LESSON 2: METHODS OF COLLECTING DATA AND SAMPLING

TECHNIQUES

The precise procedure for data collection may vary. The choice of the best way to collect data depends largely on the
following factors:

• What data to collect

• Where or from whom the data will be obtained
• What instrument/s or device/s to use in collecting data

DATA COLLECTION METHODS

The two most common means of collecting primary quantitative information are questionnaires and structured interview.

Studies which obtain data by interviewing people or by administering questionnaires, are called surveys. When
the people interviewed or asked to respond to questionnaires are a representative sample of a larger population,
such studies are called sample surveys.

A structured interview is when all questions are prepared in advance. This is in contrast to an unstructured
interview, in which there is no specific set of predetermined questions, and the interviewer is able to change the
questions at any time and ask follow-up questions to the interviewee's responses.

Structured interview questions can be open-ended or closed-ended. Closed-ended questions ask respondents
for specific pieces of information, and often require the respondent to choose from a list of given alternatives. A
closed-ended question might be, 'Are you currently taking any drugs (prescribed or un-prescribed)?' Here, the
respondent can either answer by saying yes or no. There is no room for elaboration.

Open-ended questions are those that can be answered in many ways and allow the respondent to give
elaborate, thoughtful answers. An open-ended question that Lyle might want to ask in his structured interview
is, 'Can you list any symptoms you have experienced within the past two weeks?' The respondent could list any
symptoms that they choose and are not limited to a few responses.

The most common methods of collecting primary qualitative data are in-depth interviews and observation.

Observing the result of an experiment will give the most accurate data on the effectiveness of a product or an
intervention. Experimentation makes trial and tests; it is used to describe any process that generates a set of
data. It can go beyond plain descriptions but there are lots of threats to the internal and external validity.

Registration method may also be employed to gather data for recording purposes. Some offices require people,
property etc. to register individually for future reference. It is the most reliable method because it is governed by
law but data are limited only to what are listed in the documents.

SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
In a sample survey, data of interest are gathered from the subset of a population known as samples. The data gathered
from the samples reflect the population data in the sense that valid inferences can be drawn from any given sample
about the corresponding statistical population. When all the members of the population are taken to answer the survey,
the procedure is called census or total enumeration.

Reasons for Taking a Sample

1. lower cost of collecting data
2. when survey of the total population is impossible to conduct for reasons such inaccessibility, large
population, etc.
3. when collection of data is pressured by time
4. limited financial resources
5. in some cases, sampling can provide more accurate data than total population survey

Types of Samples
Different types of samples are obtained based on the method by which samples are selected from the
population. To mention a few, these are convenience, judgment, and the various forms of random samples.
 Methods of Sampling

Basic Types of Sampling Techniques:

1. Non-Probability Sampling (Non-Random) is generally subjective in choosing sample cases, ‘as they wish’
or as they find them. These includes:

• Convenience Sampling - selecting samples as they become available or objects using most
convenient group of people as study respondents.

• Purposive Sampling – Subjects are handpicked to be included in the sample frame based on certain
qualities for purposes of the study. There are topics that need specific samples.

• Quota Sampling – divides the population into homogeneous strata or sub populations to ensure
representative proportions of the various strata in the sample.

• Snowball or Networking Sampling – consists of the identification of a few persons who meet the
requisite characteristics of the study and who in turn refer other individual who may be interviewed.
Snowball means effort that starts on a small scale and intensifies in the process. When the so-called
saturation point of responses (answers given by the respondents become repetitive of others) is
reached, then data-gathering stops.

2. Probability Sampling Technique (Random) is based on the concept of random selection, a procedure that
assures that all elements in the population are given an equal chance of being selected as a sample unit.
These includes the following:

• Simple Random – giving all the sampling units equal chances of being included as a sample, e.g. drawing
of lots, use of table of random numbers, etc.

• Systematic Sampling - is a method of selecting a sample from the population by taking the kth units
from an ordered population, from the first unit which is selected at random. The k is called the sampling
interval. The sampling interval is derived by dividing the total number of population by the desired sample
size. To use this technique, an ordered list of the population elements is required.

Example: If the total population size is 100. The number of required samples is 20.
1. Determine k using formula k = 100/20 = 5;
2. Draw a lot from 1 to 5, say 3;
3. List down all the names of the 100 members of the population in alphabetical order
then since 3 was chosen; no. 3 will become the first element of the samples.
4. Using the interval 5, 3 + 5= 8, so the next element will be no. 8 and so on.

• Stratified Random – a population is made up of groups or elements with varied characteristics, which
can possibly affect observations or responses. The population is stratified into more or less
homogeneous subgroups or strata before sampling is done. This is similar to quota sampling under non-
probability method. The only difference is that is the random method of selecting samples.

• Cluster – clusters are usually exclusive sub-populations, which together comprise a population. Each
cluster consists of heterogeneous elements and each is typical of the population. The number of clusters
in the population represents the size of the population of clusters, while the number of elements in a
cluster is called cluster size.

SLOVIN’S FORMULA IN DETERMINING THE SAMPLE SIZE

𝑵
𝒏 = 𝟏+𝑵𝒆𝟐

Where: n = sample size

N = population size
e = margin of error (1% to 10%)

Example: Find the sample size of a population of 500 with 5% margin of error.
𝑵 𝟓𝟎𝟎 𝟓𝟎𝟎 𝟓𝟎𝟎
𝒏 = = = = = 𝟐𝟐𝟐. 𝟐𝟐 = 𝟐𝟐𝟐
𝟏+𝑵𝒆𝟐 𝟏+𝟓𝟎𝟎(𝟎.𝟎𝟓𝟐) 𝟏 + 𝟏.𝟐𝟓 𝟐.𝟐𝟓

Note: The researcher should be aware of the LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS which states that:
“The larger the size of the sample, the more certain we can be sure that the sample mean will be good
estimate of the population mean.”
The larger the size of the sample, the closer its characteristics would be to the characteristics of the entire
population.