Frances Julienne Dominique G.

Magallanes 11-Aristotle

Practical Research 1
Data Gathering Instrument and Analysis Procedures

The underlying need for data collection is to capture quality evidence that seeks to answer all the
questions that have been posed. To improve the quality of information, it is expedient that data is
collected so that you can draw inferences and make informed decisions on what is considered
factual.

Types of Data Collection

● Primary Data Collection is the gathering of raw data collected at the source.
● Secondary Data Collection is referred to as the gathering of second-hand data collected by
an individual who is not the original user.

Qualitative Research Method

● Experiments
● Observations
Steps:
1. Determine what needs to be observed
2. Select participants
3. Random/Selected
4. Conduct the observation (venue, duration, recording materials, take photographs)
5. Compile data collected
6. Analyze and interpret data collected

Classification:
● Structured Observation
● Unstructured Observation
● Participant Observation
● Non-Participant Observation

● Surveys/Questionnaires
Steps:
1. Prepare questions (Formulate & choose types of questions, order them, write
instructions, make copies)
2. Select your respondents (Random/Selected)
3. Administer the questionnaire (date, venue, time)
4. Tabulate data collected
5. Analyze and interpret data collected
6. Classifications:
7. Open-ended questions
8. Close-ended or fixed alternative questions
 Classifications:
● Open-ended questions
● Close-ended or fixed alternative questions
○ Dichotomous questions
○ Multiple Questions

● Interview
Steps:
1. Prepare interview schedule
2. Select subjects/ key Respondent
3. Conduct the interview
4. Analyze and interpret data collected from the interview

Classifications:
● Structured Interviews
● Unstructured Interviews
● Focused Interviews
● Clinical Interviews
● Group Interviews
● Qualitative and quantitative Interviews
● Individual Interviews
● Selection Interviews

Schedules are very similar to questionnaire method. Here the enumerator goes to the respondents,
asks them the questions from the Questionnaire in the order listed, and records the responses in the
space provided.

After gathering the data needed using the different research instruments, data analysis comes next.
It is the process of evaluating data using the logical and analytical reasoning to carefully examine
each component of the data collected or provided.

Qualitative Data Analysis:

Qualitative data refers to non-numeric information such as interview transcripts, notes, video and
audio recordings, images and text documents. Qualitative data analysis can be divided into the
following five categories:
1. Content Analysis
2. Narrative Analysis
3. Discourse Analysis
4. Framework Analysis
5. Grounded Theory

Procedures of analysis and interpretation (Creswell 2009):

1. Organize and prepare the data for analysis.
2. Read through all the data. Gain a general sense of the information and reflect on the overall
meaning.
3. Conduct analysis based on the specific theoretical approach and method. This often involves
coding or organizing related segments of data into categories.
4. Generate a description of the setting or people and identify themes from the coding. Search
for theme connections.
5. Represent the data within a research report.
 6. Interpret the larger meaning of the data

Coding and Categorizing

Creswell (2009) explains that coding and categorizing involves taking text data or pictures gathered
during data collection, segmenting it into categories, and labeling those categories with a term, often
a term used by the actual participant.

Begin the coding process by first reviewing your learning outcomes as a reminder of what you are
assessing. Your coding scheme will be based on your learning outcomes.

A code is a word or a short phrase that descriptively captures the essence of elements of your
material and is the first step in your data reduction and interpretation.

Data extraction is:

● An attempt to reduce a complex, messy, context laden and quantification- resistant reality to
a matrix of categories and numbers;
● Time consuming;
● Often difficult.

The process of reducing your acquired data can be extracted in two possible ways using an approach
by analyzing qualitative data.
1. Examine your findings with a predefined framework, which reflects your aims, objectives and
interests.
2. Thematic network analysis, encouraging you to consider and code all your data, allowing for
new impressions to shape your interpretation in different and unexpected directions.

In qualitative research there is no fixed rule on how many codes a researcher should aim for, but if
you have more than 100-120 codes, it is recommended that you begin to merge some of the codes.
All materials must have been coded to start the abstraction of the themes from the codes.