BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

MMW 101
MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

Module 11
Collection of Data
“Statistics: Our Life Saver
and Influencer”
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Collection of Data

Objectives of the Module

At the end of the module, you should be able to:
1. identify and differentiate the types of data,
2. identify and differentiate the methods of collecting data,
3. determine the sample size, and
4. identify the appropriate sampling technique to be used in gathering data.

Daily, we come across different kinds of information, data, facts, and figures
from various communication and information media. Some examples are:
• surveys conducted by SWS on ratings of public offices and officials or opinions
of the public on current issues
• the daily data on Philippine COVID-19 cases provided by the Department of
Health (such data include new cases, fully recovered, and deaths added to the
previous total cases)
• the clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines
• weather conditions and forecasts
• reports of LTFRB on the number of provincial buses entering Metro Manila
• reports on the stock market situation
This module will give you insights on how data such as mentioned above, are
collected.

DATA GATHERING

Types of Data

There are two types of data, namely:

1. Primary data. These are data or information gathered by the researcher
from first-hand sources, like government offices, private organizations, business
establishments, or individuals with first-hand information about the needed data.

2. Secondary data. These are data or information obtained from published or

unpublished sources like newspapers, magazines, journals, books and theses, and
other republished materials

For example, the details in a vehicular accident gathered by a policeman who

interviewed the victims are primary data. The viewers who watched the news about
this incident are getting only secondary data.
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Methods of Collecting Data

1. The Direct or Interview Method. This method involves the interviewer (the
person conducting the interview/the researcher), and the interviewee (the
person from whom data is being gathered). This method can provide the
researcher with the opportunity to ask more questions to the interviewee to
obtain all the information that he needs. He can also make clarifications, if
necessary. Questions can be repeated or rephrased for a clearer
understanding of the person being interviewed. The interviewer has to see to it
that he does not influence the responses of the interviewee in any manner.
However, this method is more time consuming and more costly.

Two forms of Interviews

1. Structured. The questions are closed-ended and are already prepared

and asked in the same wordings.
2. Unstructured. In this form, there are no prepared questions at hand
before the interview.

2. The Indirect or Questionnaire Method. This method utilizes questionnaires to

be answered by the respondents. These questionnaires must be carefully
prepared so that the respondents can clearly understand the directions and the
questions to give honest responses. Many researchers use this method since
it is less time-consuming. It is less expensive because the questionnaires can
be reused. A limitation of this method is that it can only be used for literate
persons.

These are the two forms of questions.

1. A fixed-alternative question is a question where the possible responses

from which the respondent is to choose his answer are given.

Example: How often do you read the newspaper?

O everyday O when there is an assignment
O every other day O never at all
O once a week

2. An open-ended question allows the respondent to express his answer

freely.
Examples:
1) How much longer do you think it would take for the pandemic to end?
2) What are the common problems that students encountered in using
online mode of learning, and what can you suggest to remedy these?
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3. The observation method is used when gathering data about the behavior of
individuals in the study.

4. Experimentation Method. In this method, the researcher observes the effect

of a variable on other variables. The independent variable of the study is the
variable that is manipulated to see its effect/s on the dependent variable (the
variable that may change).

Determining the Sample Size

In conducting a study, the researcher must consider the time element and the
cost involved to complete the study. This is why most researchers make use of a
sample (the representative of the population and possesses the characteristic of the
population) instead of the population (the entirety of objects, individuals, events, or
things). Slovin's formula is used to determine an appropriate sample size from the
population.

𝑵
The Slovin's formula is n = 𝟏+𝑵𝒆𝟐

where: n = sample size; N = population size; e = margin of error

The margin of error is the error that we expect to commit in getting the sample
(Zorilla,2013). A small margin of error means that it is more likely that the results of
the survey are true for the population.

Example 1. A group of researchers is conducting a survey on the opinions of

jeepney drivers in a city regarding the fare increase due to oil price hike. If the
population of the study is 500 drivers and the margin of error to be used is 5%, what
would be the sample size?

Solution:
Given: N = 500 e = 5% = 0.05
𝑁 500
n = 1+𝑁𝑒2 = = 222.22 = 222 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠
1+(500)(0.05)2

Example 2. Using example 1, what will be the sample size if the margin of error
is 8%?
𝑁 500
n = 1+𝑁𝑒2 = = 152.28 = 119.05 = 119 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠
1+(500)(0.08)2

Did you notice that the bigger the margin of error, the smaller the
sample size becomes?
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Example 3. Another researcher wants to conduct the same survey. However,

due to time constraints and limited budget, he will be using 50 respondents only.

To solve for the margin of error (e) in this example, the formula to be used is

𝑵−𝒏
e = √ 𝒏𝑵
.
In the formula, e is the margin of error, N is the population, and n is the sample size.

Solution:
Given: N = 500 n = 50

𝑁−𝑛 500−50
e = √ 𝑛𝑁 = √50(500) = 0.1342 𝑜𝑟 13.42%

Sampling Techniques

Do you still remember the difference between a population and a sample?

Now let us explore sampling.

Sampling is the process of choosing the samples from a population.

The two kinds of selecting/drawing samples are

1) Probability Sampling (or random sampling) is a sampling technique

where every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected to be
part of the sample. For example, if there are 200 members in the population, each of
them has a chance to be included in the survey/study.

2) Non-Probability Sampling is a sampling technique where not all the

members of the population have a chance to be included in the sample. For example,
a researcher is conducting a survey in a certain barangay. He did not include in his
survey those who live far from the main road. Those people were not given a chance
to be part of the survey.

Probability Sampling

Here are the kinds of probability sampling.

1. Simple Random Sampling. This probability sampling is the simplest
among the types of probability sampling. In this method, numbers are
assigned to the members of the population. Numbers are drawn, and the
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element of the population whose number is drawn becomes a part of the

sample. This method is also known as the fishbowl or lottery technique.

Example: A survey is to be conducted among the grade 11 students at a

school. There are 200 grade 11 students. A students' list is
prepared, and pieces of papers numbered 1 to 200 are placed in a
container. The researcher draws papers from this container.
Students whose numbers are drawn will become part of the sample
in the survey. The Table of Random Numbers or a number generator
can also be used in drawing the sample from the population.

2. Systematic Random Sampling is a method where every nth or kth

element in the population list is selected in obtaining the sample needed.

Example:
Given: N= 1400 and n = 141
Step 1. Determine k (sampling interval) by dividing the population by the
sample size.
𝑵 1400
𝒌(𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑙) = 𝒏 = 141 = 9.93 𝑜𝑟 10 (This means that every
10th element in the population list will be included in the sample until 141
samples are obtained.)

Step 2. The random start can be determined by choosing from numbers 1,

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 (k=10). This can be done by lottery.

If number 4 happens to come out, then the random start is 4.

random start: 4 (the 4th member of the population in the list is the first
sample)

The second sample is obtained by adding k to the random start.

4 + k = 4 + 10 = 14
The third sample is obtained by adding k to the 2nd sample.
14 + k = 14 + 10 = 24

Repeat the procedure until the desired sample size is obtained.

These are the first 20 samples: 4, 24, 34, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 84, 94, 104,
114, 124, 134, 144, 154, 164, 174, 184, 194

3. Stratified Random Sampling is done by splitting the population into groups

or categories. The samples to be chosen from the groups must be
proportional to the size of the group. This means fewer samples will be taken
from smaller groups, and more samples will be taken from bigger groups.
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Example:
Given: N = 4370 patients; n = 151
Male Patients – 2734; Female Patients – 1636

Step 1. Divide the sample by the population.

𝒏 151
𝒑(𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛) = 𝑵 = 4370 = 0.034554

Step 2. Multiply the result obtained in step 1 by the size of each group to get
the number of samples to be taken from that group.

Category No. of patients p Sample Size (n)

Male 2734 0.034554 94
Female 1636 0.034554 57
Total 4370 151

4. Cluster Sampling is used to randomly select the samples from a population

spread out over a wide geographical area. The cluster is used as a sampling
unit, meaning that all the individuals in that cluster will be included in the
sample. This is sometimes called area sampling.

A cluster is a group where the objects or individuals in the group are more
similar to each other as compared to those from other groups.

Example: A sample of 100 health workers in Malolos will be chosen as

respondents in a study. The researcher may consider the barangays
as clusters. He can select the clusters randomly. After he has
chosen the barangays, he can now include all the health workers
belonging to the chosen barangays as part of the sample. (The
number of samples from the chosen clusters may be more or less
than the desired sample size.)

5. Multi-Stage Sampling is done by utilizing a combination of sampling

techniques. This is used when drawing samples from a huge population.

Example: A survey is to be conducted on the opinion of the beneficiaries of the

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the province of
Bulacan. Randomly select/draw the municipalities in the province.
Then randomly choose the barangays in the chosen municipalities.
Lastly, randomly choose the beneficiaries in the chosen barangays.
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Non-probability Sampling

The non-probability sampling has three kinds.

1. Quota Sampling is a sampling technique where the population is divided

into categories, just like in stratified sampling. But there is no required
sampling frame that must be used in determining the samples of the study.

Example: An avid fan of a K-pop group decided to interview 50 audiences

during the group’s concert in the Philippines. Since he already
knew that most of the viewers are female, he decided to have
80% female respondents and 20% male respondents. So, he
approached and interviewed 40 female audiences and ten (10)
male audiences.

2. Purposive Sampling is done by selecting a sample based on the purpose

or needs of the study.

Example: A researcher would like to know why grade 10 students preferred

to transfer to public schools this school year. For this purpose,
he will interview only grade 10 transferees.

3. Incidental/Accidental/Convenience Sampling. This sampling technique

is often used in market research. People that are easy to reach to get a
quick response are the ones who are chosen to become samples in the
study.

Example: A researcher wanted to know the acceptance of consumers of a

brand of disinfectant. He will possibly interview his friends,
relatives, neighbors, or go to public places nearby and conduct
an interview.
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References

Mangaran, A. J. (2004) et al. Elementary Statistics. City of Malolos, Bulacan: Bulacan

State University.

Sirug, W.S. (2018). Mathematics in the Modern World. Intramuros, Manila:

Mindshapes Co., Inc.

Zorilla, Roland, et.al. (2013) Statistics: Basic Concepts and Applications. Malabon
City, Philippines : MUTYA Publishing House.