Unit 5: Qualitative Research Design and Methodology

Lesson 4: Designing Instruments for Data

Collection

Contents
Engage 1
Introduction 1
Objectives 2

Explore 2

Explain and Elaborate 3

Instruments in Qualitative Research 3
Designing of Interviews 4
Planning Focus Group Discussions 7
Conducting Observations 9
Constructing Questionnaires 10

Extend 13
Activity 1 13

Evaluate 14

Wrap Up 15

Bibliography 16
Unit 5.4: Designing Instruments for Data Collection

Engage

Introduction

Fig. 1. Food table at a birthday party

Big events such as parties involve a lot of planning. The invitations to be sent out, the menu
and food selection, guest list, venue, program flow, decorations, and a lot more have to be
thought of well by the organizer. More than this, the organizer has to be detailed to
minimize mishaps and ensure that the celebrant and guests are enjoying themselves during
the day of the event.

Careful planning has a lot of benefits, especially in research. For instance, different data
collection methods in qualitative research require a systematic approach. Elements such as
scheduling the data collection, recruiting participants, formulating the questionnaires, and
the like need to be laid out well by the researcher. In qualitative research, what are the
things to remember when planning instruments for data collection? How can we design data
collection instruments with good quality?

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Unit 5.4: Designing Instruments for Data Collection

Objectives
In this lesson, you should be able to do the following:
● Plan comprehensive guides for the chosen instrument.
● Construct a good quality research instrument.

DepEd Competency
Plan data collection and analysis procedures. (CS_RS11-IVa-c-3)

Explore

10 minutes
Imagine that you have an opportunity to interview your favorite celebrity or personality.
Prepare at least five questions that you want to ask him or her.

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Guide Questions

1. What types of questions did you prepare to ask your favorite celebrity or personality?

2. How did you come up with the questions you have prepared?

3. Why is it important to construct the interview questions ahead of time?

Explain and Elaborate

Instruments in Qualitative Research

Like other big events such as parties, data collection in research also needs careful planning.
As discussed, the most common methods for data collection in qualitative research are
interviews, focus group discussions, observation, and document analysis. In this section, you
will learn how these methods are designed to gather data that are rich and of good quality.

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Unit 5.4: Designing Instruments for Data Collection

Designing of Interviews
Interviews are the most common form of data collection method in qualitative research. The
researcher needs to be familiar with the different skills and knowledge required in planning
an interview to gather significant data.

Types of Interview Questions

An interviewer can ask different types of questions to gather a variety of responses from his
or her respondents. The following table shows the six types of interview questions (Patton
2015).

Table 1. Six types of interview questions

Type of Question Definition Example

Experience and Asks about the person’s Tell me about your daily routine in
behavior actions in a certain situation school. What is it like?

Opinion and Asks about what a person What are your thoughts about
values thinks of something online shopping?

Feeling Taps the affective or How do you feel about the

emotional dimension of a upcoming change of
person about something management?

Knowledge Asks about the respondent’s What do you know about

basic knowledge about qualitative research?
something

Sensory Asks about what a person has What does it taste like?
seen, heard, touched, and so
forth

Background/ Refers to a particular How old are you?

Demographic demographics such as age,
gender, socioeconomic status,
and the like

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Unit 5.4: Designing Instruments for Data Collection

Interview Guide
In most cases, constructing interview guides are helpful in any interview structure. The
interview guide is a list of questions that the researcher asks in an interview. It could be
listed in a specific order, categories listed down but not in a particular order, or something
in between. As a young researcher, constructing an interview guide will help you feel more
confident in open-ended questioning. It is the first step to having successful interviews.

The following is the suggested process in developing an interview guide (Dawson 2002):
1. Brainstorm your research topic. Write down everything about your research topic
and list every possible category it may tackle.
2. Organize the topics. Group similar topics and categorize each under a list of more
general topics. Eliminate those that are irrelevant.
3. Move from general to specific. Logically arrange the topics that you have in mind.
Ask about more general questions in the beginning and leave those that are more
specific towards the end of the interview.
4. Apply the basic guidelines in writing questions. Ensure that the questions are
open-ended, straightforward, and clear.
5. Familiarize yourself with the interview guide. This is to prevent you from looking
at the guide at all times so that you, as the interviewer, appear engaging while
conducting the interview.

Tip
Consider revising your interview guide after each interview that you
have conducted. This improves the quality of your research
questions for the succeeding respondents that you will interview.

Key Skills for Successful Interviewing

The richness of the data from the interviews is dependent on the skills of the interviewer. It
requires the interviewer to have good listening skills and proper communication with the
respondent. It must also be verified if the researcher understood their responses accurately

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Unit 5.4: Designing Instruments for Data Collection

and what exactly the respondents meant.

The following key skills must be remembered by the interviewer (Langdridge, and
Hagger-Johnson 2013):
● Encourage the participant to speak. At the start of the interview, clarify with the
respondent that you will not speak as much. This allows them to express themselves
freely and elaborate on their answers.
● Learn when not to talk. The interviewer may opt to use nonverbal cues when
prompting the interviewee. This way, the respondent will not get distracted and go
on with their response.
● Be comfortable with silence. It is okay if the respondent takes time to pause and
think about their answers. Silence should be allowed in some situations during the
interview.
● Do not trivialize responses. The respondent’s answers must not be treated as
insignificant as to show respect to him or her. Listen to everything that your
respondent says and avoid making unnecessary reactions.
● Do not dominate. Let the respondent talk as much as they can. Remember that you
are asking for their responses, which are considered important data in your
research. Try to avoid being intimidating to your respondent. Make them feel
comfortable during the interview.
● Show interest. Even if you feel like you are not interested in your respondent’s
answer, it is necessary to show respect by using nonverbal communication, such as
nodding your head or leaning forward.

Remember
Your skills as an interviewer have a significant impact on the quality of
data you will gather. Always remember to encourage your
participants to speak, learn to be comfortable with silence, not
dominate the discussion, and always demonstrate interest and
respect.

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Unit 5.4: Designing Instruments for Data Collection

Planning Focus Group Discussions

Focus group discussions are different from interviews because it aims to gather information
from a certain group with similar characteristics while the researcher acts as the facilitator.
There are a number of things to remember in planning focus group discussions such as
selecting participants, establishing group rules, and clarifying the role of the group
facilitator.

Selecting Participants
The composition of the participants in a focus group discussion depends on the research
topic (Merriam, and Tisdell 2016). This is to include individuals who know the most about the
topic that will be discussed. There are no set rules as to how many should be included in the
group, but five to 10 participants are the most ideal number.

The researcher recruits participants according to the qualifications they set to answer the
research problem. The following are the two options in recruiting prospective participants:
1. Recruit an existing group. For example, a group of friends or a family unit.
2. Select individuals who do not know each other but have similar experiences about
a certain situation. For instance, the participants have never met before but they all
have similar experiences as persons with disabilities.

It is important to take note that these options still depend on the research topic.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to plan ahead with the members of the group so that the
researcher or the facilitator will be mindful of the possible interactions that may arise during
the focus group discussion.

Tip
Try to over-recruit your participants. This means that you should
add at least one to three members more to the group. It ensures
that the number of participants that you are targeting to recruit will
still be met, just in case some original participants will not be
available on the day of the group discussion.

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Unit 5.4: Designing Instruments for Data Collection

Establishing Group Rules

Before starting the group discussion, it is necessary to set the rules to establish respect
among the participants. The first things the facilitator should do is discuss the purpose of
the focus group discussion and seek the participants’ consent.

Explicitly state that all information that will be discussed will be kept confidential and that no
one is allowed to disclose anything. Moreover, it is important not to force the participants to
talk about something that they are uncomfortable with. The amount of disclosure that the
participant will offer must be respected at all costs.

Why is it important to seek the participant’s

consent in focus group discussions?

The Role of the Group Facilitator

The process is different when it comes to facilitating a group discussion and conducting a
one-on-one interview. In a focus group discussion, the facilitator needs to encourage all of
the members of the group to speak and not let any member dominate the discussion. The
facilitator may also ask other group members whether they agree or disagree with what the
other member has said, but at the same time, they must maintain respect.

The tasks of the group facilitator can be divided into three:

1. Asking questions. Personal disclosures often happen towards the latter part of the
discussion. That is why general questions should be asked first. The interview guide
which was discussed a while ago may also be applied in focus group discussions.
2. Seeking responses. In a group, some members might be uneasy to disclose their
answers. On the other hand, some people might talk most of the time. The facilitator
must balance out these kinds of interactions in the group since the aim is to try to get
as many insights as possible from different perspectives.

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3. Wrapping up the focus group. Thank the respondents for their participation in the
study. It is also customary for the researcher to give small tokens of appreciation for
the participants. Also, it is recommended for the researchers to give out their contact
information to the participants, as they may wish to ask further questions about the
discussion.

Conducting Observations
Observations require careful planning just like other data collection methods. It is a
systematic method that is appropriate to use when the researcher is interested in studying
natural behaviors of individuals rather than their perceptions.

What to Observe
The structure of the observation plays a significant role in determining the elements to be
observed during an observation. This is why the researcher must decide ahead of time to
focus on specific events, behaviors, or individuals.

The following is a checklist of elements that are likely to be present in observations

(Merriam, and Tisdell 2016):
● Physical setting. Examine the context and how the physical environment looks. An
example is a park, school cafeteria, or classroom.
● Participants. Describe those who are in the scene, the number of individuals
present, and the relevant characteristics of the participants.
● Activities and interactions. Identify what is going on in the scene. The interactions
of the persons, their activities, and the duration must also be observed.
● Conversation. Evaluate the quality of the conversations of the people in the scene. It
is also noteworthy that the interaction between the participants is observed.
● Subtle factors. These are less obvious elements that are sometimes being taken for
granted such as nonverbal communication, informal activities, physical space, and
the like.

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Unit 5.4: Designing Instruments for Data Collection

Recording Observations
There are several ways to record observations depending on the purpose of the observation
(Kumar 2011). In qualitative research, the most common method of recording observations
is narrative and descriptive recording.

In a narrative recording, the researchers use their own words to record a description of
the interactions that they have observed. The researchers usually take brief notes of the
observation. Then, this will be further explained in a narrative form. One of the advantages
of this method of recording is that it gives a deep insight into the observed situation. On
the other hand, a disadvantage might be that the researchers may be biased in their
observation or may miss out on important details of the interactions while recording.

Recording using electronic devices such as videotape is also a convenient way to collect
data. An advantage of this method is that the researchers will be able to watch the
observation several times before synthesizing their conclusions. In contrast, a major setback
is that the participants being observed might feel uncomfortable while being recorded on
camera. One major concern in using electronic devices is that it may be questionable due to
Republic Act 10173, also known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012. If the use of electronic
devices is really deemed essential, then a written agreement and consent from the
participant is advised.

Constructing Questionnaires
A questionnaire is a written list of questions where the respondents can put their
responses. The only difference of interview guides from questionnaires is that the
interviewer verbally asks the questions written in the interview guides.

Researchers must take caution in formulating questions for questionnaires. The questions
must be easy to understand and concise. Your research data is largely dependent on how
the questions will be constructed, including its tone and wording.

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The following guidelines must be taken into consideration when formulating questions
(Kumar 2011):
● Avoid using complex words. There are instances wherein your respondents have
diverse backgrounds. In that case, it is important to use simple language and take
note that most of them may misunderstand technical jargon about your research.

Example:
Do you know someone who is agoraphobic?

Not all people know the word agoraphobic. These types of technical words or jargons
must be avoided since the respondents are likely to respond to questions without
actually understanding it.

● Do not ask ambiguous questions. Making these kinds of questions will make the
respondents confused and have different interpretations of the question. This may
result in getting invalid conclusions for your research data.

Example:
Are your grades affected because of your late-night gaming
habits?
Yes___ No___

In the example above, students who will tick the word “No” will either mean that they
are not into late-night gaming habits or that their grades are not affected by playing
them. The question is ambiguous as it does not confirm whether the student has
late-night gaming habits or not.

● Avoid asking double-barrelled questions. A double-barrelled question is a

question that is about more than one issue or topic but allows only for one answer.
This type of question must be avoided to avoid confusion among the respondents.
Another issue it poses is the uncertainty of which question was really answered.

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Unit 5.4: Designing Instruments for Data Collection

Example:
Does your company have a special benefit for single mothers and
persons with disabilities?
Yes___ No___

This question is a double-barrelled question because it asks the respondents to

indicate if their company has a special benefit for two types of groups: single
mothers and persons with disabilities. Hence, the question should be asked
separately for each of the group.

● Do not ask leading questions. In order to allow the participant to express

themselves freely, do not imply additional statements from the question. Some
leading questions make the respondents answer either positively or negatively.

Example:
Exercising daily is important, isn’t it?

The question implies that exercising is important. However, exercising might not be a
priority for the respondent. Implying that exercising is important might force the
respondent to answer in a certain way that is conflicting with their beliefs.

● Avoid asking questions that imply presumptions. This kind of question assumes
that the participants belong in a certain category, which must be avoided because of
its judgmental tone.

Example:
How often do you eat junk food?

The question did not confirm first whether the respondent eats junk food. Rather, it
already assumed that they were. It is important to ask first if a respondent matches a
certain category.

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Extend

Activity 1
Using the concepts discussed in this lesson, construct an interview guide about a topic of
interest. Refer to the sample outline below and write your interview guide on a separate
sheet of paper.

Topic: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
A. General topic 1
a. (Specific topic 1)

b. (Specific topic 2)

c. (Specific topic 3)

B. General topic 2
a. (Specific topic 1)

b. (Specific topic 2)

c. (Specific topic 3)

Guide
The interview guide must be constructed with the aim of answering the objectives
of research. In writing the guide, brainstorm your topic by thinking about general
concepts first, then narrow it down to the more specific ones. Construct your
interview questions in this manner, and also keep in mind the structure of the
interview that you have in mind.

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Evaluate

A. Write your answers in the space provided.

1. What are the two options in selecting participants for focus group discussions?

2. What type of error in formulating questions is present in this question: Is the product
durable and affordable?

3. What type of interview question is this: What do you think about your new professor?

B. Analyze the following situations carefully and identify

what instrument for data collection is being designed.

1. The researcher tries to balance out the participants who are responding too much and
those who are hesitating to express themselves freely.

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2. The researcher ensures that he or she is not missing out on important details while
taking down notes of the interactions of his or her participants.

3. The researcher avoids constructing questions that are too technical and difficult for the
respondents to understand because he or she may not be physically present to explain
the questions to the respondents.

Wrap Up
___________________________________________________________________________________________

● The different types of questions that may be asked in interviews are

experience/behavior, opinion/values, feeling, knowledge, sensory, and
background/demographic.
● In focus group discussions, It is important to plan the selection of the participants,
establish group rules, and clarify the role of the group facilitator.
● Observations also need systematic planning. The elements that need to be
observed and the different methods in recording observations must be kept in
mind.
● A questionnaire is a list of questions that the participants answer on their own.
There are set guidelines on how to formulate the questions in a questionnaire.

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Fig. 2. Overview of instruments for data collection

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Bibliography
Coolican, Hugh. Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. New York: Psychology Press,
2014.

Dawson, Catherine. Practical Research Methods: A User-Friendly Guide to Mastering Research.

Oxford: How To Books, Ltd., 2002.

Kumar, Ranjit. Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners. London: SAGE
Publications Ltd, 2011.

Langdridge, Darren and Gareth Hagger-Johnson. Introduction to Research Methods and Data
Analysis in Psychology. London: Pearson Education Limited, 2013.

Merriam, Sharan B. and Elizabeth J. Tisdell. Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and
Implementation. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2016.

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Patton, Michael Quinn. Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. 4th ed. California: SAGE
Publications, Ltd., 2015.

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