal information.

• 3. Asking the questions

• Questions in the interview schedule must be asked as sequence and as worded.

• When asking questions, the interviewer must maintain eye contact with the respondent
and listen with interest to what the respondents is saying.

• The interviewer should avoid arguing with the respondents, even if he does not agree
with what the later is saying.

• 4. Recording the answer given by the respondents as instructed

• Respondents to all questions must be recorded verbatim in the spaces provided in the
interview schedule.
• The interviewer must write answer to question legibly.

• Incomplete and vague answers must be classified before ending an interview

• SECONDARY DATA

• SECONDARY DATA

• Secondary data- existing information from censuses, national surveys and other
completed studies which may be used for further analysis.

• It may also used to enrich and supplement data collected for a study.

• Examples of secondary data

• Data on population and housing from the national Statistic office

• Data on family planning practice, reproductive health, immunization and adolescent

sexuality from National Health and Demographic Survey

• Techniques in Collecting Qualitative DATA

• Qualitative approach in data collection are preferred when obtaining data on processes,
on how and why a project works, and how individuals think about or perceive a certain
issue, situation, practice people or what their attitudes are towards something

• In-depth interview

• An in-depth interview is a direct, face-to face means of gathering information from

individuals using probing techniques.

• The interviewer asks questions using a topic or guide or set of general questions, often
called an interview guide.

• Open ended questions. Follow up questions are asked based on response and flow of
interview.

• When to use in-depth interview

• To answer “ how” and why questions

• To generate detailed information about a process, someone’s feelings, perceptions or

opinions about an issue or subject

• To identify relevant variables, which may not have emerged in previous studies.

• How to use In-depth Interviews

• Identification and training of interviewers

 • Interviewers must be experienced and highly skilled in probing, especially when topics
are sensitive or highly controversial

• Preparation of an interview guide

An outline of topics or a set of general questions that serves as interview guide must be
prepared.

Identification and selection of key informants

Conducting the interview

• Examples In a study about domestic violence, with a victim as key informant, the
interviewer may ask:

• Some people believe that men have the right to discipline their wives . Do you share
the same belief?

• Probe

• Why or why not?”

• FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD)

• As Fgd is an informal in-depth dsicussion in which a small number of participants (6-q2),

under the guidance of a moderator or facilitator talk about topics of special importance
to a particular research issue

• FGD data “ can provide relatively quick answers to specific questions and are often used
in the information of hypotheses before surveys are designed or to clarify ambiguous
survey findings”

• (Scrimshaw et al 1991)

• Some Features of FGD’S

• FGD participants are purposively selected from a defined target population whose
opinion and ideas are relevant to the research

• Usually more than one FGD is necessary to adequately cover the range of participants
characteristics and issues

• OBSERVATION

• Observation is a method used to study process as they happen. This is more commonly
used in anthropology than in any other field.
• Direct observation can generate both quantitative and qualitative data. It requires well-
trained observers or analysts and prolonged period of observation.

• This technique is useful for studies that require description of operations, activities or
procedures.

• Participant Observation

• The researcher gets involved in the situation or in activities of the group he/ she is
studying

• Non-participant Observation

• The researcher is not directly involved in the situation or the activities being observed.

• Instead, the researcher tries to see things as they happen without disrupting the
participants (Schutt, 1999).